Final answer:
To convert the surface area of a piece of paper from cm² to mm², use the conversion factor 1 cm² = 100 mm².
Step-by-step explanation:
To convert the surface area of a piece of paper from square centimeters (cm²) to square millimeters (mm²), we can use the conversion factor that 10 mm = 1 cm. Since we are given the surface area as 137 cm², we can multiply it by the conversion factor to get the value in mm².
Conversion factor: 1 cm² = (10 mm)² = 100 mm²
Therefore, the surface area of the paper in mm² is 137 cm² x 100 mm²/cm² = 13700 mm².