Start with this short video, then scroll down for the full guide.
Why This Matters for Nursing: Measuring patient height, wound dimensions, and medical equipment often requires converting between inches, feet, centimeters, and meters. These conversions are essential for accurate documentation.
| Conversion | Factor |
|---|---|
| 1 foot (ft) = | 12 inches (in) |
| 1 yard (yd) = | 3 feet |
| 1 mile = | 5,280 feet |
| Conversion | Factor |
|---|---|
| 1 meter (m) = | 100 centimeters (cm) |
| 1 centimeter = | 10 millimeters (mm) |
| 1 kilometer (km) = | 1,000 meters |
| Conversion | Factor |
|---|---|
| 1 inch = | 2.54 cm (exactly) |
| 1 foot ≈ | 30.48 cm |
| 1 meter ≈ | 39.37 inches |
"1 inch = 2.54 cm" — Memorize this ONE conversion; derive the rest!
Quick estimates: - 1 inch ≈ 2.5 cm (close enough for estimation) - 1 meter ≈ 3 feet (actually 3.28 ft) - Your thumb width ≈ 1 inch - Doorknob height ≈ 1 meter
Set up conversion factors so unwanted units cancel:
Problem: Convert 5 feet to centimeters
Setup:
5 ft × (12 in/1 ft) × (2.54 cm/1 in) = 152.4 cm
Units cancel: ft cancels, in cancels, cm remains ✓
Problem: Convert 42 inches to feet.
Step 1 — Identify the conversion factor. 1 foot = 12 inches. We want to go from inches to feet (small to large) — so we divide.
Step 2 — Divide. 42 ÷ 12 = 3.5.
Answer: 3.5 feet (which is 3 feet 6 inches)
💡 0.5 feet = half a foot = 6 inches. So 3.5 feet = 3 feet 6 inches.
The worked examples and practice problems are the part that actually prepares you for the TEAS.
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