How do you convert 8500 millimetres to metres?

To convert 8500 millimetres to metres, divide 8500 by 1000, which equals 8.5 metres.

In more detail, converting millimetres to metres involves understanding the relationship between these two units of measurement. The metric system is based on powers of ten, making conversions straightforward. There are 1000 millimetres in one metre. This means that to convert from millimetres to metres, you divide the number of millimetres by 1000.

For example, if you have 8500 millimetres and you want to convert this to metres, you perform the following calculation:

\[ 8500 \div 1000 = 8.5 \]

So, 8500 millimetres is equal to 8.5 metres.

This method works for any number of millimetres you need to convert. Just remember the key step: divide by 1000. This is because the prefix 'milli-' means one-thousandth, so one millimetre is one-thousandth of a metre. By dividing by 1000, you are effectively converting the smaller unit (millimetres) into the larger unit (metres).

Understanding this conversion is useful in many real-world contexts, such as measuring lengths in different units, and is a fundamental skill in GCSE Maths.