How to Convert 5 Inches to Centimeters (5in to cm)

In order to change 5 inches to centimeters we need to know how many centimeters are in one inch. This is called a conversion factor.

1 inch = 2.54 centimeters

So if we have 5 inches we just multiply 5 x 2.54 to get centimeters.

We could also line up two rulers rulers side by side and line up the zero marks. Then we could go to five inches and look at the corresponding value on the ruler in centimeters. When we do this we'll see that we get the same answer as when we multiply 5 inches x 2.54.

Note that if we wanted to be careful with our units we could write:

5 in x 2.54cm/1in = 12.7 cm

This way we can see that the unit inches would cancel out, leaving us with cm. This is a probably the best way to do problems like these.