Paphos Life

I know from experience that some people cannot relate centimeters to inches using mental arithmetic.
If you are old school, yards, feet and inches, you can convert centimeters to inches using a multiplication of 4.
i.e. 60 cms x 4 =240 remove the zero and using common sense reach a figure of 24 inches.
i.e. 10 cms x 4 =40 and once again remove the zero, a figure of 4 inches.
You should after all know that 1 metre or 100cms is just over 1 yard, that`s where the common sense comes in.
2.4 metres X 4 =9.6 ( 96 inches). 8 feet.
Use your imagination and it will help.
I hope this is of some use to those who just cannot relate to metric length.
Maybe you think I should shut the truck up and drive off into the sunset.
Best regards ....Alan

All I remember is 12 inches = 30cm, then I have to work from there each time.

Hey and 30 * 4 = 120, take off the 0 = 12.

It works!

Very useful. I'm a bit caught between the two measurement systems as Metric came in when I was quite young. I intermingle both and often have to try and visualize one to t'other. A simple conversion like this is excellent, thank you.

Useful advice beachcaster!


Shane

Don't think this works for longer distances, for example, converting 8km into miles. Everyone knows that the answer is 5 miles (divide by 8 then multiply by 5 in your head).

Using the OP formula, we would have 8,000 metres x 4 = 32,000

Knock off the final 0 and we're left with 3200. How does that equate to 5 miles?

Cheers- AL

The OP is talking in cm not metres

8000 x 100 x 4 = 3,200,000
Knock off the final 0 gives 320,000 inches, which equals 5.05 miles.
So it does still work, albeit a bit long-winded.
Think I'll stick with the 5/8 rule for long distances!

What I find interesting is that in the UK I can go to a wood yard and buy 2.4m of 2x4 i.e. 2" x 4", and everybody knows what I want! In fact most wood yards in Cyprus still understand 2x4 or other imperial sizes, although you get metric sized wood.

If my conversion means you need to use a calculator,forget it.
Everybody knows the kilometer / mile conversion, because it is well publicised.
My formula is now in your head for the first time. Use it.
Actually you already have.
Regards....Alan

The weirdest one was dot matrix printer paper. That had one dimension in inches and the other in centimetres.

Mighty sprite. In Cyprus you buy timber with sectional dimensions in inches i.e. 4x2. But you have to buy it in metric lengths.
Regards....Alan.