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Meter (m) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:m
Plural:meters
Category:Length

What is a Meter?

Definition

The meter is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. It forms the basis for other metric length units.

History

Originally defined in 1793 by the French Academy of Sciences as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along a meridian. Later definitions involved prototype bars (platinum-iridium) and wavelengths of krypton-86 radiation before the current definition based on the speed of light was adopted in 1983.

Common Uses

  • Dimensions & Construction: Measuring room dimensions, building heights, and land plots.
  • Science & Engineering: Standard unit in scientific research (physics, engineering).
  • Athletics: Track and field events (e.g., 100-meter dash).
  • Textiles: Measuring fabric lengths.
  • Everyday Measurements: Everyday height and distance measurements in metric countries.

Unit FAQs

Is the meter the primary unit of length globally?

Yes, the meter is the base unit for length in the SI system, used by most countries for scientific, industrial, and many everyday purposes.

How was the meter originally defined?

It was first defined based on a fraction of the Earth's meridian distance from the equator to the North Pole.

How is the meter defined today?

It is defined by the distance light travels in a vacuum during a specific fraction of a second (1/299,792,458 s).

Meter Conversion Formulas

To Kilometer:

1 m = 0.001 km
Example: 5 meters = 0.005 kilometers

To Hectometer:

1 m = 0.01 hm
Example: 5 meters = 0.05 hectometers

To Decimeter:

1 m = 10 dm
Example: 5 meters = 50 decimeters

To Centimeter:

1 m = 100 cm
Example: 5 meters = 500 centimeters

To Millimeter:

1 m = 1000 mm
Example: 5 meters = 5000 millimeters

To Inch:

1 m = 39.370079 in
Example: 5 meters = 196.850394 inches

To Foot:

1 m = 3.28084 ft
Example: 5 meters = 16.404199 feet

To Yard:

1 m = 1.093613 yd
Example: 5 meters = 5.468066 yards

To Mile:

1 m = 0.000621 mi
Example: 5 meters = 0.003107 miles

To Nautical Mile:

1 m = 0.00054 NM
Example: 5 meters = 0.0027 nautical miles

To Micrometer:

1 m = 1000000 μm
Example: 5 meters = 5000000 micrometers

To Nanometer:

1 m = 1000000000 nm
Example: 5 meters = 5000000000 nanometers

To Light Year:

1 m = 1.0570e-16 ly
Example: 5 meters = 5.2849e-16 light years

To Astronomical Unit:

1 m = 6.6845e-12 AU
Example: 5 meters = 3.3422e-11 astronomical units

To Parsec:

1 m = 3.2408e-17 pc
Example: 5 meters = 1.6204e-16 parsecs

To Angstrom:

1 m = 10000000000 Å
Example: 5 meters = 50000000000 angstroms

To Point (Typography):

1 m = 2834.643884 pt
Example: 5 meters = 14173.219418 points

To Mil/Thou:

1 m = 39370.07874 mil
Example: 5 meters = 196850.393701 mils

To Fathom:

1 m = 0.546807 fath
Example: 5 meters = 2.734033 fathoms

To Furlong:

1 m = 0.004971 fur
Example: 5 meters = 0.024855 furlongs

To Link (Gunter's):

1 m = 4.97097 li
Example: 5 meters = 24.854848 links

To Pace:

1 m = 1.312336 pace
Example: 5 meters = 6.56168 paces

To Span:

1 m = 4.374453 span
Example: 5 meters = 21.872266 spans

To Digit:

1 m = 52.493438 digit
Example: 5 meters = 262.467192 digits

To Cable Length:

1 m = 0.0054 cb
Example: 5 meters = 0.026998 cable lengths

To Ell:

1 m = 0.874891 ell
Example: 5 meters = 4.374453 ells

To Finger:

1 m = 8.748906 finger
Example: 5 meters = 43.744532 fingers

To Roman Mile:

1 m = 0.000676 m.p.
Example: 5 meters = 0.003378 Roman miles

To Stadion:

1 m = 0.005405 stadion
Example: 5 meters = 0.027027 stadia

To Chi (Chinese):

1 m = 3.0003 chi
Example: 5 meters = 15.0015 chi

To Shaku (Japanese):

1 m = 3.30033 shaku
Example: 5 meters = 16.50165 shaku

To Li (Chinese):

1 m = 0.002 li
Example: 5 meters = 0.01 li

To Toise:

1 m = 0.513084 toise
Example: 5 meters = 2.565418 toise

To Bolt:

1 m = 0.032808 bolt
Example: 5 meters = 0.164042 bolts

To Rope:

1 m = 0.164042 rope
Example: 5 meters = 0.82021 ropes

To Smoot:

1 m = 0.587613 smoot
Example: 5 meters = 2.938066 smoots

To Sajene:

1 m = 0.468691 sajene
Example: 5 meters = 2.343457 sajenes

To Ken:

1 m = 0.550055 ken
Example: 5 meters = 2.750275 ken

To Wa:

1 m = 0.5 wa
Example: 5 meters = 2.5 wa

To Vara:

1 m = 1.193033 vara
Example: 5 meters = 5.965163 varas

To Aln:

1 m = 1.683502 aln
Example: 5 meters = 8.417508 alnar

To Cubit (Royal/Egyptian):

1 m = 1.912046 cubit
Example: 5 meters = 9.560229 cubits

To Versta:

1 m = 0.000937 versta
Example: 5 meters = 0.004687 versts

To Arpent:

1 m = 0.017102 arpent
Example: 5 meters = 0.085512 arpents

To Ri (Japanese):

1 m = 0.000255 ri
Example: 5 meters = 0.001273 ri

To Klafter:

1 m = 0.527287 klafter
Example: 5 meters = 2.636436 klafter

To Yojana:

1 m = 0.000074 yojana
Example: 5 meters = 0.00037 yojanas

To Skein:

1 m = 0.009113 skein
Example: 5 meters = 0.045567 skeins

Convert Meter

Need to convert Meter to other length units? Use our conversion tool.

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Meter Quick Info

m
Symbol:m
Category:Length
System:Metric (SI)
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