The centimeter is a unit of measurement in the metric system, which is based on units of 10. The metric system is the standard system of measurement in the scientific community and is used by most countries. The imperial system, based on units of 12, is used primarily in the United States. The centimeter is also part of the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system, which is still used in some laboratories but has been largely replaced by the meter-kilogram-second (MKS) system.
A centimeter, also sometimes written “centimeter” or abbreviated “cm”, is a unit of measurement in the metric system that is equal to one hundredth of a meter. Consequently, there are exactly 100 centimeters per meter. The metric system is also known as the International System of Units and its main goal is to guide how weights and measures are calculated. Most countries have adopted it. Some countries, including the United States, mostly use the imperial system, which is different; where the metric system is based on units of 10, the imperial system is based on units of 12. The metric system is also the standard system of measurement within the scientific community, even in countries that primarily use imperial calculations. This is especially true in physical and electromagnetic contexts. These disciplines have traditionally used what is known as the “centimeter-gram-second” system of units as a way to be streamlined.
The metric system in general
In most of the world the metric system has been the dominant system of quantification for centuries. In 1795, the French Academy of Sciences developed it to standardize measurements in France. Prior to this standardization, measurements varied from area to area, sometimes wildly. In 1875, at the conference of the International Bureau of Weights and Measurements, the “Meter Treaty” was signed. Since that time the metric system has been adopted by the vast majority of countries around the world, and is commonly used even in those that have not officially mandated its use.
Metric measurements operate on a 10 second system. Distance is typically measured in relation to the metre. For example, a kilometer is 1,000 meters, while a millimeter is a thousandth. The prefix “cent-” means 1.000, and as such there are 100 centimeters in a metre.
Usage within the scientific community
The scientific community uses the International System of Units (SI), which is usually understood as a modern form of the metric system. Having a standardized system allows scientists from different countries and regions to duplicate research and collect data. As a result, science classrooms and school curricula typically use metric measurements, even in places where these are not the standard units in the larger society.
Imperial conversions
The United States is the largest and most notorious country to have resisted standardization to the metric system. Instead, it uses the imperial system, originally designed in Great Britain. The system operates in units of 12, with the foot, yard, and mile as the primary measures of length. There are 12 inches in a foot and 36 in a yard, for example, and 63.360 inches per mile.
One centimeter equals 0.4 inch. Conversion to inches is obtained by multiplying the smallest unit by 0.39. Distance is normally measured in meters so that one mile would be the equivalent of 1.6 kilometres, or approximately 160,000 centimetres.
Britain adopted the metric system in 1965. The US government passed the Omnibus Trade and Competitive Act in 1988 which required the federal government to adopt the metric system by 1992, but the imperial system is still the preferred system used in private industry and in schools.
Sistemi CGS
This tiny unit of measurement is also at the heart of the so-called centimeter-gram-second (CGS) documentation system. This system was once widely used in the discipline of professional physics, particularly with regards to electromagnetic measurements and readings. It captured both length, mass and time and combined the three in an easy to understand format. This system is still used in some laboratories, but in most places it has been replaced with the similar meter-kilogram-second (MKS) system, which is more adaptable to larger measurements.
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