Step by step
The question
Question: change 2 miles into feet.
2 mi = ? ft
1 Find the link
1 mile is 5280 feet.
1 mi = 5280 ft
2 Make the unit fraction
We want feet, so feet go on top.
We have miles, so miles go at the bottom.
Top and bottom are the same amount.
So the fraction is 1, and times 1 keeps the size.
5280 ft1 mi = 1
Careful!
Not upside down.
Then the miles would not cross out.
Careful: not 2 mi × 1 mi5280 ft ✗
3 Multiply
We multiply 2 miles by the fraction.
2 mi = 2 mi × 5280 ft1 mi
Miles on top and at the bottom cancel, like numbers.
Cross them out.
Feet are left.
What is left: 2 times 5280.
= 2 × 5280 ft
2 times 5280 is 10,560.
So 2 miles is 10,560 feet.
= 10,560 ft
4 Check
Does it make sense?
Feet are smaller than miles.
So we need more of them.
10,560 is more than 2.
Yes.
ft smaller than mi → more: 10,560 > 2
And back the other way: 10,560 divided by 5280 = 2.
We get 2 miles again.
So the answer is right!
back: 10,560 ÷ 5280 = 2
Let's look back.
First: find the link.
Then: make the unit fraction.
Then: multiply.
Last: check.
Answer
= 10,560 ft