How many kilometers are there in a centimeter? Use this online tool to quickly convert from centimeters to kilometers (cm to km) and vice versa.
Read: Convert From Kilometers to Centimeters
What is a Kilometer?
A kilometer (km) is a unit of length in the metric system, which is used to measure distances. One kilometer is equal to 1,000 meters. It is commonly used in many countries around the world as the standard unit for expressing longer distances, such as the distance between cities or the length of a road. The symbol for kilometer is “km.”
The word “kilometer” is derived from the Greek words “kilioi,” meaning thousand, and “metron,” meaning measure.
What is a Centimeter?
A centimeter (cm) is a unit of length in the metric system, which is used to measure distances. It is equal to one hundredth of a meter. The prefix “centi-” in centimeter indicates that it is a subdivision of the base unit, meter.
Centimeters are commonly used for measurements in everyday contexts where smaller units than meters are more practical, such as measuring the length of an object, the height of a person, or the dimensions of a room.
How Many Centimeters in a Kilometer?
The relationship between centimeters and meters can be expressed as follows:
1 kilometer = 100,000 centimeters.
So, to convert centimeters to kilometers, you divide the length in centimeters by 100,000.
Difference Between Centimeters and Kilometers
Centimeters and kilometers are both units of length in the metric system, but they differ significantly in terms of their scale and common usage. Here are the key differences between centimeters and kilometers:
- Scale:
- Centimeter (cm): Centimeters are a smaller unit of length and are typically used for measuring relatively short distances, such as the height of a person, the length of an object, or the dimensions of a room. One centimeter is equal to one hundredth of a meter.
- Kilometer (km): Kilometers are a larger unit of length and are commonly used for measuring longer distances, such as the distance between cities, the length of a road, or the size of geographic areas. One kilometer is equal to one thousand meters.
- Conversion:
- 1 kilometer is equal to 100,000 centimeters. To convert centimeters to kilometers, you divide the length in centimeters by 100,000.
- Conversely, to convert kilometers to centimeters, you multiply the length in kilometers by 100,000.
- Common Usage:
- Centimeters: Commonly used in everyday measurements where precision at a smaller scale is needed. Examples include measuring the dimensions of objects, clothing sizes, or the height of individuals.
- Kilometers: Commonly used for expressing longer distances, such as travel distances, geographical measurements, and dimensions on a larger scale.
- Metric Prefix:
- Centimeter: The prefix “centi-” signifies that it is one hundredth of a meter.
- Kilometer: The prefix “kilo-” signifies that it is one thousand meters.
- Symbol:
- Centimeter: The symbol is “cm.”
- Kilometer: The symbol is “km.”
In summary, centimeters and kilometers represent lengths at different scales within the metric system. Centimeters are smaller and used for more detailed measurements, while kilometers are larger and employed for longer distances. The choice between them depends on the specific context and the magnitude of the length being measured.
How to Convert Centimeters to Kilometers?
Mathematically, the conversion is expressed as:
Length in kilometers = Length in centimeters / 100,000
Task:
For example, if you have a length of 500,000 centimeters and want to convert it to kilometers:
Calculation:
Length in kilometers = 500,000 / 100,000 = 5 km
So, 500,000 centimeters is equivalent to 5 kilometers.
Centimeters to Kilometers (cm to km) Conversion Table
Here’s a table that converts centimeters to kilometers, ranging from 1 to 1000 feet, with intervals of 10 and 100.
| Centimeters | Kilometers |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.00001 |
| 2 | 0.00002 |
| 3 | 0.00003 |
| 4 | 0.00004 |
| 5 | 0.00005 |
| 6 | 0.00006 |
| 7 | 0.00007 |
| 8 | 0.00008 |
| 9 | 0.00009 |
| 10 | 0.0001 |
| 20 | 0.0002 |
| 30 | 0.0003 |
| 40 | 0.0004 |
| 50 | 0.0005 |
| 60 | 0.0006 |
| 70 | 0.0007 |
| 80 | 0.0008 |
| 90 | 0.0009 |
| 100 | 0.001 |
| 200 | 0.002 |
| 300 | 0.003 |
| 400 | 0.004 |
| 500 | 0.005 |
| 600 | 0.006 |
| 700 | 0.007 |
| 800 | 0.008 |
| 900 | 0.009 |
| 1000 | 0.01 |
References:
https://physics.nist.gov/cuu/pdf/sp330.pdf
https://physics.nist.gov/cuu/pdf/sp811.pdf