Year 6: Miles and kilometres
Part of the Year 6 area, volume and measures chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Miles and kilometres
Miles and kilometres are both used for distance. We use the approximate rule 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres. The sign ≈ means "is about equal to", so the answers are approximate equivalents.
To change miles to kilometres, multiply by 1.6. To change kilometres to miles, divide by 1.6. It helps to check that a bigger distance in miles gives a bigger number of kilometres.
| Miles | 5 | 10 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kilometres (about) | 8 | 16 | 32 |
Key ideas
- 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Miles to kilometres: multiply by 1.6.
- Kilometres to miles: divide by 1.6.
- A kilometre is shorter than a mile, so the number of kilometres is bigger than the number of miles.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Multiply the miles by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we multiply the miles by 1.6 to get kilometres.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Multiply the miles by 1.6. It is easier to multiply by 16 and then divide by 10.15 × 16 = 240, then 240 ÷ 10 = 24
- Write the answer. The answer is in kilometres.24
Check. 24 ÷ 1.6 = 15 miles. ✓
Watch out. Miles to kilometres: multiply. Kilometres to miles: divide. Do not divide when you go from miles to kilometres.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Divide the kilometres by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we divide the kilometres by 1.6 to get miles.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Divide by 1.6. To avoid a decimal divisor, multiply the top and bottom by 10. Then 1.6 becomes 16.12 ÷ 1.6 = 120 ÷ 16
- Work out the division. The answer may have a decimal part, which must end.120 ÷ 16 = 7.5
- Write the answer. The answer is in miles.7.5
Check. 7.5 × 1.6 = 12 km. ✓
Watch out. Kilometres to miles: divide by 1.6. A mile is longer than a kilometre, so the number of miles is smaller.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Divide the kilometres by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we divide the kilometres by 1.6 to get miles.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Divide by 1.6. To avoid a decimal divisor, multiply the top and bottom by 10. Then 1.6 becomes 16.25 ÷ 1.6 = 250 ÷ 16
- Work out the division. The answer may have a decimal part, which must end.250 ÷ 16 = 15.625
- Write the answer. The answer is in miles.15.625
Check. 15.625 × 1.6 = 25 km. ✓
Watch out. Kilometres to miles: divide by 1.6. A mile is longer than a kilometre, so the number of miles is smaller.
Watch out
Common mistake: 1 mile is more than 1 kilometre. A mile is about 1.6 km, so when you change kilometres to miles, the answer must be less than the number of kilometres. Divide, do not multiply.
Exam tip
Check your answer by changing it back. For example, 7.5 miles × 1.6 should give 12 km.
Exercise 9C Miles and kilometres
Non-calculatorKey words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Multiply the miles by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we multiply the miles by 1.6 to get kilometres.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Multiply the miles by 1.6. It is easier to multiply by 16 and then divide by 10.10 × 16 = 160, then 160 ÷ 10 = 16
- Write the answer. The answer is in kilometres.16
Check. 16 ÷ 1.6 = 10 miles. ✓
Watch out. Miles to kilometres: multiply. Kilometres to miles: divide. Do not divide when you go from miles to kilometres.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Multiply the miles by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we multiply the miles by 1.6 to get kilometres.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Multiply the miles by 1.6. It is easier to multiply by 16 and then divide by 10.20 × 16 = 320, then 320 ÷ 10 = 32
- Write the answer. The answer is in kilometres.32
Check. 32 ÷ 1.6 = 20 miles. ✓
Watch out. Miles to kilometres: multiply. Kilometres to miles: divide. Do not divide when you go from miles to kilometres.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Multiply the miles by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we multiply the miles by 1.6 to get kilometres.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Multiply the miles by 1.6. It is easier to multiply by 16 and then divide by 10.5 × 16 = 80, then 80 ÷ 10 = 8
- Write the answer. The answer is in kilometres.8
Check. 8 ÷ 1.6 = 5 miles. ✓
Watch out. Miles to kilometres: multiply. Kilometres to miles: divide. Do not divide when you go from miles to kilometres.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Divide the kilometres by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we divide the kilometres by 1.6 to get miles.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Divide by 1.6. To avoid a decimal divisor, multiply the top and bottom by 10. Then 1.6 becomes 16.8 ÷ 1.6 = 80 ÷ 16
