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
| cm | mm |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 1 |
| 0.5 | 5 |
| 1 | 10 |
| 2.5 | 25 |
| 5 | 50 |
| 10 | 100 |
| 25 | 250 |
| 100 | 1000 |
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) |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | 5 |
| 1 | 10 |
| 2.5 | 25 |
| 5 | 50 |
| 10 | 100 |
| 25 | 250 |
| 100 | 1000 |
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.
Is my input uploaded?
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