Example

Converting 66 Inches to Feet Using a Conversion Factor

To convert 6666 inches to feet, two conversion factors can be formed from the fact that 11 foot =12= 12 inches: 1 foot12 inches\frac{1 \text{ foot}}{12 \text{ inches}} and 12 inches1 foot\frac{12 \text{ inches}}{1 \text{ foot}}. Both fractions equal 11, but only one will eliminate the unwanted unit.

  1. Start with the given measurement: 66 inches66 \text{ inches}.
  2. Multiply by 11: 66 inches×166 \text{ inches} \times 1.
  3. Write 11 as the correct conversion factor: Choose the fraction that places the unit being converted from (inches) in the denominator so that it cancels with the inches in the original measurement: 66 inches×1 foot12 inches66 \text{ inches} \times \frac{1 \text{ foot}}{12 \text{ inches}}.
  4. Cancel the matching unit and simplify: The inches in the numerator and denominator cancel, leaving only feet: 66 inches×1 foot12 inches=6612 feet=5.5 feet66 \text{ inches} \times \frac{1 \text{ foot}}{12 \text{ inches}} = \frac{66}{12} \text{ feet} = 5.5 \text{ feet}

Multiplying instead by 12 inches1 foot\frac{12 \text{ inches}}{1 \text{ foot}} would not cancel any units and would produce a meaningless result. The strategy is to treat unit labels like algebraic factors: place the unwanted unit where it will divide out, and the desired unit where it will remain.

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Updated 2026-07-03

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