Convert km to cm
Please provide values below to convert kilometer [km] to centimeter [cm], or vice versa.
Kilometer
Definition: A kilometer (symbol: km) is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as 1,000 meters and is commonly used to express distances between geographical places on land.
History/origin: The kilometer, along with the meter, was introduced by the French in 1799 as a decimal-based unit of length in the metric system. The prefix "kilo" is derived from the Greek word χίλιοι (chilioi), meaning "thousand." The metric system was developed during the French Revolution to replace the diverse and complicated traditional units of measure then in use with a unified, decimal system.
Current use: The kilometer is used globally to measure road distances, geographical distances, and other distances of similar magnitude. Most countries use the kilometer as the standard unit for measuring driving distances on roads and for expressing distances between cities and landmarks. The United States is one of the few exceptions, where miles are still commonly used for road distances instead of kilometers.
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 of a meter.
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.