Centimeters To Meters Converter
Doctors, tailors and furniture makers all write heights in centimetres, while forms, plans and sports charts ask for metres, and the switch takes only a decimal point.
Quick answer: divide the centimetres by 100. So 175 cm is 1.75 m, 82 cm is 0.82 m and 2,450 cm is 24.5 m. Move the decimal point two places to the left.
The centimeters to meters formula
The prefix centi means one hundredth, so 1 cm is 0.01 m and 100 cm make 1 m (NIST: SI prefixes).
Metres equal centimetres divided by 100.
For 175 cm, 175 ÷ 100 is 1.75 m.
For 82 cm, 82 ÷ 100 is 0.82 m.
Heights and everyday sizes in two units
A centimetre is one hundredth of a metre, since centi is the SI prefix for 10 to the power minus 2 (NIST: SI prefixes).
One inch is exactly 2.54 cm, so a height in centimetres can be read in feet and inches as well (Wikipedia: International yard and pound).
Body height, furniture, clothing and room sizes are usually measured in centimetres, while plans and sports records use metres.
How to convert centimeters to meters step by step
- Write the length in centimetres.
- Divide by 100.
- Or move the decimal point two places left.
- Add the unit m to the answer.
Example 1: a height of 175 cm
- Start with 175 cm.
- 175 ÷ 100 = 1.75.
- The height is 1.75 m.
175 cm = 1.75 m
Example 2: a shelf 82 cm wide
- Start with 82 cm.
- 82 ÷ 100 = 0.82.
- The shelf is 0.82 m wide.
82 cm = 0.82 m
Example 3: a fence 2,450 cm long
- Start with 2,450 cm.
- 2,450 ÷ 100 = 24.5.
- The fence is 24.5 m long.
2,450 cm = 24.5 m
A height of 175 cm is about 5 ft 8.9 in.
centimeters to meters conversion table
| Height | In metres | In feet and inches |
|---|---|---|
| 50 cm | 0.5 m | 1 ft 7.7 in |
| 100 cm | 1 m | 3 ft 3.4 in |
| 150 cm | 1.5 m | 4 ft 11.1 in |
| 160 cm | 1.6 m | 5 ft 3.0 in |
| 170 cm | 1.7 m | 5 ft 6.9 in |
| 175 cm | 1.75 m | 5 ft 8.9 in |
| 180 cm | 1.8 m | 5 ft 10.9 in |
| 190 cm | 1.9 m | 6 ft 2.8 in |
| 200 cm | 2 m | 6 ft 6.7 in |
| 250 cm | 2.5 m | 8 ft 2.4 in |
| 300 cm | 3 m | 9 ft 10.1 in |
The highlighted row, 175 cm, is 1.75 m. The last column shows the same height in feet and inches.
A quick mental shortcut for centimeters to meters
Slide the decimal point two places left, so 168 cm becomes 1.68 m. If the number has fewer than three digits, add a leading zero, so 45 cm is 0.45 m.
For a quick feet check, divide the centimetres by 30.5.
Writing heights in metres
Forms and sports charts often want a height as 1.75 m rather than 175 cm. Keep two decimals, since the second decimal is the centimetre.
So 1.8 m is 180 cm, and 1.80 m means the same.
Metres to centimetres
Multiply by 100 to reverse. A table 0.75 m wide is 75 cm, and a room 3.2 m long is 320 cm.
Moving the decimal point two places right does the job.
Heights in feet and inches
Divide the centimetres by 2.54 for inches, then split into feet and inches. A person of 180 cm is 70.9 in, which is 5 ft 10.9 in (Wikipedia: International yard and pound).
The table above gives the common values.
Furniture and room sizes
A desk of 120 cm by 60 cm is 1.2 m by 0.6 m, and a standard door of 200 cm is 2 m high. Plans often list metres, while shop labels list centimetres.
Convert once, and use one unit for the whole drawing.
Tailoring and fabric
Clothing patterns and fabric are measured in centimetres, but fabric rolls are often sold by the metre. A cut of 250 cm is 2.5 m.
Round up to the next 10 cm when you buy.
Checking your answer
Multiply the metres by 100 to recover the centimetres. If 1.75 gives 175, the sum is right.
The metre figure should always be a hundredth of the centimetre figure.
More values at a glance
0.5 centimetres is 0.005 metres. 2 centimetres is 0.02 metres. 5 centimetres is 0.05 metres.
10 centimetres is 0.1 metres. 25 centimetres is 0.25 metres. 100 centimetres is 1 metres.
Each answer is the input times 0.01. You can use the same factor for any value that is not listed here.
The unit sizes
One of the centimetres equals 0.01 metres. One of the metres equals 100 centimetres.
If a result looks very large or very small, compare it with these sizes before you use it.
Checking in reverse
Take 0.1 metres and divide by 0.01. You get back 10 centimetres. If you do not, one of the numbers was typed or rounded wrongly.
Quick conversion answers
| Conversion | Result |
|---|---|
| 50 cm to m | 0.5 m |
| 100 cm to m | 1 m |
| 150 cm to m | 1.5 m |
| 175 cm to m | 1.75 m |
| 200 cm to m | 2 m |
| 1,000 cm to m | 10 m |
Where this conversion is used
People write heights for forms, sports and medical records.
Shoppers and makers compare furniture and fabric sizes.
Students and builders convert plan measurements.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Moving the decimal one place. It is two places.
- Multiplying by 100. That converts metres to centimetres.
- Dropping the leading zero. 45 cm is 0.45 m, not .45 m or 4.5 m.
- Mixing cm and mm. Ten millimetres make a centimetre.
Related converters
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert centimeters to meters?
Divide the centimetres by 100.
How many meters is 175 cm?
1.75 metres.
How many meters is 50 cm?
0.5 metres.
How tall is 180 cm in feet and inches?
About 5 ft 10.9 in.
How do I convert meters to centimeters?
Multiply the metres by 100.
How many centimeters make a meter?
100 centimetres.
Sources
- NIST: SI prefixes (nist.gov)
- Wikipedia: International yard and pound (en.wikipedia.org)
