To compare two quantities, their units must be the same.
4 mi
Practice makes perfect
We want to determine which quantity is greater, 4 miles or 6.2 kilometers. Let's start by expressing 4 miles in kilometers.
4 mi= km
To do so, we will use the fact that 1 mile equals about 1.61 kilometers. Let's write this relationship as a unit ratio.
1.61 km/1mi
To perform the conversion, we need to multiply 4 miles by the unit ratio or its reciprocal. Remember, we want to arrange these ratios such that every unit we do not want gets canceled out and only the units that we want will remain.
We got that 4 miles is equal to about 6.44 kilometers. Finally, we can compare the quantities.
6.44km & > 6.2km
& ↓
4mi & > 6.2km
Therefore, 4 miles is more than 6.2 kilometers.
Extra
Common Conversion Factors
The following tool can be used to help you explore some of the most commonly used conversion factors. Conversions can be made both within or between the Metric System and the Imperial System — which is also known as the U.S. Customary System.
Around the world, people use conversion factors on a regular basis. You can read more about some practical applications of conversion factors in our original content.
