Conversion Form

EM
VW

About the Unit

EM: EM is a relative unit that depends on the font size of the parent element in which the current element is inserted. That is, 1em will be equivalent to the font size of the parent element. If the font size of the parent element is 20px, 1em will be equal to 20px. This unit is particularly useful when you want to create dynamic layouts that adjust based on the context of the parent element. For example, using em instead of px ensures that the size of fonts, margins, or other layout elements will scale relative to the text size of the parent component, making the design more flexible and responsive. A key detail about em is that it can accumulate when used in chain (i.e., if a child element uses em to set its size and the parent element also uses em, the value will multiply), which can lead to unexpected results if not used carefully.

Pro Tip: emvw

Use vw for layouts that adapt to screen size and em for text relative to parent size.

Quick Reference: Unit Conversion by Tens

EMVW
10em8.333333vw
20em16.666667vw
30em25vw
40em33.333333vw
50em41.666667vw
60em50vw
70em58.333333vw
80em66.666667vw
90em75vw
100em83.333333vw
110em91.666667vw
120em100vw
130em108.333333vw
140em116.666667vw
150em125vw
160em133.333333vw
170em141.666667vw
180em150vw
190em158.333333vw
200em166.666667vw
210em175vw
220em183.333333vw
230em191.666667vw
240em200vw
250em208.333333vw

Live Unit Preview

See how different CSS units affect the size of the box below:

10px

10rem

10em

10%

10vw

10vh

Common Mistake

Use vw for layouts that adapt to screen size and em for text relative to parent size.

Real Code Example

/* Mobile-first card with em → vw */
.card {
  padding: 0em;     /* undefinedvw */
  font-size: 1.5rem;
  width: min(90vw, 40ch);
}

Frequently Asked Questions About EM

When should I use em instead of em?

Use em when scaling relative to parent is needed.

How many em is 1em?

Depends on parent font size.

Is em affected by zoom?

Yes, it scales with parent and zoom.

Is em good for fonts?

Yes, especially for nested components.

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Ctrl + C: Convert
  • Ctrl + I: Invert units
  • Esc: Reset values

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