Convert centimeters to inches

Explanation

From this page you can convert centimeters to inches (or cm to in) simply, by using the application above.

In case you are wondering, to convert from centimeters to inches you need to multiply by 0.3937. This factor is calculated using the respective definitions of the two units you can find below.

Formula

1 cm≈0.3937 in

centimeterscm

dimension	length
system	International system of units (SI)
symbol	cm

The centimeter (cm) is a unit of length in the International System of Units.

It is a practical unit for everyday measurements that is superseded by the millimeter in technical environments.

In ascending order, the centimeter comes after the millimeter and before the decimeter.

Definition of the centimeter

One centimeter is equal to 0.01 meters.

Equivalences

One centimeter is equivalent to:

Prefix

centi

10^-2

The prefix centi- comes from the Latin centum meaning a hundred. The associated multiplicative factor is 0.01 or 10^-2.

Metric length units

femtometer	fm	0.000 000 000 000 001
picometer	pm	0.000 000 000 001
nanometer	nm	0.000 000 001
micrometer	µm	0.000 001
millimeter	mm	0.001
centimeter	cm	0.01
decimeter	dm	0.1
meter	m	1
dekameter	dam	10
hectometer	hm	100
kilometer	km	1000
megameter	Mm	1 000 000
gigameter	Gm	1 000 000 000
terameter	Tm	1 000 000 000 000
petameter	Pm	1 000 000 000 000 000
exameter	Em	1 000 000 000 000 000 000

The International System of Units

The International System of Units or SI (from the French Système international (d'unité)), also called metric system in the U.S., is a coherent system of units that was published 1960. It is official in nearly every country.

The General Conference on Weights and Measures (Conférence générale des poids et mesures) is tasked with overseeing the SI.

Related Conversions

inchesin

dimension	length
symbol	in, ''

The inch (in, '') is a unit of length in the international mass and length units.

Definition of the inch

One inch is defined as ¹⁄₃₆ of a yard.

From the Weights and Measures Act of 1985: Measurement of length

Value in terms of the SI

One inch is equivalent to 25.4 millimeters.

History

The unit's name is derived from the Roman word uncia meaning twelfth. The inch is associated with the width of a human thumb.

Today, the unit is used in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. And internationnaly to specify the size of display screens and the diameter of wheel rims.

Equivalences

One inch is also equivalent to:

International length units

inch	in
foot	ft	12 inches
yard	yd	3 feet
chain	ch	22 yards
furlong	fur	10 chains
mile	mi	8 furlongs
league	lea	3 miles

The International Mass and Length Units

The International Mass and Length Units are units based on the international yard and the international pound.

They were created in 1959 when Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America agreed upon a common definition of the yard and the pound.