Converting Millimeters to Centimeters

Worked unit conversion example problem

A centimeter tape measure arranged in a spiral shape

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By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on February 06, 2019

This example problem demonstrates how to convert millimeters to centimeters, which is actually much easier than you may have thought.

The Problem

Express 312 millimeters in centimeters.

In order to calculate this problem, you'll need to know how many millimeters make up a single centimeter. The following is the equation for centimeters to millimeters:

1 centimeter = 10 millimeters

From here, you can set up the conversion so the desired unit will be canceled out. In this case, we want cm to be the remaining unit.
distance in cm = (distance in mm) x (1 cm/10 cm)
distance in cm = (312/10) cm
distance in cm = 3.12 cm

The Answer

312 millimeters is 3.12 centimeters.

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Your Citation
Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Converting Millimeters to Centimeters." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/converting-millimeters-to-centimeters-609313. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 26). Converting Millimeters to Centimeters. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/converting-millimeters-to-centimeters-609313 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Converting Millimeters to Centimeters." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/converting-millimeters-to-centimeters-609313 (accessed March 24, 2023).