Acre to Square Centimeter Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert acres to square centimeters with our free online area converter.
Acre to Square Centimeter Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Acre).
- The converted value in Square Centimeter will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
- Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Area category.
- Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.
How to Convert Acre to Square Centimeter
Converting Acre to Square Centimeter involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Acre = 40468560 square centimetersExample Calculation:
Convert 10 acres: 10 × 40468560 = 404685600 square centimeters
Disclaimer: For Reference Only
These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.
Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.
What is a Acre and a Square Centimeter?
The acre (symbol: ac) is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet). This is exactly equal to:
- 10 square chains
- 1/640 of a square mile
- 4,840 square yards
- 43,560 square feet
- Approximately 4,046.856 square meters (m²)
- Approximately 0.4047 hectares (ha)
While derived from traditional farming practices, its size is now legally defined based on the international yard.
The square centimeter (symbol: cm² or sometimes sq cm) is a unit of area in the International System of Units (SI). It represents the area of a square whose sides measure exactly one centimeter in length.
One square centimeter is equal to:
- 1/10,000 of a square meter (m²)
- 100 square millimeters (mm²)
- Approximately 0.155 square inches (in²)
It is a derived SI unit, formed by squaring the SI base unit of length, the meter (via the centimeter).
Note: The Acre is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Square Centimeter belongs to the metric (SI) system.
History of the Acre and Square Centimeter
- Origin: The word "acre" derives from the Old English word æcer (originally meaning "open field"), cognate with German Acker and Latin ager. It traditionally represented the amount of land that could be ploughed by one man with one yoke of oxen in one day. This practical definition naturally led to considerable variation in its size depending on the land quality and local customs.
- Medieval Variations: Throughout the Middle Ages in England, the acre's size varied. Different regions used "customary acres" based on local practices, often related to the quality of the land or the length of a standard furrow (furlong).
- Standardization (Gunter's Chain): The standardization of the acre is closely linked to the invention of Gunter's chain in 1620. This measuring chain, 66 feet long (divided into 100 links), became a standard survey tool. The traditional definition of an acre as a strip of land one furlong (10 chains or 660 feet) long and one chain (66 feet) wide was easily measured using the chain. This area is precisely 10 square chains.
- Statutory Acre: In England and Wales, the Weights and Measures Act of 1878 formalized the "statutory acre" based on the imperial yard, solidifying the definition as 4,840 square yards (or 43,560 square feet). This is the acre commonly used today in the UK, US, and Commonwealth countries.
- Metrication: Although many countries using the acre have largely adopted the metric system for other measurements, the acre persists strongly in land transactions and agriculture due to historical precedent and cultural familiarity. The hectare (10,000 m²) is the more common metric unit for land.
- Metric System Origins: The concept of the square centimeter naturally arose with the establishment of the metric system during the late 18th century in France. As the centimeter (one-hundredth of a meter) was defined as a convenient subunit of length, the square centimeter became the corresponding unit for small areas.
- SI Adoption: With the formalization of the International System of Units (SI) in the mid-20th century, the square meter (m²) was established as the coherent derived unit for area. The square centimeter (cm²), as a direct subdivision (1 cm² = 10⁻⁴ m²), is an accepted SI unit commonly used for measuring smaller areas where the square meter would be impractically large.
Common Uses for acres and square centimeters
Explore the typical applications for both Acre (imperial/US) and Square Centimeter (metric) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for acres
The acre remains a primary unit for land measurement in several countries, particularly within specific sectors:
- Real Estate (US, UK, Commonwealth): Standard unit for describing the size of land parcels in property listings, deeds, and surveys, especially for residential lots larger than typical city plots, rural properties, and undeveloped land.
- Agriculture: Widely used by farmers to measure field sizes, calculate crop yields, allocate resources (like fertilizer or seeds), and comply with agricultural regulations.
- Land Management and Planning: Used in zoning regulations, environmental assessments, and land development projects to specify area requirements or limitations.
- Historical Documents: Understanding the acre is crucial for interpreting historical land records, surveys, and deeds.
- Informal Comparisons: Often used informally to help visualize the size of large areas, even where metric units are officially standard.
