SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
SAT MATH
UNIT CONVERSION
Revision notes Methods, formulas, traps, worked examples
Multiple choice 60 questions
Student-produced response 20 questions
Difficulty Foundations to extreme Module 2
Calculator Permitted throughout
Name: ____________________________ Date: __________________
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
Part I — Revision Notes
SAT Skill Focus
Unit conversion is tested within Problem-Solving and Data Analysis. Questions can require
direct conversions, conversions within rates, area/volume scale factors, density, speed, flow rate,
scientific contexts, and multi-step dimensional analysis.
1. Conversion factors and dimensional analysis
A conversion factor is a fraction equal to 1. Arrange it so the unwanted unit cancels and the desired
unit remains.
given quantity × (desired unit / original unit)
2,000 g × (1 kg / 1,000 g) = 2 kg
Cancellation rule
Every unit you do not want should appear once in a numerator and once in a denominator. Never
multiply conversion numbers without tracking units.
2. Metric units to know
Quantity Equivalency Meaning
1 km = 1,000 m; 1 m = 100 Move decimal by powers of
Length
cm; 1 cm = 10 mm 10
Mass 1 kg = 1,000 g; 1 g = 1,000 mg Mass units
Volume 1 L = 1,000 mL; 1 mL = 1 cm³ Liquid and cubic measure
Time 1 h = 60 min; 1 min = 60 s Time units
Square or cube the linear
Area/Volume Critical SAT trap
conversion factor
3. Multi-step conversions
1 yard × (3 ft / 1 yd) × (12 in / 1 ft) = 36 in
Use as many conversion factors as needed. Write the complete chain before calculating.
4. Converting rates
Rates contain units in both numerator and denominator. Convert each side independently while
preserving the ratio.
30 mi/h × (5,280 ft / 1 mi) × (1 h / 60 min) = 2,640 ft/min
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
5. Area and volume conversions
If 1 meter = 100 centimeters, then 1 square meter = 100² = 10,000 square centimeters and 1 cubic
meter = 100³ = 1,000,000 cubic centimeters.
linear factor k ⇒ area factor k² ⇒ volume factor k³
High-frequency trap
Do not use a linear conversion factor for area or volume. For example, 1 ft = 12 in, but 1 ft² =
144 in² and 1 ft³ = 1,728 in³.
6. Density and other derived units
density = mass / volume
mass = density × volume
Other derived units include dollars per square foot, people per square mile, liters per minute, and
grams per cubic centimeter.
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
7. Temperature conversion
F = (9/5)C + 32 and C = (5/9)(F − 32)
8. Scale, scientific notation, and precision
Hard questions may combine unit conversion with scale drawings, scientific notation, percentages,
density, or geometry. Keep full precision until the final step, then round exactly as requested.
Module 2 checklist
1) Circle the requested unit. 2) Write every equivalency. 3) Build a cancellation chain. 4) Square
or cube factors when needed. 5) Estimate the size of the answer. 6) Round only at the end.
Worked Examples
Example 1 — Rate conversion
Convert 72 miles per hour to feet per second. Use 1 mile = 5,280 feet.
72 mi/h × 5,280 ft/mi × 1 h/3,600 s = 105.6 ft/s
Example 2 — Density
A rectangular prism measures 80 cm by 50 cm by 4 cm and has density 2.7 g/cm³.
volume = 80×50×4 = 16,000 cm³
mass = 2.7×16,000 = 43,200 g = 43.2 kg
Example 3 — Cubic conversion
Convert 2.4 cubic meters to cubic centimeters.
2.4 m³ × (100 cm/1 m)³ = 2,400,000 cm³
Example 4 — Multiple steps
A horse runs 10 furlongs in 2 minutes. Since 8 furlongs = 1 mile, its speed is:
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
10 furlongs × 1 mi/8 furlongs × 60 min/2 min = 37.5 mph
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
Part II — Practice Questions
Directions
Questions 1–60 are multiple choice. Questions 1–20 emphasize Module 1 foundations. Questions
21–60 use hard and advanced Module 2 reasoning, often combining two or more conversions.
