What is a Millimeter?
Wondering what is mm? A Metric measure of distance that is used for small lengths is called millimeters. A unit of length in the metric system equals to 1/1,000 of 1 meter. This means that there are 1000 mm in 1 meter. The abbreviation used to represent millimeters is mm. The small lines on this ruler display the metric measure mm. The ruler can measure up to 300 mm (the "40" indicates 40 centimeters which is equivalent to 300 millimeters).
What is Distance?
Distance is the measure of length. For instance, the distance of a road is how long the road is.
Under the metric system of measurement, the commonly used units of distance are millimeters (mm), centimeters (cm), meters (m), and kilometers (km).
How Large are Metric Units of Distance?
A paper clip is approximately 111 millimeter thick.
A fingernail is approximately 111 centimeter wide.
The length measurement of a guitar is about 111 meter.
A kilometer is equivalent to 100010001000 meters. It is a bit over half of a mile.
Below is the conversion of metric measures in tabular form:
Converting Bigger Units to Smaller Units
In order to convert bigger units to smaller units we need to multiply the number of bigger units by the green conversion factor for the suitable smaller units.
Example: Converting meters to centimeters:
1 meter = 100 centimeters
13 meters = 13 × 100 = 1300 centimeters
Converting Smaller Units to Bigger Units
1 millimeter = 1/10 centimeter
1 centimeter = 1/100 centimeter
1 meter = 1/1,000 kilometer
In order to convert smaller units to bigger units, we are required to divide the number of smaller units by the conversion factor for the appropriate bigger units.
Example: Converting meters to kilometers:
1 meter= 1/1000 kilometer
6 meter= 6/1000 kilometer = 0.006 km
Millimeter in Other Metric Units
The millimeter is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousandth (1/1000th) of a meter, which is the SI base unit of length. Thus, one millimeter is equal to one thousand millimeters in a metre. There are 10 millimeters in 1 centimeter.
One millimeter equals 1000 micrometres or 1000000 nanometres. Since an inch is officially described as exactly 25.4 millimetres, a millimetre is equivalent to exactly 0.03937 of an inch.
Converting Centimeter to Millimeter
In order to convert centimeter to millimeter, you can use a free online tool which will display the number of millimeters for the given centimeters. Vedantu’s online Centimeter to Millimeter converter makes the calculation faster, and it represents the conversion of units in a fraction of seconds.
For the conversion of the value of length cm to mm, multiply it with 10.
1 cm = 10 mm
How to Use The Centimeter to Millimeter Calculator?
The process to use the centimeter to millimeter converter is as follows:
Step 1: Enter the value of centimeters in the input field.
Step 2: Click the button “Solve” in order to obtain the result.
Step 3: Ultimately, the number of millimeters will be showcased in the output field.
What is Meant by the Conversion to Centimeter to Millimeter?
In the metric system, the centimeter (cm) is a unit of length which is equivalent to one-hundredth (1/100th) of a meter. One centimeter equals to 0.39370 inches.
In the metric system, the millimeter (mm) is a unit of length that is equal to one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a meter and is the SI base unit of length.
Therefore, 1 cm is equivalent to 10 mm. Thus, for converting the value from cm to mm, we would require to multiply the value by 10.
Solved Examples
Example:
Express 40 cm in mm.
Solution:
As you are familiar, 1 cm = 10 mm
Now,
40cm = (40 × 10) mm
= 400 mm
Thus, 40 centimeters is equal to 400 millimeters, i.e. 40 cm = 400 mm.
FAQs on Millimetre - Unit of Measurement
1. What is a millimetre (mm) and what does it measure?
A millimetre, abbreviated as mm, is a fundamental unit of length in the metric system. It is defined as exactly one-thousandth (1/1000) of a metre, which is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). Millimetres are used to measure very small lengths or distances with high precision.
2. How are millimetres related to centimetres and metres?
Millimetres, centimetres (cm), and metres (m) are all related by a factor of 10, which makes conversions straightforward. The key relationships to remember are:
10 millimetres (mm) = 1 centimetre (cm)
100 centimetres (cm) = 1 metre (m)
1,000 millimetres (mm) = 1 metre (m)
Therefore, a millimetre is the smallest of these three units, used for the most precise measurements.
3. What are some common examples of objects measured in millimetres?
Millimetres are used to measure small objects or details where using centimetres would be too large. Common examples include:
The thickness of a smartphone or a credit card.
The diameter of a pencil lead.
The length of an insect, like an ant.
The amount of rainfall, measured in a rain gauge.
The width of a single key on a laptop keyboard.
4. Why is using millimetres so important in fields like engineering and manufacturing?
The millimetre is a critical unit in engineering, manufacturing, and science because these fields require a high degree of precision. A tiny error of even one millimetre can cause a machine part not to fit, a circuit board to fail, or a scientific experiment to yield incorrect results. Using a small unit like the millimetre allows for exact specifications and tolerances, ensuring that components work together perfectly as intended.
5. How can you accurately measure something in millimetres with a standard ruler?
To measure in millimetres using a ruler, follow these steps:
Align the '0' mark on the ruler with one end of the object you want to measure.
Look at the other end of the object and find the corresponding mark on the ruler.
The numbered lines usually indicate centimetres (cm). The small, unnumbered lines between each centimetre mark represent millimetres.
Count the number of these small lines from the nearest whole centimetre to get the final measurement. For example, if an object ends at the 7th small line after the 4 cm mark, its length is 4.7 cm or 47 mm.
6. What is the main difference between measuring in millimetres and measuring in inches?
The primary difference is the measurement system they belong to. Millimetres are part of the metric system, which is used globally for scientific and most standard measurements and is based on powers of ten. Inches belong to the imperial system (or US customary system). The two systems use different scales, where 1 inch is approximately equal to 25.4 millimetres. The metric system is often considered easier for calculations due to its decimal-based structure.
7. Is it possible to measure things that are even smaller than a millimetre?
Yes, for measurements at a microscopic level, scientists use units that are fractions of a millimetre. Two common units are:
Micrometre (μm): Also known as a micron, it is one-thousandth of a millimetre (1 mm = 1,000 μm). It's used to measure things like bacteria and human cells.
Nanometre (nm): This unit is one-millionth of a millimetre (1 mm = 1,000,000 nm). It is used in nanotechnology and to measure molecules and viruses.
