Max Maths, Year 6, Learn together, Converting between units of measurement (1)

In the Max Maths Year 6 curriculum, students are introduced to the concept of converting between different units of measurement. This essential skill is particularly useful when dealing with measurements that include decimals. One of the key techniques taught is moving the decimal point to convert between units such as kilometres to metres, grams to kilograms, and litres to millilitres.

For instance, to convert 7.15 kilometres to metres, students learn to multiply by 1,000, which involves moving the decimal point three places to the right. This changes 7.15 into 7,150, meaning that 7.15 km is equal to 7,150 m. Similarly, when converting 40.5 grams to kilograms, the process is to divide by 1,000 or move the decimal point three places to the left, resulting in 0.0405, making 40.5 g equal to 0.0405 kg. Lastly, converting 18.2 litres to millilitres is another multiplication by 1,000, shifting the decimal point three places to the right to get 18,200, so 18.2 l is equivalent to 18,200 ml. These simple yet effective methods enable students to confidently handle a variety of measurement conversions.