Section A — Multiple Choice (1–60)
1. How many centimeters are in 4.8 meters?
A. 0.048 B. 48
C. 480 D. 4,800
2. How many seconds are in 2.75 minutes?
A. 125 B. 150
C. 165 D. 175
3. A garden is 9 yards long. How many feet long is it?
A. 18 B. 27
C. 36 D. 108
4. How many milliliters are in 3.6 liters?
A. 36 B. 360
C. 3,600 D. 36,000
5. A package has mass 2,450 grams. What is its mass in kilograms?
A. 0.245 B. 2.45
C. 24.5 D. 245
6. A movie lasts 8,100 seconds. How many minutes is this?
A. 120 B. 125
C. 130 D. 135
7. Use 1 foot=12 inches. How many inches are in 5.5 feet?
A. 60 B. 64
C. 66 D. 72
8. A bottle contains 750 milliliters. How many liters is this?
A. 0.075 B. 0.75
C. 7.5 D. 75
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
9. A cyclist travels 24 miles in 2 hours. What is the speed in miles per minute?
A. 0.1 B. 0.2
C. 0.4 D. 12
10. A 6-kilometer trail is how many meters long?
A. 60 B. 600
C. 6,000 D. 60,000
11. Use 1 mile=5,280 feet. How many feet are in 2.5 miles?
A. 10,560 B. 12,200
C. 13,200 D. 15,840
12. A mass of 0.84 kilogram equals how many grams?
A. 8.4 B. 84
C. 840 D. 8,400
13. How many square centimeters are in 3 square meters?
A. 300 B. 3,000
C. 30,000 D. 300,000
14. A pump moves 12 liters each minute. How many milliliters does it move each second?
A. 120 B. 200
C. 720 D. 12,000
15. A car travels at 60 miles per hour. How many miles does it travel in 15 minutes?
A. 10 B. 15
C. 20 D. 25
16. A temperature is 20°C. What is it in degrees Fahrenheit?
A. 52 B. 60
C. 68 D. 72
17. A rectangular prism has volume 2,000 cubic centimeters. How many liters is this?
A. 0.2 B. 2
C. 20 D. 200
18. A runner moves at 5 meters per second. What is this speed in meters per minute?
A. 60 B. 150
C. 300 D. 500
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
19. Use 1 gallon=4 quarts. How many quarts are in 6.25 gallons?
A. 21 B. 23
C. 25 D. 28
20. A board is 96 inches long. How many feet long is it?
A. 6 B. 8
C. 10 D. 12
21. A car travels at 72 miles per hour. What is its speed in feet per second? Use 1 mile=5,280 feet.
A. 88.0 B. 96.8
C. 105.6 D. 120.0
22. A liquid flows at 18 liters per minute, as shown in the graph. How many cubic centimeters flow
in 25 seconds?
A. 6,000 B. 7,500
C. 9,000 D. 10,800
23. A rectangular floor is 18 feet by 24 feet. What is its area in square yards?
A. 48 B. 72
C. 108 D. 144
24. A cube has side length 2.5 feet. What is its volume in cubic inches?
A. 5,400 B. 13,824
C. 27,000 D. 46,656
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
25. A substance has density 2.7 grams per cubic centimeter. Based on the graph, what is the mass,
in kilograms, of 40 cubic centimeters?
A. 0.108 B. 1.08
C. 10.8 D. 108
26. A 12-foot-by-15-foot wall is covered with tiles. Each tile has area 144 square inches. Ignoring
gaps, how many tiles are needed?
A. 120 B. 150
C. 180 D. 216
27. A tank contains 2.4 cubic meters of water. How many liters is this?
A. 240 B. 2,400
C. 24,000 D. 2,400,000
28. A printer produces 45 pages every 36 seconds. At this rate, how many pages per minute?
A. 60 B. 72
C. 75 D. 90
29. A car uses 8.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. Approximately how many kilometers per liter is
this?
A. 8.5 B. 10.6
C. 11.8 D. 12.5
30. A room measures 6 meters by 4.5 meters. What is its area in square centimeters?
A. 27,000 B. 270,000
C. 2,700,000 D. 27,000,000
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
31. A metal block measures 0.8 m by 0.5 m by 0.25 m. What is its volume in cubic centimeters?
A. 10,000 B. 100,000
C. 1,000,000 D. 10,000,000
32. A speed of 15 meters per second is approximately how many kilometers per hour?
A. 41 B. 48
C. 54 D. 60
33. A train travels 132 kilometers in 1 hour 50 minutes. What is its average speed in kilometers per
hour?
A. 66 B. 70
C. 72 D. 78
34. A sample has mass 3.75 kilograms and volume 1,500 cubic centimeters. What is its density in
grams per cubic centimeter?
