What is metre?
The metre is the SI base unit of length. It is used globally in science, engineering, geography, and everyday measurement as the standard reference for distance.
Real-world uses
The metre is the standard unit for everyday measurements worldwide, from room dimensions and furniture sizes to athletic track events like the 100 m sprint. Engineers, architects, and scientists use it as the fundamental length reference in the SI system.
History
Originally defined in 1793 during the French Revolution as one ten-millionth of the distance from the North Pole to the equator along a meridian through Paris. Since 1983, it is defined by the speed of light in vacuum.
Common mistakes
Confusing "meter" (the measuring device) with "metre" (the unit of length) in British English. Also, people sometimes incorrectly assume 1 metre equals exactly 3 feet; it is actually about 3.281 feet.
What is foot?
A foot is a unit of length in imperial and US customary systems equal to 12 inches. It is commonly used in construction, architecture, body height measurements, and aviation for altitude references.
Real-world uses
Feet are the primary unit for building dimensions, room sizes, and ceiling heights in the United States. Aviation uses feet for altitude worldwide (e.g., cruising at 35,000 ft). Human height in the US and UK is commonly expressed in feet and inches.
History
The foot has been used since ancient civilizations, with varying lengths based on the local king's foot. The modern international foot was defined in 1959 as exactly 0.3048 metres, replacing slightly different US and British survey definitions.
Common mistakes
Using an apostrophe for feet (6') and confusing it with the prime symbol. Also, people often round 1 foot to 30 cm instead of the correct 30.48 cm, leading to cumulative errors in construction.
When is this conversion used?
Converting between metre and foot is common when working across metric and imperial systems, such as international trade, travel between countries with different measurement standards, or following instructions from a different region. This conversion is frequently needed in construction, architecture, and real estate where building codes may specify dimensions in one system while materials are sold in another.
Worked examples
1 metre = 3.2808399 foot
1 foot = 0.3048 metre
How to convert metre to foot
To convert metre to foot, multiply the value by 3.2808399.
To convert foot back to metre, multiply by 0.3048.
Measurement standards
The metre is one of seven SI base units, maintained by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). Since 2019, it is defined by fixing the numerical value of the speed of light in vacuum to exactly 299,792,458 metres per second.
Did you know?
A human hair is roughly 70 micrometres wide, while a single gold atom measures about 0.144 nanometres in diameter — meaning you could line up nearly half a million atoms across the width of one hair.
Quick reference: metre to foot
| metre | foot |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.32808399 |
| 0.5 | 1.64041995 |
| 1 | 3.2808399 |
| 2 | 6.56167979 |
| 5 | 16.40419948 |
| 10 | 32.80839895 |
| 25 | 82.02099738 |
| 50 | 164.04199475 |
| 100 | 328.0839895 |
| 250 | 820.20997375 |
| 500 | 1,640.41994751 |
| 1,000 | 3,280.83989501 |
Common values
| metre | foot | |
|---|---|---|
| Height of a door | 2.1 metre | 6.88976378 foot |
| Basketball court length | 28 metre | 91.86351706 foot |
| Football field (soccer) | 105 metre | 344.48818898 foot |
| Marathon distance | 42,195 metre | 138,435.03937008 foot |
| Altitude of a cruising airplane | 10,668 metre | 35,000 foot |