Meters to Inches

Meters

Definition:

A meter (symbol: m) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 seconds. The meter is used worldwide in various fields including science, engineering, and everyday measurements.

History/Origin:

The meter was originally defined in 1793 by the French Academy of Sciences as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along a meridian through Paris. In 1889, the definition was refined using a physical prototype made of platinum-iridium. The current definition, based on the speed of light, was adopted in 1983.

Current Use:

Meters are commonly used in many applications, from measuring the dimensions of rooms and buildings to specifying the wavelength of light in scientific research. The meter is also the standard unit of measurement in sports, such as track and field, where races are measured in meters.

Inches

Definition:

An inch (symbol: in) is a unit of length in the imperial and US customary systems of measurement. One inch is equal to 1/12 of a foot and exactly 25.4 millimeters by international agreement.

History/Origin:

The inch has been used as a unit of measurement in various cultures for centuries, originally based on the width of a human thumb. In 1959, an international agreement defined the inch as exactly 25.4 millimeters, standardizing it across the United States and Commonwealth countries.

Current Use:

Inches are commonly used in the United States and a few other countries for various applications, including measuring height, length, and distances in construction and manufacturing. It is also used in the display industry to measure screen sizes.

Conversion Details

Conversion Formula and Factor:

To convert meters to centimeters, you multiply the number of meters by 100. The formula is: [ \text{centimeters} = \text{meters} \times 100 ]