🔄 Conversions guides

Why conversions go wrong

Conversions look mechanical, but small slips are common: multiplying when you should divide, mixing up fluid ounces and weight ounces, forgetting that binary place values double, or writing a cheque amount in words that does not match the figures. These guides explain the logic behind each conversion so you can spot an answer that looks wrong.

Topics covered

• Units: length, weight, volume and temperature, including the exact definitions behind common factors.
• Number systems: binary, octal, decimal and hexadecimal, and how place value works in each.
• Numbers in words: how to spell amounts correctly for cheques, contracts and formal writing.

A quick sanity check

Before you trust any converted value, ask whether it should be bigger or smaller than the original. A kilogram is heavier than a pound, so the number of pounds should be larger. A binary number is longer than its decimal version. Our converters show the result instantly, and the guides help you understand why it is right.