- Work out the division. The answer may have a decimal part, which must end.80 ÷ 16 = 5
- Write the answer. The answer is in miles.5
Check. 5 × 1.6 = 8 km. ✓
Watch out. Kilometres to miles: divide by 1.6. A mile is longer than a kilometre, so the number of miles is smaller.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Divide the kilometres by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we divide the kilometres by 1.6 to get miles.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Divide by 1.6. To avoid a decimal divisor, multiply the top and bottom by 10. Then 1.6 becomes 16.16 ÷ 1.6 = 160 ÷ 16
- Work out the division. The answer may have a decimal part, which must end.160 ÷ 16 = 10
- Write the answer. The answer is in miles.10
Check. 10 × 1.6 = 16 km. ✓
Watch out. Kilometres to miles: divide by 1.6. A mile is longer than a kilometre, so the number of miles is smaller.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Divide the kilometres by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we divide the kilometres by 1.6 to get miles.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Divide by 1.6. To avoid a decimal divisor, multiply the top and bottom by 10. Then 1.6 becomes 16.3 ÷ 1.6 = 30 ÷ 16
- Work out the division. The answer may have a decimal part, which must end.30 ÷ 16 = 1.875
- Write the answer. The answer is in miles.1.875
Check. 1.875 × 1.6 = 3 km. ✓
Watch out. Kilometres to miles: divide by 1.6. A mile is longer than a kilometre, so the number of miles is smaller.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Multiply the miles by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we multiply the miles by 1.6 to get kilometres.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Multiply the miles by 1.6. It is easier to multiply by 16 and then divide by 10.2.5 × 16 = 40, then 40 ÷ 10 = 4
- Write the answer. The answer is in kilometres.4
Check. 4 ÷ 1.6 = 2.5 miles. ✓
Watch out. Miles to kilometres: multiply. Kilometres to miles: divide. Do not divide when you go from miles to kilometres.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Divide the kilometres by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we divide the kilometres by 1.6 to get miles.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Divide by 1.6. To avoid a decimal divisor, multiply the top and bottom by 10. Then 1.6 becomes 16.24 ÷ 1.6 = 240 ÷ 16
- Work out the division. The answer may have a decimal part, which must end.240 ÷ 16 = 15
- Write the answer. The answer is in miles.15
Check. 15 × 1.6 = 24 km. ✓
Watch out. Kilometres to miles: divide by 1.6. A mile is longer than a kilometre, so the number of miles is smaller.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Multiply the miles by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we multiply the miles by 1.6 to get kilometres.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Multiply the miles by 1.6. It is easier to multiply by 16 and then divide by 10.12 × 16 = 192, then 192 ÷ 10 = 19.2
- Write the answer. The answer is in kilometres.19.2
Check. 19.2 ÷ 1.6 = 12 miles. ✓
Watch out. Miles to kilometres: multiply. Kilometres to miles: divide. Do not divide when you go from miles to kilometres.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Change 10 kilometres into miles, then find the difference.
- Change 10 kilometres into miles. Divide by 1.6. Multiply the top and bottom by 10 first: 100 ÷ 16.10 ÷ 1.6 = 100 ÷ 16 = 6.25 miles
- Find the difference between the two distances. Jo runs 6.25 miles and her friend runs 6 miles.6.25 - 6 = 0.25
- Write the answer. The answer is in miles.0.25
Check. 6 + 0.25 = 6.25 miles, which is 10 kilometres. ✓
Watch out. Change the kilometres to miles before you compare the two distances.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Multiply the miles by 1.6, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km.
- Use the rule: 1 mile is about 1.6 km. So we multiply the miles by 1.6 to get kilometres.1 mile ≈ 1.6 km
- Multiply the miles by 1.6. It is easier to multiply by 16 and then divide by 10.26 × 16 = 416, then 416 ÷ 10 = 41.6
- Write the answer. The answer is in kilometres.41.6
Check. 41.6 ÷ 1.6 = 26 miles. ✓
Watch out. Miles to kilometres: multiply. Kilometres to miles: divide. Do not divide when you go from miles to kilometres.
Key words. 1 mile is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km). The sign ≈ means "is about equal to".
Method. Change 10 miles into kilometres to check Sam.
- Use 1 mile is about 1.6 km. Sam used 2 km for each mile, which is too big.10 × 1.6 = 16 km
- Compare with Sam's answer. Sam says 20 km, but the correct answer is about 16 km.20 km is more than 16 km
- Write the answer. Sam is not right.No
Check. 10 miles is about 16 km, not 20 km, because 1 mile is about 1.6 km, not 2 km. ✓
Watch out. Use the rule 1 mile is about 1.6 km, not a rounded number that is too big.