Rule of thumb · MechanicalNº 29 / 238

An inch is exactly 25.4 mm

How many millimetres in an inch?

Many “round” imperial–metric pairs are exact by definition (1 in = 25.4 mm, 1 lb = 0.453 592 37 kg). Others are measured.

Why it works

The converter uses definitional factors where they exist, not rounded teaching approximations — so repeated round-trips stay consistent.

When it fails

The US survey foot was not 0.3048 m exactly — it differed by 2 parts per million, which is a whole foot over 100 km of state-plane coordinates. It was retired at the end of 2022, so survey data either side of that date can legitimately disagree.

Do it exactly

Estimate with the rule, then check it against the calculator that models it properly.

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