A. 0.25 B. 2.5
C. 25 D. 250
35. A vehicle travels 88 feet each second, as shown in the graph. What is its speed in miles per
hour? Use 1 mile=5,280 feet.
A. 45 B. 50
C. 55 D. 60
36. A cylindrical container has volume 2.5 liters. What is its volume in cubic millimeters?
A. 2,500 B. 25,000
C. 250,000 D. 2,500,000
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
37. A data file is downloaded at 24 megabytes per second. How many gigabytes are downloaded in
3 minutes, using 1 gigabyte=1,000 megabytes?
A. 2.88 B. 4.32
C. 7.20 D. 72.0
38. A population density is 1,800 people per square kilometer. Approximately how many people
per square mile is this? Use 1 mile=1.609 kilometers.
A. 695 B. 1,118
C. 2,895 D. 4,660
39. A fuel economy is 30 miles per gallon. Approximately how many kilometers per liter is this?
Use 1 mile=1.609 km and 1 gallon=3.785 L.
A. 7.9 B. 10.2
C. 12.8 D. 18.4
40. A pressure is 250 kilopascals. If 1 kilopascal=1,000 pascals, what is the pressure in pascals?
A. 2,500 B. 25,000
C. 250,000 D. 2,500,000
41. A factory uses 0.035 kilowatt-hour of energy per item. How many watt-hours are used to
produce 1,200 items?
A. 4,200 B. 42,000
C. 420,000 D. 4,200,000
42. A medication is prescribed at 12 milligrams per kilogram of body mass. What dose, in grams,
is prescribed for a 75-kilogram patient?
A. 0.09 B. 0.9
C. 9 D. 90
43. A rectangular field has area 3.6 hectares. Use 1 hectare=10,000 square meters. What is the area
in square kilometers?
A. 0.0036 B. 0.036
C. 0.36 D. 3.6
44. A sphere has volume 64 cubic feet. What is the volume in cubic inches?
A. 9,216 B. 36,864
C. 110,592 D. 884,736
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
45. A laboratory records 4.2×10^6 microliters of liquid. How many liters is this?
A. 0.42 B. 4.2
C. 42 D. 4,200
46. A temperature changes from 50°F to 86°F. What is the change in degrees Celsius?
A. 10 B. 18
C. 20 D. 36
47. The graph shows the relationship between Celsius and Fahrenheit. Which Fahrenheit
temperature corresponds to 35°C?
A. 63°F B. 77°F
C. 95°F D. 105°F
48. A machine moves at 1.8 meters per second. How many centimeters does it move in 2.5
minutes?
A. 270 B. 2,700
C. 27,000 D. 270,000
49. A rectangular prism has dimensions 40 cm, 25 cm, and 18 cm. Its density is 1.6 g/cm³. What is
its mass in kilograms?
A. 2.88 B. 18.0
C. 28.8 D. 288
50. Water flows at 2.4 cubic feet per minute. Approximately how many cubic inches flow per
second?
A. 28.8 B. 57.6
C. 69.1 D. 172.8
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
51. A map scale is 1 inch=22 miles. Two locations are 7.5 centimeters apart on the map.
Approximately how far apart are they in miles? Use 1 inch=2.54 cm.
A. 42.5 B. 55.0
C. 65.0 D. 73.3
52. A circular track has circumference 400 meters. A runner completes 7.5 laps in 18 minutes.
What is the average speed in kilometers per hour?
A. 8 B. 10
C. 12 D. 15
53. A material costs $6.40 per square foot. What is the cost per square yard?
A. $19.20 B. $38.40
C. $57.60 D. $76.80
54. A liquid has density 0.92 gram per milliliter. What is the mass, in kilograms, of 15 liters?
A. 0.0138 B. 1.38
C. 13.8 D. 138
55. A car accelerates at 3.5 meters per second squared. What is this acceleration in centimeters per
second squared?
A. 0.035 B. 35
C. 350 D. 3,500
56. A rectangular tank is 6 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 3.5 feet deep. If 1 cubic foot≈7.48 gallons,
approximately how many gallons does it hold?
A. 314 B. 419
C. 628 D. 754
57. A substance has concentration 14 milligrams per liter. How many grams of the substance are in
2.5 cubic meters of solution?
A. 3.5 B. 35
C. 350 D. 3,500
58. A satellite travels 7.8 kilometers per second. Approximately how many miles per hour is this?
Use 1 mile=1.609 kilometers.
