Converting units (mm, µm, nm)
AQA GCSE Biology calculation · part of the free Calculation Climb
Cells and microscopes work in tiny units, and you have to switch between them: 1 mm = 1000 µm and 1 µm = 1000 nm. This is the skill that trips people up in magnification questions.
How to do it — step by step
- 1 mm = 1000 µm. 1 µm = 1000 nm.
- Bigger unit → smaller unit: × 1000. Smaller → bigger: ÷ 1000.
Worked example
Convert 0.05 mm into µm.
0.05 × 1000 = 50 µm
Now practise it — free
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