Max Maths, Year 6, Learn together, Converting between units of measurement (2)

In a Year 6 mathematics lesson focused on converting units of measurement, students learn to translate a person's height from centimetres to metres. For example, Samir's height is given as 132.5 cm. To convert centimetres into metres, the correct method is to divide the number by 100. This is because there are 100 centimetres in a metre. The students are reminded that when dividing a decimal by 100, the decimal point moves two places to the left. Therefore, dividing 132.5 by 100 shifts the decimal to give the result of 1.325. With this calculation, students can see that Samir's height is 1.325 metres.

Additionally, the lesson covers the conversion of mass from kilograms to grams. Samir's mass is recorded at 43.5 kg. Since there are 1,000 grams in a kilogram, to make this conversion, students must multiply by 1,000. A handy tip shared with the students is that when multiplying a decimal by 1,000, the decimal point is moved three places to the right. Applying this to Samir's mass, multiplying 43.5 by 1,000 translates to 43,500. Thus, the students learn that Samir's mass is 43,500 grams. These practical examples help students to understand and remember the process of converting between different units of measurement.