Inches to centimeters converter
Provide a length below to convert inches (in) to centimeters (cm). For the reverse direction, visit the centimeters to inches converter.
1 inch equals exactly 2.54 centimeters. The agreement defining the international yard and pound establishes this fixed relationship.
To convert inches to centimeters, multiply the measurement in inches by 2.54. To convert centimeters to inches, divide the value in centimeters by 2.54.
Inch
Definition: An inch (symbol: in) is a length unit found in the imperial and United States customary measurement systems. Since 1959 it has been defined as precisely 25.4 millimeters, meaning 12 inches form a foot and 36 inches make a yard.
History: The word "inch" traces back to the Latin "uncia," or one-twelfth. Earlier standards compared an inch to three dried barleycorns laid end to end, or to the average width of a human thumb measured across three different samples. Modern inches are tied to the international yard to ensure consistency.
Current use: Inches remain common in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and they appear in other places such as Japan when describing hardware and electronic component sizes.
Centimeter
Definition: A centimeter (symbol: cm) belongs to the International System of Units and equals one one-hundredth of a meter, or 0.01 m. It is part of the broader metric family.
History: The centimeter borrows its scale from the SI base unit meter. Metric prefixes like centi-, milli-, micro-, kilo-, and giga- describe powers of ten, giving users a quick shorthand for very large and very small values alike.
Current use: Centimeters are used globally anywhere a finer division of the meter is necessary, especially in countries that have adopted metric measurements. Everyday examples include recording body height or furnishing dimensions.
| Inch [in] | Centimeter [cm] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 in | 0.0254 cm |
| 0.1 in | 0.254 cm |
| 1 in | 2.54 cm |
| 2 in | 5.08 cm |
| 3 in | 7.62 cm |
| 5 in | 12.7 cm |
| 10 in | 25.4 cm |
| 20 in | 50.8 cm |
| 50 in | 127 cm |
| 100 in | 254 cm |
| 1000 in | 2540 cm |