Inches to CM Converter

Common in to cm conversions

How this conversion works

1 inch = 2.54 centimeters. Multiply inches by 2.54.

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What you are converting

Inch

The inch is a unit of length in the imperial and US customary systems, equal to exactly 2.54 centimeters. A standard paperclip is about one inch long. Inches remain the everyday unit in the United States for screens, lumber, and clothing.

Centimeter

The centimeter is a unit of length in the metric system, one hundredth of a meter. It is roughly the width of an adult fingernail. Most of the world uses centimeters for body measurements, furniture, and product dimensions.

Why convert and when you would use this

People convert inches to centimeters when buying products across borders. A television listed as 55 inches must fit a shelf measured in centimeters, and clothing or shoe sizes from US stores need translating for shoppers who know their measurements in only one system.

Worked example

To convert, multiply the number of inches by 2.54. For example, a 12-inch ruler equals 12 x 2.54 = 30.48 centimeters. Likewise, a laptop advertised with a 15.6-inch screen measures 15.6 x 2.54 = 39.62 centimeters diagonally. To go the other way, divide centimeters by 2.54 to get inches.

Rounding and accuracy

For most everyday purposes, two decimal places are enough because each hundredth of a centimeter is a tenth of a millimeter. Use two decimals for shopping, crafts, and body measurements. Keep three or four decimals for machining, engineering drawings, or scientific work where tolerances are tight. Round only at the end, after multiplying, never before.

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