Word Based Length Conversions: Step-by-Step Example
23 October 2026
Word problems often use real-life situations to test understanding of metric length conversions. This helps children see why changing between centimetres and metres is useful in everyday maths.
Example question
A ribbon is 2 metres long. Sarah cuts 150 centimetres from it. How much ribbon is left in metres?
Step 1: Change 150 centimetres into metres. 100 centimetres is 1 metre. 150 ÷ 100 = 1.5 metres.
Step 2: Take the cut length away from the original length. 2 metres − 1.5 metres = 0.5 metres.
The answer is 0.5 metres of ribbon is left.
Click or tap on the number line to answer
After working through this example, your child will recognise how to spot the units in a question and confidently convert between them. The next step is to practise a similar metric length word problem independently.