Common Uses for square centimeters
The square centimeter is frequently used for measuring relatively small surface areas across various fields:
- Science: Measuring the surface area of small biological samples (like leaves or petri dishes), cross-sectional areas in physics and materials science, and quantifying reaction surfaces in chemistry.
- Medical Imaging: Commonly used to report the area of skin lesions, wounds, organ cross-sections, or regions of interest in MRI, CT, or ultrasound scans.
- Education: A fundamental unit in teaching geometry, area calculation, and understanding metric conversions in schools.
- Manufacturing & Design: Specifying the area of small components, electronic parts (like integrated circuits), adhesive patches, or surface coating requirements.
- Photography: Sometimes used informally to refer to the approximate size of smaller image sensors.
- Retail & Labeling: Used on packaging to indicate the size of small items like stickers, patches, or fabric samples.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Acre (acre)
How big is an acre visually?
An acre is 43,560 square feet. While it can be any shape, a square acre would be about 208.71 feet on each side. A common visual comparison is an American football field: one acre is about 90.75% of the total area of a standard American football field (which is 120 yards long by 53.33 yards wide, or 57,600 sq ft including end zones). Excluding the end zones (100 yards by 53.33 yards, or 48,000 sq ft), an acre is about 90.75% of the playing field area.
How many square feet are in an acre?
There are exactly 43,560 square feet in one acre. This definition (1 furlong × 1 chain = 660 ft × 66 ft) is precise.
How many square yards are in an acre?
There are exactly 4,840 square yards in one acre (since 1 yard = 3 feet, 1 square yard = 9 square feet; 43,560 / 9 = 4,840).
How many acres are in a square mile?
There are exactly 640 acres in one square mile.
How many acres are in a hectare?
One hectare is equal to 10,000 square meters. Since one acre is approximately 4,046.856 square meters, one hectare contains approximately 2.471 acres (10,000 / 4046.856 ≈ 2.471). Conversely, one acre is approximately 0.4047 hectares.
Is the acre an SI unit?
No, the acre is not part of the International System of Units (SI). It belongs to the imperial and US customary systems. The SI unit for area is the square meter (m²). For land measurement, the hectare (ha), equal to 10,000 m², is commonly used in metric contexts and is accepted for use with SI.
About Square Centimeter (cm²)
How small is a square centimeter visually?
One square centimeter is the area of a square 1 cm by 1 cm. This is roughly:
- The size of the nail on an adult human index finger.
- Slightly smaller than a standard US postage stamp.
- About the size of one face of a standard six-sided die.
How many square millimeters (mm²) are in a square centimeter (cm²)?
There are exactly 100 square millimeters (mm²) in one square centimeter (cm²). This is because 1 cm = 10 mm, so 1 cm² = (10 mm) × (10 mm) = 100 mm².
How many square centimeters (cm²) are in a square meter (m²)?
There are exactly 10,000 square centimeters (cm²) in one square meter (m²). This is because 1 m = 100 cm, so 1 m² = (100 cm) × (100 cm) = 10,000 cm².
How do you convert square centimeters (cm²) to square inches (in²)?
To convert square centimeters to square inches, multiply the value in cm² by approximately 0.155. For example, 10 cm² is roughly 1.55 in². Conversely, 1 square inch is approximately 6.4516 square centimeters.
Is the square centimeter (cm²) an SI unit?
Yes, the square centimeter (cm²) is a derived unit of area within the International System of Units (SI). While the coherent SI unit for area is the square meter (m²), the cm² (equal to 10⁻⁴ m²) is formed using an accepted SI prefix (centi-) and is widely used for convenience when measuring smaller areas.
When is cm² used instead of m²?
Square centimeters (cm²) are preferred when measuring areas significantly smaller than one square meter, where using m² would result in very small decimal numbers (e.g., 0.005 m²). It offers a more convenient scale for objects like small electronic components, biological samples, or details in medical images.
Conversion Table: Acre to Square Centimeter
| Acre (acre) | Square Centimeter (cm²) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 40,468,564.224 |
| 5 | 202,342,821.12 |
| 10 | 404,685,642.24 |
| 25 | 1,011,714,105.6 |
| 50 | 2,023,428,211.2 |
| 100 | 4,046,856,422.4 |
| 500 | 20,234,282,112 |
| 1,000 | 40,468,564,224 |