centimetre (cm)
1 centimetre = 0.01 metres
What is centimetre?
A centimetre is a metric unit of length equal to one hundredth of a metre. It is commonly used for everyday measurements such as clothing sizes, body height, and small object dimensions.
Notes: Metric unit
Real-world uses
Centimetres are widely used in clothing measurements, body height in medical records (outside the US), screen sizes in some markets, and school rulers. Tailors and dressmakers rely on centimetre tape measures for precise garment fitting.
History
The centimetre was established as part of the original metric system in the 1790s. It served as the base length unit in the now-superseded CGS (centimetre-gram-second) system used extensively in physics until the mid-20th century.
Common mistakes
Forgetting that there are 2.54 cm in one inch, not 2.5. Also, confusing cm² (area) with cm (length) when specifying material dimensions.
When is this conversion used?
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. Screen sizes, paper dimensions, and clothing measurements often require converting between centimetres and inches, especially when shopping internationally.
How to convert centimetre to metre
To convert centimetre to metre, multiply the value by 0.01.
Conversion formula (from base unit)
x * 0.01
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.
| centimetres | metres |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.001 |
| 0.5 | 0.005 |
| 1 | 0.01 |
| 2 | 0.02 |
| 5 | 0.05 |
| 10 | 0.1 |
| 25 | 0.25 |
| 50 | 0.5 |
| 100 | 1 |
| 250 | 2.5 |
| 500 | 5 |
| 1,000 | 10 |
Common values
| centimetres | metres | |
|---|---|---|
| Height of a door | 210 centimetres | 2.1 metres |
| Basketball court length | 2,800 centimetres | 28 metres |
| Football field (soccer) | 10,500 centimetres | 105 metres |
| Marathon distance | 4,219,500 centimetres | 42,195 metres |
| Altitude of a cruising airplane | 1,066,800 centimetres | 10,668 metres |
Full centimetre conversion table
| Unit | Value | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| metre | 1 cm = 0.01 m | × 0.01 |
| kilometre | 1 cm = 0.00001 km | × 0.00001 |
| millimetre | 1 cm = 10 mm | × 10 |
| inch | 1 cm = 0.39370079 in | × 0.39370079 |
| foot | 1 cm = 0.0328084 ft | × 0.0328084 |
| mile | 1 cm = 0.00000621 mi | × 0.00000621 |
| yard | 1 cm = 0.01093613 yd | × 0.01093613 |
| micrometre | 1 cm = 10,000 µm | × 10,000 |
| nanometre | 1 cm = 10,000,000 nm | × 10,000,000 |