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1 centimeter (cm) = 100000000 angstrom (Å). Centimeter (cm) is a unit of Length used in Metric system. Angstrom (Å) is a unit of Length used in Metric system.

Centimeter: A Unit of Length Used in the Metric System

The centimeter (cm) is a unit of length in the metric system, which is the most widely used system of measurement in the world. The centimeter is equal to one hundredth of a meter, which is the SI base unit of length. The centimeter is also a derived unit in the International System of Units (SI), which is the official system of measurement for science and engineering. The symbol for centimeter is cm. The centimeter is used for measuring small distances and dimensions, such as the width of a fingernail or the diameter of a coin. The centimeter is also used for measuring areas and volumes, such as the area of a sheet of paper or the volume of a water bottle. The centimeter is named after the centi prefix, which means one hundredth in Latin. In this article, we will explore the definition, history, usage and conversion of the centimeter as a unit of length.

Definition of the Centimeter

The centimeter is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a meter. It is defined as 1/100 meters. The meter is defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299792458 seconds.

The definition of the centimeter has not changed since its introduction by the French Academy of Sciences in 1795, as part of the decimal metric system that was adopted after the French Revolution. However, the definition of the meter has changed several times over time, as different standards and methods of measurement were developed by various countries and organizations. The current definition of the meter as based on the speed of light was agreed upon by an international treaty in 1983.

History of the Centimeter

The origin of the centimeter as a unit of length can be traced back to 1795, when the French Academy of Sciences proposed a new system of measurement that was based on decimal fractions and natural constants. The system was called the metric system, and it was intended to replace the old and diverse systems of measurement that were used in France and other countries at that time. The metric system was designed to be simple, universal and rational.

The base unit of length in the metric system was the meter, which was defined as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along a meridian through Paris. The meter was divided into ten decimeters, each decimeter into ten centimeters, and each centimeter into ten millimeters. The prefixes deci, centi and milli indicated that they were one tenth, one hundredth and one thousandth of a meter respectively.

The metric system was officially adopted by France in 1799, and gradually spread to other countries over the next century. In 1875, an international treaty called the Metre Convention was signed by 17 countries to establish a common standard for measuring length and mass. The treaty also established an international organization called the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) to maintain and improve the metric system.

In 1889, a new standard for the meter was created by using a platinum-iridium bar that was kept at BIPM. This bar was called the International Prototype Metre, and it was divided into ten equal parts to make standard centimeters. The bar was also compared with other national standards to ensure accuracy and consistency.

In 1960, an international conference called the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) adopted a new system of measurement called the International System of Units (SI), which was based on seven base units that could be derived from physical constants. The meter was redefined as 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of light emitted by a krypton-86 atom in a vacuum. The centimeter remained as a derived unit in SI, but it was no longer recommended for use in scientific and technical fields.

In 1983, another CGPM conference redefined the meter again as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299792458 seconds. This definition was based on the speed of light, which is a universal constant that can be measured with high precision. The centimeter also changed accordingly to reflect this new definition.

Usage of the Centimeter

The centimeter is a unit of length that is used for measuring small distances and dimensions, such as the width of a fingernail or the diameter of a coin. The centimeter is also used for measuring areas and volumes, such as the area of a sheet of paper or the volume of a water bottle.

The centimeter is widely used in everyday life, especially in countries that follow the metric system. Some examples are:

• Measuring clothing sizes and body measurements.
• Measuring furniture dimensions and room sizes.
• Measuring paper sizes and formats.
• Measuring screen sizes and resolutions.
• Measuring rainfall amounts and snow depths.
• Measuring map scales and distances.

The centimeter is also used in some scientific and technical fields, such as:

• Measuring wavelengths and frequencies of electromagnetic radiation.
• Measuring lengths and diameters of microscopic objects.
• Measuring thicknesses and cross-sections of materials.
• Measuring focal lengths and apertures of lenses.
• Measuring blood pressure and blood glucose levels.



How to Convert Centimeter

The centimeter can be converted to other units of length by using conversion factors or formulas. Here are some examples of how to convert centimeters to other units of length in the SI system, the US customary system and other systems:

• To convert centimeters to millimeters, multiply by 10. For example, 10 cm = 10 × 10 = 100 mm.
• To convert centimeters to meters, divide by 100. For example, 10 cm = 10 / 100 = 0.1 m.
• To convert centimeters to kilometers, divide by 100000. For example, 10 cm = 10 / 100000 = 0.0001 km.
• To convert centimeters to inches, multiply by 0.3937. For example, 10 cm = 10 × 0.3937 = 3.937 in.
• To convert centimeters to feet, multiply by 0.0328. For example, 10 cm = 10 × 0.0328 = 0.328 ft.
• To convert centimeters to yards, multiply by 0.0109. For example, 10 cm = 10 × 0.0109 = 0.109 yd.
• To convert centimeters to miles, multiply by 0.0000062137. For example, 10 cm = 10 × 0.0000062137 = 0.000062137 mi.
• To convert centimeters to nanometers, multiply by 10000000. For example, one cm = one × 10000000 = 10000000 nm.
• To convert centimeters to micrometers, multiply by 10000. For example, one cm = one × 10000 = 10000 µm.

