Home

centimeters

Centimeter (symbol cm) is a unit of length in the metric system. It equals one hundredth of a meter, so 1 cm = 0.01 m. There are 100 centimeters in a meter, and 10 millimeters in a centimeter. The centimeter is a derived unit based on the meter, and its use is widespread for measuring objects on the scale of a few centimeters to several tens of centimeters. In scientific, educational, and everyday contexts, centimeters are commonly used alongside meters and millimeters.

The centimeter originated with the metric system in the 18th century. Since 1983, the meter has been

Usage: In most countries, centimeters are the standard unit for dimensions of small objects, human height in

Examples: A standard credit card is about 8.5 cm wide and 5.4 cm tall. A person of

Precision note: Decimal fractions such as 12.7 cm are common to express more precise measurements.

defined
in
terms
of
the
speed
of
light
in
vacuum,
and
the
centimeter,
as
a
fraction
of
the
meter,
inherits
that
precision.
In
practice,
rulers,
tape
measures,
and
calipers
provide
centimeter
measurements,
often
with
tenth
or
tenth-of-a-centimeter
precision
(i.e.,
millimeters).
many
places,
clothing
sizes,
and
dimensions
of
household
items.
In
some
fields,
centimeters
are
used
for
quick,
everyday
measurements
and
are
commonly
taught
in
schools
as
part
of
the
metric
system.
average
height
might
be
around
170
cm
tall.
A
sheet
of
paper
is
21
cm
by
29.7
cm.