A. 10,900 B. 15,200
C. 17,450 D. 28,080
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
59. A dosage is 0.25 milliliter per 10 pounds. How many milliliters are needed for a 176-pound
patient?
A. 3.4 B. 4.0
C. 4.4 D. 5.5
60. A cube-shaped storage container has volume 27 cubic meters. What is the volume in cubic
feet? Use 1 meter=3.28 feet.
A. 290 B. 476
C. 953 D. 2,904
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
Section B — Student-Produced Response (61–80)
61. Convert 7.25 kilometers to meters.
Answer: ____________________
62. A speed is 54 miles per hour. What is the speed in miles per minute?
Answer: ____________________
63. A container holds 3.4 liters. How many cubic centimeters is this?
Answer: ____________________
64. A runner travels at 6 meters per second for 4.5 minutes. How many kilometers does the runner
travel?
Answer: ____________________
65. A 14-foot board is cut into pieces each 8 inches long. How many complete pieces can be cut?
Answer: ____________________
66. A tank contains 0.85 cubic meter of water. How many liters does it contain?
Answer: ____________________
67. A vehicle travels 110 feet per second. What is its speed in miles per hour? Use 1 mile=5,280
feet.
Answer: ____________________
68. A rectangular prism measures 30 cm by 20 cm by 15 cm and has density 2.4 g/cm³. What is its
mass in kilograms?
Answer: ____________________
69. A 2.75-square-meter rug has area how many square centimeters?
Answer: ____________________
70. A cube has edge length 0.4 meter. What is its volume in cubic centimeters?
Answer: ____________________
71. A pump moves 950 milliliters per second. How many liters does it move in 8 minutes?
Answer: ____________________
72. A temperature is 104°F. What is it in degrees Celsius?
Answer: ____________________
73. A car uses 6.4 liters per 100 kilometers. How many liters are used to travel 375 kilometers?
Answer: ____________________
74. A room has volume 2,880 cubic feet. What is the volume in cubic yards?
Answer: ____________________
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
75. A medicine contains 18 milligrams per 5 milliliters. How many grams of medicine are in 750
milliliters?
Answer: ____________________
76. A data transfer rate is 150 megabits per second. How many gigabits are transferred in 4
minutes? Use 1 gigabit=1,000 megabits.
Answer: ____________________
77. A field has area 0.072 square kilometer. How many hectares is this? Use 1 hectare=10,000 m².
Answer: ____________________
78. A gas has density 1.25 kilograms per cubic meter. What is the mass, in grams, of 3,600 liters of
the gas?
Answer: ____________________
79. A wheel has circumference 2.2 meters and makes 360 rotations in 3 minutes. What is its linear
speed in meters per second?
Answer: ____________________
80. A machine uses 0.045 kilowatt-hour per minute. How many watt-hours does it use in 2.5
hours?
