To convert 45cm to inches, we will use the conversion factor of 1 inch = 2.54 cm. This means that for every 1 inch, there are 2.54 cm.
Step 1: Write down the given value in the problem, which is 45cm.
Step 2: Set up a conversion equation with the given value on one side and the desired unit on the other side. In this case, it would be 45cm = ___ inches.
Step 3: Use the conversion factor to fill in the blank with the equivalent value of inches. Since we know that 1 inch = 2.54 cm, we can write the equation as 45cm = (45/2.54) inches.
Step 4: Simplify the equation by dividing 45 by 2.54 to get the equivalent value of inches. This will give us 17.72 inches.
Step 5: Write down the final answer and label it with the appropriate unit. In this case, the final answer would be 17.72 inches.
Step 6: If needed, round the answer to the desired number of significant figures. In this example, the answer has three significant figures, so the final answer would be 17.7 inches.
Therefore, 45cm is equal to 17.7 inches. Make sure to always double check your conversion by reversing the process. In this case, if we convert 17.7 inches back to cm, we would get 44.95 cm, which is very close to the original value of 45cm. This confirms our answer is correct.