How many cm in a dm

Decimeters and Centimeters are length measurement units derived from the basic metric unit – the meter. The appropriate symbols for them are respectively dm and cm. According to the International System of Units 1 decimeter equals 10 centimeters, so there are 10 cm in a dm.

    Difference between Decimeters and Centimeters

One meter is the distance that light travels in vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. The dm and the cm are both smaller in scale than the meter.

The decimeter is 1/10 of the length of meter. In terms of non-SI units, a cubic decimeter is equal to 1 liter. The highest UHF radio frequency (3 GHz) has a wavelength of 1 dm, whereas that of the lowest one (300 Hz) is 10 dm. The term decimeter is not in common use, as the units that provide more specific numbers are preferred for most tasks.

The centimeter, for example, is largely used in everyday practice – when taking measures for clothes, when making sketches, or when transforming map scale to real-world dimensions. The average length of a coffee bean is 1 cm. Compared to the meter, it is equal to 0.01 of its magnitude. Its prefix ‘centi’ on itself indicates that there are 100 cm in a meter.

    How to convert Decimeters to Centimeters

The conversion from decimeters to centimeters is based on the relationship between the two units. The formula is quite simple:

dm x 10 = cm.

Dm to cm conversion example

Sample task: convert 50 dm to centimeters. Solution:

Formula:
dm * 10 = cm
Calculation:
50 dm * 10 = 500 cm
End result:
50 dm is equal to 500 cm

    dm to cm conversion table

    References

[1] NIST Special Publication 330 (2008) - "The International System of Units (SI)", edited by Barry N.Taylor and Ambler Thompson

[2] International Organization for Standardization (1993). ISO Standards Handbook: Quantities and units (3rd edition). Geneva: ISO. ISBN 92-67-10185-4.

The centimeter and the decimeter are metric units that measure length. The abbreviation of centimeter is cm, and that of decimeter – dm. The metric system being based on multiples of 10, makes it truly easy to remember the connection between the different units. In this case a centimeter is 1 x 10-1 dm, or put simply – 1 decimeter is equal to 10 cm, so there are 10 cm in one decimeter.

    Difference between Centimeters and Decimeters

Both of these units are derived from the basic measurement unit of the metric system as established by the SI – the meter. It is defined as being equivalent to the length of the path that light travels is 1/299,792,458 seconds in vacuum.

The centimeter is 0.01 of the magnitude of a meter. It is a commonly used unit that allows people to perform tasks with precision, yet not making the whole ordeal way too complicated or difficult. Some of the applications one may find of a cm include measuring rainfall levels and taking measures for clothes.

The decimeter, on the other hand, is not too popular as a term. It is 1/10 of a meter, or 10 times the magnitude of a cm. The wavelength of the lowest UHF radio frequency, that is 300 GHz, is equal to 10 dm, and that of the highest frequency – 3 GHz, is only 1 dm. The most popular unit of volume – the liter – is equivalent to one cubic dm.

    How to convert Centimeters to Decimeters

In order to convert centimeters to decimeters you need to use the formula:

cm / 10 = dm,

or just shift the decimal point in the cm one position to the left.

Cm to dm conversion example

Sample task: convert 50 cm to decimeters. Solution:

Formula:
cm / 10 = dm
Calculation:
50 cm / 10 = 5 dm
End result:
50 cm is equal to 5 dm

    cm to dm conversion table

    References

[1] NIST Special Publication 330 (2008) - "The International System of Units (SI)", edited by Barry N.Taylor and Ambler Thompson

[2] International Organization for Standardization (1993). ISO Standards Handbook: Quantities and units (3rd edition). Geneva: ISO. ISBN 92-67-10185-4.

Please provide values below to convert decimeter [dm] to centimeter [cm], or vice versa.

From:decimeter

Decimeter to Centimeter Conversion Table

How to Convert Decimeter to Centimeter

1 dm = 10 cm
1 cm = 0.1 dm

Example: convert 15 dm to cm:
15 dm = 15 × 10 cm = 150 cm

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