AI Tutor
An adult African elephant weighs around 5,000 kilograms. Writing such massive weights in kilograms requires huge numbers, which is why scientists and engineers use a larger unit.
A metric ton (symbol t) is a metric unit of mass equal to exactly 1,000 kilograms.
What happens when a truck carries 3.45 metric tons of gravel? How do we find that mass in kilograms?

Tons to Kilograms

Because each metric ton contains 1,000 kilograms, we multiply by 1,000 to convert from tons to kilograms.
Multiplying a decimal by 1,000 shifts its decimal point three places to the right because 1,000 has three zeros.
Let's check the math: 3.45×1,000=3,450 kg3.45 \times 1{,}000 = 3{,}450\text{ kg}. The gravel weighs 3,450 kilograms.
What if you know the weight of a car in kilograms, but need to report it in metric tons?

Kilograms to Tons

To go from a smaller unit to a larger unit, we do the reverse operation: we divide by 1,000.
Dividing by 1,000 shifts the decimal point three places to the left.