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      Use knowledge of decimal place value to convert between and compare metres and centimetres

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use knowledge of decimal place value to convert between and compare metres and centimetres.

      Key learning points

      1. There are 100cm in 1m.
      2. 1cm is one hundredth of a metre so you can write 1cm as 0.01m.
      3. 10cm is one tenth of a metre so you can write 10cm as 0.1m.
      4. Lengths of m and cm can be recorded using whole numbers and two decimal places.

      Keywords

      • Metre - A metre is a measure of length that can be abbreviated as m.

      • Centimetre - A centimetre is a measure of length that can be abbreviated as cm.

      • Convert - To exchange a unit for an equivalent unit.

      Common misconception

      Pupils may write for example 3 cm as 0.3 m.

      Make connections between the headings in the place value chart and images that represent metres, tenths of metres and centimetres.

      Teacher tip

      Make sure children have the opportunity to develop a sense of the size of a metre in comparison to a tenth of a metre and a centimetre. Avoid giving a procedural strategy to convert from one unit to another - instead work towards generalising this.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is the name of the missing place value column? Give your answer as a word.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: hundredths, hundredth, 100th, 0.01

      Q2.
      Look at the sequence. Write the missing number as a decimal. 0.27, 0.28, 0.29, , 0.31, 0.32

      Correct Answer: 0.3, 0.30

      Q3.
      One metre is equivalent to:

      Correct answer: 100 cm
      20 lots of 10 cm
      Correct answer: 100 lots of 1 cm
      10 cm
      100 mm

      Q4.
      0.63 can be described as:

      63 tenths
      Correct answer: 63 hundredths
      Correct answer: 6 tenths and 3 hundredths
      63 decimals

      Q5.
      Which of these representations does not represent 0.42?

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz

      Q6.
      Write this representation as a decimal number.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: 2.53

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      There are centimetres in 1 metre.

      Correct Answer: 100, one hundred, hundred

      Q2.
      What is 3 hundredths of a metre written as a decimal number?

      300 m
      0.3 m
      Correct answer: 0.03 m

      Q3.
      Write 27 hundredths of a metre as a decimal number: metres

      Correct Answer: 0.27

      Q4.
      If one green bar represents one metre, how many centimetres are shown in the picture.

      An image in a quiz
      3 cm
      30 cm
      Correct answer: 300 cm
      3000 cm

      Q5.
      Tick the values that are greater than 340 cm. Check the units carefully.

      3 m 4 cm
      0.34 m
      Correct answer: 34 m
      Correct answer: 430 cm
      Correct answer: 4.03 m

      Q6.
      Tick the descriptions that match this image.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct answer: 2 m 5 cm
      205 m
      Correct answer: 205 cm
      250 cm
      Correct answer: 2.05 m

      To help you plan your 5 maths lesson on: Use knowledge of decimal place value to convert between and compare metres and centimetres, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...