What is the conversion factor from kilometres to metres?

The conversion factor from kilometres to metres is 1 kilometre equals 1,000 metres.

When converting units of measurement, it's important to understand the relationship between the units. In this case, the metric system is used, which is a decimal-based system of measurement. This means that each unit is a power of ten. For example, 1 kilometre (km) is equal to 1,000 metres (m). This is because the prefix 'kilo-' means 1,000. So, when you see 'kilometre', you can think of it as 1,000 metres.

To convert kilometres to metres, you simply multiply the number of kilometres by 1,000. For instance, if you have 3 kilometres and you want to know how many metres that is, you would calculate 3 km × 1,000 = 3,000 metres. This straightforward multiplication makes it easy to switch between these units.

Understanding this conversion is useful in many real-life situations, such as calculating distances on maps, measuring lengths in science experiments, or even when planning a trip. It’s also a fundamental concept in GCSE Maths, where you might encounter problems that require you to convert between different units of measurement. Remembering that 1 kilometre equals 1,000 metres will help you tackle these problems with confidence.