Both centimeters (cm) and millimeters (mm) are metric units of length. The centimeter is equal to one‑hundredth of a meter, while the millimeter is one‑thousandth of a meter.
Practical applications
Centimeters are commonly used in everyday measurements such as clothing sizes, furniture dimensions, and small‑scale engineering drawings. Millimeters are preferred when higher precision is required, for example in machining, medical device design, and detailed CAD models.
The conversion between them is straightforward because the metric system is based on powers of ten. The relationship can be expressed as \\(1\\,\\text{cm}=10\\,\\text{mm}\\).
Construction: wall thickness often specified in cm, but drill bits in mm.
Manufacturing: component tolerances in mm.
Centimeter to Millimeter Conversion Reference Table
Centimeter (cm)
Millimeter (mm)
0.1
1
0.5
5
1.0
10
2.0
20
5.0
50
10.0
100
20.0
200
50.0
500
100.0
1000
500.0
5000
1000.0
10000
Conversion Example: 10 cm to mm
Step 1: Identify the conversion factor (1 cm = 10 mm).
Step 2: Multiply the length in centimeters by the factor.
A centimeter equals 10 millimeters. It is larger and typically used for less‑precise measurements, whereas a millimeter provides finer resolution.
Multiply the number of centimeters by 10. For example, 10 cm × 10 = 100 mm. This works for any value because 1 cm = 10 mm.
"On fait la science avec des faits, comme on fait une maison avec des pierres ; mais une accumulation de faits n'est pas plus une science qu'un tas de pierres n'est une maison." "Science is built up of facts, as a house is built of stones; but an accumulation of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house." — Henri Poincaré (French Mathematician, Theoretical Physicist & Mining Engineer)