Step 1: Understand the units
First, it is important to understand the units of length that we are converting. Inches and centimeters (cm) are both units of length, but they are based on different measurement systems. Inches are commonly used in the United States, while centimeters are more commonly used in the metric system.
Step 2: Know the conversion factor
In order to convert inches to centimeters, we need to know the conversion factor. This is the number that we will use to multiply the original measurement by in order to get the equivalent measurement in centimeters. The conversion factor for inches to centimeters is 2.54, which means that 1 inch is equal to 2.54 centimeters.
Step 3: Write out the conversion equation
Now, we can write out the conversion equation using the known conversion factor. It will look like this:
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters
Step 4: Set up the problem
In this case, we are trying to convert 10 inches to centimeters. We can set up the problem like this:
10 inches x (1 inch / 2.54 centimeters)
Step 5: Cancel out the units
Notice that in the equation, inches are listed both in the numerator and denominator. This means that we can cancel them out, leaving us with just centimeters. The equation now looks like this:
10 x (1 / 2.54) centimeters
Step 6: Solve the equation
To solve the equation, we simply need to multiply the numbers without the units. This gives us:
10 x (1 / 2.54) = 10 / 2.54 = 3.93701
Step 7: Add units
Now that we have solved the equation, we need to add the correct units back in. Our final answer is 3.93701 centimeters.
Step 8: Round to the appropriate number of decimal places
In most cases, it is helpful to round the final answer to the appropriate number of decimal places. In this case, we will round to two decimal places, giving us our final answer of 3.94 centimeters.
Step 9: Check your work
To check your work, you can reverse the conversion and make sure that you get the original measurement. In this case, if we convert 3.94 centimeters back to inches using the same conversion factor, we should get 10 inches. Let’s try it:
3.94 centimeters x (1 inch / 2.54 centimeters) = 3.94/(1/2.54) = 3.94 x 2.54 = 9.9956 ≈ 10 inches
Therefore, our conversion of 10 inches to centimeters is correct!