Convert cm to m
Please provide values below to convert centimeter [cm] to meter [m], or vice versa.
Centimeter
Definition: A centimeter (symbol: cm) is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), the current form of the metric system. It is defined as 1/100 meters.
History/origin: A centimeter is based on the SI unit meter, and as the prefix "centi" indicates, is equal to one hundredth of a meter. Metric prefixes range from factors of 10⁻¹⁸ to 10¹⁸ based on a decimal system, with the base (in this case the meter) having no prefix and having a factor of 1. Learning some of the more commonly used metric prefixes, such as kilo-, mega-, giga-, tera-, centi-, milli-, micro-, and nano-, can be helpful for quickly navigating metric units.
Current use: The centimeter, like the meter, is used in all sorts of applications worldwide (in countries that have undergone metrication) in instances where a smaller denomination of the meter is required. Height is commonly measured in centimeters outside of countries like the United States. Centimeters are frequently used for measuring smaller objects where precision is important but not to the level of millimeters, such as in clothing sizes, furniture dimensions, and smaller craft projects.
Meter
Definition: A meter (symbol: m) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as the length of the path traveled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second.
History/origin: The meter was originally defined in 1793 as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along a meridian passing through Paris. In 1889, it was redefined in terms of a prototype meter bar. In 1960, it was redefined in terms of a certain number of wavelengths of a certain emission line of krypton-86. The current definition was adopted in 1983.
Current use: The meter is used worldwide for many everyday measurements. Weather reports typically give measurements of rainfall in millimeters, building plans work in meters, and many products are sold in dimensions of centimeters or meters. The meter is the foundation for other metric units of length, including the centimeter (1/100 of a meter) and the kilometer (1000 meters).