Inches (fraction)
Inches
Feet
Metric UnitsMillimeters
Centimeters
Meters
Measurements in inches can be expressed as a decimal or a fraction. When inches are expressed as a fraction, there are some special rules to follow, which are important to know to convert a decimal to inches correctly.
While fractions of an inch can be represented as any standard fraction, the most common fractions
of an inch use denominators that are powers of 2, from half inches to up to the 64ths of an
inch. That means the fraction denominators are most commonly 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64.
These specific fractions of an inch are referred to as inch fractions.
As a result, if we want to convert a decimal to one of these inch fractions, then know that
converting a decimal to an inch fraction is not quite the same as converting a decimal to a
regular fraction.
Instead, some minor rounding will occur since it will be necessary to find the nearest fraction
with the denominator that is a power of 2, also known as a dyadic fraction or dyadic rational
number.[1] Typical inch fractions will look something like 1/64, 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, or 1/2.
When you’re working with larger measurements, you can use our feet and inches calculator to add
or subtract feet and inch fractions.
To convert decimal inches to an inch fraction, you’ll need to round the decimal portion to the
nearest dyadic fractional inch.
First, separate the whole number from the decimal; these are the whole inches. Then, take the
remaining portion of the decimal to the right of the decimal point and multiply it by the
denominator of the level of precision you need (e.g., 1/16, 1/32, or 1/64).
For instance, to round to the nearest 1/16, take the decimal portion and multiply it by 16.
Then, round the result to get the numerator of the inch fraction.
Finally, place the numerator over the level of precision, 16 in this case. Then, put the
fractional inches next to the whole inches for the final result.
To convert inch fractions to metric measurements, you need to keep in mind that there are 2.54
centimeters or 25.4 millimeters per inch.
So, to convert an inch fraction to centimeters, you multiply the inches by 2.54, and to convert
to millimeters, multiply by 25.4.
Calculating feet and inches might seem complicated, but adding and subtracting measurements is actually really easy if you follow a few simple steps. While it’s easy to add or subtract feet and inches using a measurement calculator like the one above, if you follow a few basic steps, you can do it yourself!
The first thing to do when adding, subtracting, or doing other math with inches, feet, and other
measurements is to convert all the measurements into a common unit of measure. For example, when
reading a tape measure, inches will be in fraction form.
Let’s assume we want to perform a calculation using inches as our unit of measurement. Start by
converting any fractional inches into decimals. Then convert any measurements in feet,
centimeters, millimeters, etc. to inches.
Convert any inch fractions to decimal form by dividing the numerator of the fraction by the
denominator, using a calculator if necessary. If there is a whole number associated with the
fraction, add it to the decimal value after converting.
For example, if our measurement is 2 and 1/2 inches, first convert 1/2 to a decimal, which is
0.5, and then add it to 2, for a total of 2.5 inches.
For example:
Convert any feet to inches by multiplying the number of feet by 12, since there are 12 inches in a foot. Using a foot to inch conversion calculator also simplifies this step.
For example:
With all your measurements now in an inch decimal form, add or subtract them as you normally
would, using a calculator as needed. The final result will be the length in inches; you can
convert the result to any other unit at this point.
To express the sum or difference value in feet, simply divide by 12.
The following charts simplify the process of adding and subtracting fractional inch values
together and might be faster than using a calculator.
The steps to multiply or divide feet and inches are similar to the steps for adding and subtracting above.
The first step in multiplying or dividing multiple measurements together is to convert the length measurements to the same unit of measurement and then to convert them to a decimal value. If the length measurements are in feet and inches, it might be easiest to convert to inches.
With the length values converted to a decimal, it’s now possible to multiply or divide just like
you would with any decimal number. For example, if your inch value is 1.25 and you need to
multiply by 2, simply multiply using 1.25 × 2 = 2.5.
If you need to multiply two measurements together, for instance, to calculate an area, then be
sure to update the units to square units. For example, 2.5 in × 4 in = 10 in2.
This calculator is perfect for finding the volume of a cylinder in cubic yards, given the height
of the cylinder and the radius or diameter of its base. This is useful for determining cubic
yardage needed for concrete projects, filling sonotubes, posts, or footings, building and
construction projects, or landscaping projects.
This is also helpful for anyone trying to find the volume of a cylinder. Estimate the cost for
materials to fill the cylinder by entering a price per cubic yard.
The volume of a cylinder is found by multiplying the radius squared times π times the height.
The formula looks like this:
To calculate the volume of a cylinder in cubic yards using this formula, follow these steps.
It’s essential to convert each measurement to yards, or the resulting volume will not be in cubic yards. For example, if the measurements are in inches, then the result will be in cubic inches, and if they are in feet, then the result will be in cubic feet.