Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: The mathematical formula
• From centimeter to meter
• From meter to centimeter
• Part 2 of 3: Shifting the decimal point
• From centimeter to meter
• From meter to centimeter
• Part 3 of 3: More exercises

The prefix centi- means "one hundredth". So 100 go in every meter centimeters. You can use this basic knowledge to easily convert centimeters into meters and vice versa.

To step

Part 1 of 3: The mathematical formula

From centimeter to meter

1. View the issue. Check whether the problem contains a measure of length in centimeters (cm), and whether you are supposed to convert this value into meters (m).
   • Example: The length of a field is 872.5 centimeters. Enter the length of the field in meters.
2. Divide by 100. There is exactly 100 centimeters in a meter. Therefore you can find the number of meters per centimeter by dividing centimeter value by 100.
   • The centimeter is a smaller unit of length than the meter. If you convert a smaller unit into a larger one, you have to divide and thus arrive at a smaller value.
   • Example: 872.5 cm / 100 = 8.725 m
     • The length of the field in this issue is 8,725 meters.

From meter to centimeter

1. View the issue. The problem must contain a measure of length in meters (m) and asks you directly or indirectly to convert it to centimeters (cm).
   • Example: The width of a particular room is 2.3 meters. What is the width of this room in centimeters?
2. Multiply by 100. Each meter consists of 100 centimeters. This means that you can find the number of centimeters per meter by multiplying the measure in meters by 100.
   • The meter is a larger unit than the centimeter.When you convert a larger unit into a smaller one, you have to multiply it to get a larger value.
   • Example: 2.3 m * 100 = 230 cm
     • The width of the room in this issue is 230 centimeters.

Part 2 of 3: Shifting the decimal point

From centimeter to meter

1. Study the issue. Check whether the problem starts with a measure of length in centimeters (cm) and ask you directly or indirectly to convert it into meters (m).
   • Example: The countertop of a kitchen is 344.25 inches long. How long is this countertop in meters?
2. Move the comma two places to the left. Since exactly 100 centimeters fit in each meter, the centimeter value will be a factor of one hundred larger. You can convert the centimeter value to meters by simply shifting the decimal point two places to the left.
   • Moving the decimal point of a number to the left decreases its value. Each shift represents a ten, so if you move the decimal point two places, the final value will decrease by a factor of 100 (because 10 * 10 = 100).
   • Example: Shifting the decimal point in "344.25" two times to the left results in a value of "3.4425". So the countertop in this issue is 3.4425 meters long.

From meter to centimeter

1. Study the issue. Read through it and verify that it is a measure of length in meters (m) and that you are supposed to convert the current value to its equivalent in centimeters (cm).
   • Example: A shop sells a piece of cloth with a length of 2.3 meters. Convert the length of the fabric to centimeters.
2. Move the comma two places to the right. There are exactly 100 centimeters in every meter. The value in meters will therefore be two decimal places smaller than the same value in centimeters. That means you can convert a value in meters to a value in centimeters by simply shifting the decimal point two places to the right.
   • Shifting the decimal point to the right increases the number and its value. Each place represents a factor of 10. So if you move the decimal point two places to the right, the value will increase by a factor of 100 (because 10 * 10 = 100).
   • Example: If you shift the decimal point in "2.3" two places to the right, you will arrive at "230". The piece of fabric in the question is therefore 230 centimeters long.

Part 3 of 3: More exercises

1. Convert 7,890 centimeters to meters. This question asks you to convert centimeters to meters, so you have to divide the amount of centimeters by 100, or shift the decimal point two places to the left.
   • Mathematical Conversion:
     • 7890 cm / 100 =78.9 m
   • Comma Shift:
     • 7890.0 cm => move the decimal point two places to the left => 78.9 m
2. Convert 82.5 centimeters to meters. In this problem you have to convert centimeters into meters. You can do this by dividing the value in centimeters by 100, or by shifting the decimal point two places to the left.
   • Math conversion:
     • 82.5 cm / 100 =0.825 m
   • Shifting comma:
     • 82.5 cm => move the decimal point two places to the left => 0.825 m
3. Convert 16 meters to centimeters. In this issue you have to convert meters into centimeters. Multiply the value in meters by 100, or move the decimal point two places to the right to do this.
   • Math conversion:
     • 16 m * 100 =1600 cm
   • Comma Shift:
     • 16.0 m => move the decimal point two places to the left => 1600 cm
4. Convert 230.4 meters to centimeters. Here you will be asked to convert the length in meters to centimeters. So you have to multiply the value in meters by 100, or move the decimal point two places to the right.
   • Math conversion:
     • 230.4 m * 100 =23040 cm
   • Shifting comma:
     • 230.4 m => move the decimal point two places to the right => 23040 cm