Answer: ____________________
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
Part III — Answer Key and Explanations
1 C 2 C 3 B 4 C
5 B 6 D 7 C 8 B
9 B 10 C 11 C 12 C
13 C 14 B 15 B 16 C
17 B 18 C 19 C 20 B
21 C 22 B 23 A 24 C
25 A 26 C 27 B 28 C
29 C 30 B 31 B 32 C
33 C 34 B 35 D 36 D
37 B 38 D 39 C 40 C
41 B 42 B 43 B 44 C
45 B 46 C 47 C 48 C
49 C 50 C 51 C 52 B
53 C 54 C 55 C 56 C
57 B 58 C 59 C 60 C
61 7250 62 0.9 63 3400 64 1.62
65 21 66 850 67 75 68 21.6
69 27500 70 64000 71 456 72 40
73 24 74 106.6667 75 2.7 76 36
77 7.2 78 4500 79 4.4 80 6750
Concise Explanations — Multiple Choice
1. C — 4.8×100=480.
2. C — 2.75×60=165.
3. B — 9×3=27.
4. C — 3.6×1,000=3,600.
5. B — 2,450/1,000=2.45.
6. D — 8,100/60=135.
7. C — 5.5×12=66.
8. B — 750/1,000=.75.
9. B — 12 mi/h ÷60=.2 mi/min.
10. C — 6×1,000=6,000.
11. C — 2.5×5,280=13,200.
12. C — .84×1,000=840.
13. C — 1 m²=10,000 cm², so 3=30,000.
14. B — 12,000 mL/60=200 mL/s.
15. B — 15 min=.25 h; distance=15 mi.
16. C — F=1.8(20)+32=68.
17. B — 1,000 cm³=1 L.
18. C — 5×60=300.
19. C — 6.25×4=25.
20. B — 96/12=8.
21. C — 72×5280/3600=105.6.
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
22. B — 18 L/min=300 mL/s=300 cm³/s; 25 s gives 7,500.
23. A — Area=432 ft²; divide by 9 ft²/yd²=48 yd².
24. C — 2.5 ft=30 in; volume=30³=27,000.
25. A — Mass=2.7×40=108 g=.108 kg.
26. C — Wall=180 ft²=25,920 in²; /144=180.
27. B — 1 m³=1,000 L.
28. C — 45/36×60=75.
29. C — 100/8.5≈11.76.
30. B — Area=27 m²×10,000=270,000 cm².
31. B — Volume=.1 m³×1,000,000=100,000 cm³.
32. C — Multiply m/s by 3.6: 54 km/h.
33. C — 1 h 50 min=11/6 h; 132÷(11/6)=72.
34. B — 3.75 kg=3,750 g; /1,500=2.5.
35. D — 88×3600/5280=60.
36. D — 2.5 L=2,500 cm³; each cm³=1,000 mm³, so 2,500,000.
37. B — 24×180=4,320 MB=4.32 GB.
38. D — 1 mi²≈2.589 km²; 1800×2.589≈4,660.
39. C — 30×1.609/3.785≈12.75.
40. C — 250×1,000.
41. B — .035 kWh/item×1200=42 kWh=42,000 Wh.
42. B — 12×75=900 mg=.9 g.
43. B — 36,000 m²=.036 km².
44. C — 64×12³=64×1728=110,592.
45. B — 1 L=10^6 µL, so 4.2 L.
46. C — Temperature difference conversion: ΔC=(5/9)ΔF=(5/9)(36)=20.
47. C — F=1.8(35)+32=95.
48. C — 2.5 min=150 s; distance=270 m=27,000 cm.
49. C — Volume=18,000 cm³; mass=28,800 g=28.8 kg.
50. C — 2.4×1728/60=69.12.
51. C — 7.5/2.54×22≈64.96.
52. B — Distance=3 km; time=.3 h; speed=10 km/h.
53. C — 1 yd²=9 ft²; 6.40×9=57.60.
54. C — 15 L=15,000 mL; mass=13,800 g=13.8 kg.
55. C — Multiply length unit by 100: 350 cm/s².
56. C — Volume=84 ft³; ×7.48≈628.3.
57. B — 2.5 m³=2,500 L; 14×2500=35,000 mg=35 g.
58. C — 7.8×3600/1.609≈17,452.
59. C — .25×17.6=4.4.
60. C — 27×3.28³≈952.7.
Solution Notes — Student-Produced Response
61. 7250 — 7.25×1,000.
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SAT Math Revision & Practice • Unit Conversion
62. 0.9 — 54/60.
63. 3400 — 1 L=1,000 cm³.
64. 1.62 — 4.5 min=270 s; distance=1,620 m=1.62 km.
65. 21 — 14 ft=168 in; 168/8=21.
66. 850 — 1 m³=1,000 L.
67. 75 — 110×3600/5280=75.
68. 21.6 — Volume=9,000 cm³; mass=21,600 g=21.6 kg.
69. 27500 — 2.75×10,000.
70. 64000 — 0.4 m=40 cm; 40³=64,000.
71. 456 — 950×480=456,000 mL=456 L.
72. 40 — (5/9)(104−32)=40.
73. 24 — 6.4×3.75=24.
74. 106.6667 — Divide by 27; 2,880/27=106 2/3. Accept 320/3.
75. 2.7 — 750/5×18=2,700 mg=2.7 g.
76. 36 — 150×240/1000=36.
77. 7.2 — 0.072 km²=72,000 m²=7.2 ha.
78. 4500 — 3,600 L=3.6 m³; mass=4.5 kg=4,500 g.
79. 4.4 — Distance=792 m; time=180 s; speed=4.4.
80. 6750 — 2.5 h=150 min; .045×150=6.75 kWh=6,750 Wh.
Reference Framework
The skill coverage was informed by the College Board Problem-Solving and Data Analysis framework and Student Question
Bank description for ratios, rates, proportional relationships, units, derived units, and unit conversion; official SAT preparation
material on Khan Academy; and style review of publicly available third-party SAT practice resources. All questions in this
document are original.
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