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Centimeter (cm) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:cm
Plural:centimeters
Category:Length

What is a Centimeter?

Definition

The centimeter is a unit of length in the metric system equal to one-hundredth of a meter (1/100 m). It is commonly used for smaller everyday measurements.

History

As part of the original French metric system, the centimeter was defined based on the meter. Its convenience for measuring smaller objects made it a widely adopted subunit.

Common Uses

  • Anthropometry: Measuring human height in many metric countries.
  • Everyday Objects: Everyday measurements of small objects (e.g., length of a pencil, width of a book).
  • Tools: Rulers and measuring tapes often show centimeters.
  • Apparel: Clothing sizes and tailoring measurements.
  • Design & Crafts: Technical drawings and crafts.

Unit FAQs

How many centimeters are in a meter?

There are 100 centimeters (cm) in 1 meter (m).

What does 'centi' mean in centimeter?

The prefix 'centi' denotes one-hundredth (1/100).

How many centimeters are in an inch?

There are exactly 2.54 centimeters in 1 inch.

Centimeter Conversion Formulas

To Meter:

1 cm = 0.01 m
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.05 meters

To Kilometer:

1 cm = 0.00001 km
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.00005 kilometers

To Hectometer:

1 cm = 0.0001 hm
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.0005 hectometers

To Decimeter:

1 cm = 0.1 dm
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.5 decimeters

To Millimeter:

1 cm = 10 mm
Example: 5 centimeters = 50 millimeters

To Inch:

1 cm = 0.393701 in
Example: 5 centimeters = 1.968504 inches

To Foot:

1 cm = 0.032808 ft
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.164042 feet

To Yard:

1 cm = 0.010936 yd
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.054681 yards

To Mile:

1 cm = 0.000006 mi
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.000031 miles

To Nautical Mile:

1 cm = 0.000005 NM
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.000027 nautical miles

To Micrometer:

1 cm = 10000 μm
Example: 5 centimeters = 50000 micrometers

To Nanometer:

1 cm = 10000000 nm
Example: 5 centimeters = 50000000 nanometers

To Light Year:

1 cm = 1.0570e-18 ly
Example: 5 centimeters = 5.2849e-18 light years

To Astronomical Unit:

1 cm = 6.6845e-14 AU
Example: 5 centimeters = 3.3422e-13 astronomical units

To Parsec:

1 cm = 3.2408e-19 pc
Example: 5 centimeters = 1.6204e-18 parsecs

To Angstrom:

1 cm = 100000000 Å
Example: 5 centimeters = 500000000 angstroms

To Point (Typography):

1 cm = 28.346439 pt
Example: 5 centimeters = 141.732194 points

To Mil/Thou:

1 cm = 393.700787 mil
Example: 5 centimeters = 1968.503937 mils

To Fathom:

1 cm = 0.005468 fath
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.02734 fathoms

To Furlong:

1 cm = 0.00005 fur
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.000249 furlongs

To Link (Gunter's):

1 cm = 0.04971 li
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.248548 links

To Pace:

1 cm = 0.013123 pace
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.065617 paces

To Span:

1 cm = 0.043745 span
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.218723 spans

To Digit:

1 cm = 0.524934 digit
Example: 5 centimeters = 2.624672 digits

To Cable Length:

1 cm = 0.000054 cb
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.00027 cable lengths

To Ell:

1 cm = 0.008749 ell
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.043745 ells

To Finger:

1 cm = 0.087489 finger
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.437445 fingers

To Roman Mile:

1 cm = 0.000007 m.p.
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.000034 Roman miles

To Stadion:

1 cm = 0.000054 stadion
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.00027 stadia

To Chi (Chinese):

1 cm = 0.030003 chi
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.150015 chi

To Shaku (Japanese):

1 cm = 0.033003 shaku
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.165017 shaku

To Li (Chinese):

1 cm = 0.00002 li
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.0001 li

To Toise:

1 cm = 0.005131 toise
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.025654 toise

To Bolt:

1 cm = 0.000328 bolt
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.00164 bolts

To Rope:

1 cm = 0.00164 rope
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.008202 ropes

To Smoot:

1 cm = 0.005876 smoot
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.029381 smoots

To Sajene:

1 cm = 0.004687 sajene
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.023435 sajenes

To Ken:

1 cm = 0.005501 ken
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.027503 ken

To Wa:

1 cm = 0.005 wa
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.025 wa

To Vara:

1 cm = 0.01193 vara
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.059652 varas

To Aln:

1 cm = 0.016835 aln
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.084175 alnar

To Cubit (Royal/Egyptian):

1 cm = 0.01912 cubit
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.095602 cubits

To Versta:

1 cm = 0.000009 versta
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.000047 versts

To Arpent:

1 cm = 0.000171 arpent
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.000855 arpents

To Ri (Japanese):

1 cm = 0.000003 ri
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.000013 ri

To Klafter:

1 cm = 0.005273 klafter
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.026364 klafter

To Yojana:

1 cm = 7.4074e-7 yojana
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.000004 yojanas

To Skein:

1 cm = 0.000091 skein
Example: 5 centimeters = 0.000456 skeins

Convert Centimeter

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Centimeter Quick Info

cm
Symbol:cm
Category:Length
System:Metric (SI)
Convert Centimeter

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