Centimeters to Millimeters (cm to mm)

Quick answer

mm = cm × 10. For example, 5 cm = 50 mm. Type a value below to convert instantly — not uploaded to our servers for processing.

Millimeters (mm)

50

Formula: mm = cm × 10

cm to mm chart

cmmm
0.11
0.55
110
2.525
550
10100
25250
1001000

Related: cm to inches · inches to mm · meters to feet · Celsius to Fahrenheit

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Centimetres to Millimetres at a glance

Both are metric, so this is a decimal shift rather than a real conversion — millimetres are the working unit in engineering drawings and manufacturing.

Centimetres (cm)Millimetres (mm)
0.55
110
2.525
550
10100
25250
1001000

Both directions from one number

You only need to remember one factor, because the reverse is its reciprocal:

mm = cm × 10
cm = mm × 0.1   (or divide by 10)

If a result looks about right but is off by a large multiple, you have almost certainly multiplied where you should have divided — checking the direction against the table above catches it immediately.

Rounding, and how precise to be

Converting does not create accuracy that was not in the original measurement. If someone tells you a distance in whole centimetres, the converted figure is only as good as that starting estimate — quoting it to four decimal places implies a precision nobody measured.

A practical rule: keep roughly the same number of significant figures you started with, and round only at the end. Rounding at each intermediate step compounds the error, which is how a chain of conversions drifts away from the right answer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert cm to mm?

Multiply by 10. For example, 5 cm × 10 = 50 mm. Because both units are metric, this only moves the decimal point one place to the right.

How many mm are in 1 cm?

Exactly 10. The prefix milli- means one thousandth of a metre and centi- means one hundredth, so a centimetre is ten times larger.

Why do technical drawings use mm instead of cm?

Millimetres avoid decimals for most part dimensions, which reduces the chance of a misread measurement. Engineering and manufacturing standards generally specify mm for that reason.

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