Square Centimeter to Square Inch Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

Convert square centimeters to square inches with our free online area converter.

From:

cm²

Square Centimeter

To:

in²

Square Inch

How to Use the Calculator:

Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Square Centimeter).
The converted value in Square Inch 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 Square Centimeter to Square Inch

Converting Square Centimeter to Square Inch involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.

Formula:

1 Square Centimeter = 0.155 square inches

Example Calculation:

Convert 10 square centimeters: 10 × 0.155 = 1.550003 square inches

Note: Conversion factors can sometimes be rounded for display purposes. For precise calculations, always use the full factor or rely on the calculator above.

What is a Square Centimeter and a Square Inch?

The square centimeter (symbol: cm²) is a unit of area in the metric system. It represents the area of a square with sides that are each one centimeter long.

The square inch (symbol: in², sq in) is an imperial and US customary unit of area. It represents the area of a square with sides that are each one inch long.

Note: The Square Centimeter is part of the metric (SI) system, primarily used globally in science and trade. The Square Inch belongs to the imperial/US customary system.

History of the Square Centimeter and Square Inch

Derived directly from the centimeter (one-hundredth of a meter), the square centimeter became a standard small-scale unit of area with the adoption of the metric system during the French Revolution. It provides a finer measurement than the square meter for smaller objects.

Derived from the inch, whose definition has varied historically but was standardized as 25.4 mm, the square inch became a common unit for small area measurements within the imperial system. It is frequently used in the US and UK for engineering and everyday measurements.

Common Uses for square centimeters and square inches

Explore the typical applications for both Square Centimeter (metric) and Square Inch (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.

Common Uses for square centimeters

Science: Measuring the surface area of small samples, cross-sectional areas in biology or material science.
Medical Imaging: Often used to measure the area of lesions, organs, or specific regions in scans (e.g., MRI, CT).
Education: Used in geometry problems and science experiments for teaching area concepts at a smaller scale.
Manufacturing: Specifying the area of small components or surface features.

Common Uses for square inches

Engineering & Manufacturing (US/UK): Specifying the area of small components, cross-sections, or surface areas.
Material Measurement: Measuring the area of small sheets of material (e.g., paper, fabric samples).
Pressure Measurement: Used implicitly in units like pounds per square inch (psi).
Crafts & Hobbies: Measuring fabric squares, paper sizes, or small design areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Square Centimeter (cm²)

How many square millimeters are in a square centimeter?

There are 100 square millimeters (mm²) in one square centimeter (10 mm x 10 mm).

How many square centimeters are in a square meter?

There are 10,000 square centimeters in one square meter (100 cm x 100 cm).

How many square inches are in a square centimeter?

One square centimeter is approximately 0.155 square inches.

Is cm² commonly used for large areas?

No, cm² is used for very small areas. Square meters (m²) or hectares (ha) are used for larger land or floor areas.

About Square Inch (in²)

How many square inches are in a square foot?

There are 144 square inches in one square foot (12 inches x 12 inches).

How many square centimeters are in a square inch?

One square inch is equal to exactly 6.4516 square centimeters.

Is the square inch used for large areas?

No, it's used for small areas. Square feet (ft²) or square yards (yd²) are used for room sizes, and acres (ac) or square miles (mi²) for land.

Is the square inch an SI unit?

No, it is part of the imperial and US customary systems. The corresponding metric units are square centimeter (cm²) or square millimeter (mm²).

Conversion Table: Square Centimeter to Square Inch

Square Centimeter (cm²)	Square Inch (in²)
1	0.155
5	0.775
10	1.55
25	3.875
50	7.75
100	15.5
500	77.5
1,000	155

All Area Conversions

Square Meter to Square Kilometer Square Meter to Square Centimeter Square Meter to Square Millimeter Square Meter to Square Inch Square Meter to Square Foot Square Meter to Square Yard Square Meter to Square Mile Square Meter to Acre Square Meter to Hectare Square Kilometer to Square Meter Square Kilometer to Square Centimeter Square Kilometer to Square Millimeter Square Kilometer to Square Inch Square Kilometer to Square Foot Square Kilometer to Square Yard Square Kilometer to Square Mile Square Kilometer to Acre Square Kilometer to Hectare Square Centimeter to Square Meter Square Centimeter to Square Kilometer Square Centimeter to Square Millimeter Square Centimeter to Square Foot Square Centimeter to Square Yard Square Centimeter to Square Mile Square Centimeter to Acre Square Centimeter to Hectare Square Millimeter to Square Meter Square Millimeter to Square Kilometer Square Millimeter to Square Centimeter Square Millimeter to Square Inch Square Millimeter to Square Foot Square Millimeter to Square Yard Square Millimeter to Square Mile Square Millimeter to Acre Square Millimeter to Hectare Square Inch to Square Meter Square Inch to Square Kilometer Square Inch to Square Centimeter Square Inch to Square Millimeter Square Inch to Square Foot Square Inch to Square Yard Square Inch to Square Mile Square Inch to Acre Square Inch to Hectare Square Foot to Square Meter Square Foot to Square Kilometer Square Foot to Square Centimeter Square Foot to Square Millimeter Square Foot to Square Inch Square Foot to Square Yard Square Foot to Square Mile Square Foot to Acre Square Foot to Hectare Square Yard to Square Meter Square Yard to Square Kilometer Square Yard to Square Centimeter Square Yard to Square Millimeter Square Yard to Square Inch Square Yard to Square Foot Square Yard to Square Mile Square Yard to Acre Square Yard to Hectare Square Mile to Square Meter Square Mile to Square Kilometer Square Mile to Square Centimeter Square Mile to Square Millimeter Square Mile to Square Inch Square Mile to Square Foot Square Mile to Square Yard Square Mile to Acre Square Mile to Hectare Acre to Square Meter Acre to Square Kilometer Acre to Square Centimeter Acre to Square Millimeter Acre to Square Inch Acre to Square Foot Acre to Square Yard Acre to Square Mile Acre to Hectare Hectare to Square Meter Hectare to Square Kilometer Hectare to Square Centimeter Hectare to Square Millimeter Hectare to Square Inch Hectare to Square Foot Hectare to Square Yard Hectare to Square Mile Hectare to Acre