Metric and imperial units coexist in recipes, international shopping, travel and technical work — and confusing them can mean buying the wrong size, cooking the wrong amount or missing a specification. These are the conversions that come up most often.
Distance
| Metric | Imperial | Quick conversion |
|---|---|---|
| 1 km | 0.621 miles | km × 0.621 |
| 1 mile | 1.609 km | miles × 1.609 |
| 1 m | 3.281 feet | m × 3.281 |
| 1 foot | 0.305 m | feet × 0.305 |
| 1 cm | 0.394 inches | cm × 0.394 |
| 1 inch | 2.54 cm | inches × 2.54 |
Mental shortcut: 5 km ≈ 3 miles; 1 foot ≈ 30 cm; 1 inch ≈ 2.5 cm.
Weight
| Metric | Imperial | Quick conversion |
|---|---|---|
| 1 kg | 2.205 lbs | kg × 2.205 |
| 1 lb | 0.454 kg | lbs × 0.454 |
| 1 g | 0.035 oz | g × 0.035 |
| 1 oz | 28.35 g | oz × 28.35 |
Mental shortcut: 1 kg ≈ 2.2 lbs; 500g ≈ 1 lb; 100g ≈ 3.5 oz.
Volume
| Metric | Imperial | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 litre | 1.76 UK pints / 2.11 US pints | US and UK pints differ |
| 1 litre | 0.264 US gallons | |
| 250 ml | ~1 cup (US) | US cup = 240 ml |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml |
Temperature
| Formula | Example |
|---|---|
| °C to °F: (°C × 1.8) + 32 | 25°C = 77°F |
| °F to °C: (°F − 32) ÷ 1.8 | 100°F = 37.8°C |
Key reference points: 0°C = 32°F (freezing), 37°C = 98.6°F (body temp), 100°C = 212°F (boiling).
Traditional Pakistani Units
Some informal measures still used locally:
- 1 seer ≈ 0.93 kg (varies by region)
- 1 maund = 40 seer ≈ 37 kg
- 1 kanal = 505 sq metres (land measurement in Punjab)
- 1 marla = 25.29 sq metres
For any specific conversion, Unit Converter handles all categories including obscure units. For ratio-based calculations that often come with scaling and conversions, see how ratios work with everyday examples.
Digital Storage Units
A common modern conversion set that trips people up:
| Unit | Bytes |
|---|---|
| 1 KB (kilobyte) | 1,024 bytes (or 1,000 in SI) |
| 1 MB (megabyte) | 1,024 KB |
| 1 GB (gigabyte) | 1,024 MB |
| 1 TB (terabyte) | 1,024 GB |
Hard drive manufacturers use the SI (1,000-based) definition, which is why a "1 TB" drive shows as about 931 GB in an operating system using the binary definition. The Unit Converter covers digital storage units alongside the physical units above.
Speed Conversions
Common speed conversions for driving and shipping context:
| km/h | miles/h | m/s |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | 37.3 | 16.7 |
| 100 | 62.1 | 27.8 |
| 120 | 74.6 | 33.3 |
Pakistan's speed limits are in km/h; UK and US speed limits are in miles/h — important context for driving abroad or interpreting international specs. Unit Converter covers speed alongside all other unit categories.