Angstrom: A Small Unit of Length Used in the SI System

The angstrom is a unit of length that is equal to 0.1 nanometer (nm) or 10^-10 meter (m). It is one of the non-SI units that are accepted for use with the International System of Units (SI), which is the most widely used system of measurement in the world. The symbol for angstrom is Å, a letter of the Swedish alphabet. The unit is named after the Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström (1814-1874), who was a pioneer in the field of spectroscopy. The angstrom is often used in the natural sciences and technology to express sizes of atoms, molecules, microscopic biological structures, and lengths of chemical bonds, arrangement of atoms in crystals, wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, and dimensions of integrated circuit parts. In this article, we will explore the definition, history, usage and conversion of the angstrom as a unit of length.

Definition of the Unit

The angstrom is a unit of length that is equal to 0.1 nanometer (nm) or 10^-10 meter (m). It is one of the non-SI units that are accepted for use with the International System of Units (SI), which is based on seven base units: meter (length), kilogram (mass), second (time), ampere (electric current), kelvin (temperature), mole (amount of substance) and candela (luminous intensity). The SI base unit of length is the meter, which is defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299792458 seconds.

The definition of the angstrom has not changed since its introduction in 1868 by Anders Jonas Ångström, who used it to express wavelengths of light in his chart of the spectrum of sunlight. However, the definition of the meter has changed several times over time, as different standards and methods of measurement were adopted by various countries and regions. The current definition of the meter as based on the speed of light was agreed upon by an international treaty in 1983, and since then the angstrom has been exactly equal to 10^-10 meter.

History of the Unit

The origin of the angstrom as a unit of length can be traced back to 1868, when Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström created a chart of the spectrum of sunlight, in which he expressed the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation in multiples of one ten-millionth of a millimeter (or 10^-7 mm). He chose this unit because it was convenient for his work on spectroscopy, which is the study of how matter interacts with electromagnetic radiation. He also named this unit after himself, as he wrote in his paper: "I have taken as unit for these measurements one ten-millionth part [of a millimeter], which I will call an Ångström".

Ångström’s unit was soon adopted by other spectroscopists and physicists, who found it useful for expressing wavelengths of visible light, ultraviolet light and X-rays. However, they soon realized that the definition of the millimeter at the time, based on a material artifact, was not accurate enough for their work. So, around 1907 they defined their own unit of length, which they called "Ångström", based on the wavelength of a specific spectral line emitted by krypton-86 gas. This new definition was more precise and stable than the previous one based on the millimeter.

In 1960, when the meter was redefined as based on a specific number of wavelengths emitted by krypton-86 gas, the angstrom became again equal to 10^-10 meter. However, this definition was soon replaced by another one based on the speed of light in vacuum in 1983. Since then, the angstrom has remained unchanged as equal to 10^-10 meter.

Usage of the Unit

The angstrom is a unit of length that is often used in the natural sciences and technology to express sizes of atoms, molecules, microscopic biological structures, and lengths of chemical bonds, arrangement of atoms in crystals, wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, and dimensions of integrated circuit parts. Some examples of where the angstrom is used are:

• Chemistry: The angstrom is used for measuring atomic radii, bond lengths and interatomic distances. For example, a carbon atom has an atomic radius of about 0.77 Å, a carbon-carbon single bond has a length of about 1.54 Å, and a benzene molecule has a diameter of about 5.4 Å.
• Biology: The angstrom is used for measuring molecular structures, such as proteins, DNA and viruses. For example, a typical amino acid has a size of about 3 Å, a DNA helix has a diameter of about 20 Å, and a coronavirus has a diameter of about 120,000 Å.
• Physics: The angstrom is used for measuring wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, such as visible light, ultraviolet light and X-rays. For example, the visible spectrum ranges from about 4000 Å (violet) to 7000 Å (red), the ultraviolet spectrum ranges from about 10 Å to 4000 Å, and the X-ray spectrum ranges from about 0.01 Å to 10 Å.
• Engineering: The angstrom is used for measuring dimensions of integrated circuit parts, such as transistors, wires and gates. For example, the smallest feature size of a modern microprocessor is about 50 Å.

How to Convert

The angstrom can be converted to other units of length by using conversion factors or formulas. Here are some examples of how to convert angstroms to other units of length in the U.S. customary system, the imperial system and the SI system:

• To convert angstroms to inches, divide by 2.54 × 108. For example, 100 Å = 100 / (2.54 × 108) = 3.937 × 10^-7 in.
• To convert angstroms to feet, divide by 3.048 × 109. For example, 1000 Å = 1000 / (3.048 × 109) = 3.281 × 10^-8 ft.
• To convert angstroms to yards, divide by 9.144 × 109. For example, 10,000 Å = 10,000 / (9.144 × 109) = 1.094 × 10^-8 yd.
• To convert angstroms to miles, divide by 1.609 × 1013. For example, 100 million Å = 100 million / (1.609 × 1013) = 6.214 × 10^-6 mi.
• To convert angstroms to centimeters, divide by 108. For example, one angstrom = one / (108) = one-hundred-millionth of a centimeter.
• To convert angstroms to meters, divide by 1010. For example, one angstrom = one / (1010) = one-ten-billionth of a meter.