Parsecs to Centimeters
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1 parsec (pc) = 3.08568E+18 centimeter (cm). Parsec (pc) is a unit of Length used in Metric system. Centimeter (cm) is a unit of Length used in Metric system.

Parsec: A Unit of Length

A parsec is a unit of length that is often used in astronomy to measure the large distances to astronomical objects outside the Solar System. It is approximately equal to 3.26 light-years or 206,265 astronomical units (au), which are the average distances from the Earth to the Sun. One parsec is about 30.9 trillion kilometres or 19.2 trillion miles.

Definition of the parsec

The word parsec is a combination of “parallax” and “arcsecond”, which are terms related to the measurement of angles. Parallax is the apparent shift in position of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Arcsecond is a unit of angle that is equal to one sixtieth of an arcminute, or one three thousand six hundredth of a degree.

A parsec is defined as the distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one arcsecond. In other words, it is the distance from which the Earth-Sun distance would appear as one arcsecond on the sky. This can be illustrated by an imaginary right triangle, where the adjacent side is one au, the opposite side is one parsec, and the angle opposite to the parsec side is one arcsecond.

History of the parsec

The concept of the parsec was first proposed by the British astronomer Herbert Hall Turner in 1913, as a convenient unit for expressing stellar distances. He coined the term by blending “parallax” and “second”. He also suggested using the symbol “pc” for parsec.

The first measurement of a stellar parallax was made by Friedrich Bessel in 1838, for the star 61 Cygni. He found that the star had a parallax of 0.314 arcseconds, which corresponds to a distance of about 10.4 parsecs. Since then, many more stars have been measured for their parallaxes, using various methods such as telescopes, satellites and interferometers.

The parsec is now widely used in astronomy and astrophysics, especially for objects within and around the Milky Way galaxy. For more distant objects, such as galaxies and quasars, larger units such as kiloparsecs (kpc), megaparsecs (Mpc) and gigaparsecs (Gpc) are used.

How to convert parsec

To convert parsecs to other units of length, we can use the following conversion factors:

• 1 pc = 3.0857 × 10^¹⁶ m
• 1 pc = 1.9174 × 10^¹³ mi
• 1 pc = 2.06265 × 10^⁵ au
• 1 pc = 3.26156 ly

To convert other units of length to parsecs, we can use the inverse of these conversion factors:

• 1 m = 3.24078 × 10^^-17 pc
• 1 mi = 5.21553 × 10^^-14 pc
• 1 au = 4.84814 × 10^^-6 pc
• 1 ly = 0.306601 pc

Where parsec is used

The parsec is mainly used in astronomy and astrophysics, as it is a convenient unit for expressing distances between stars and other celestial objects. For example:

• The nearest star to the Sun, Proxima Centauri, is about 1.3 pc away.
• The center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, is about 8 kpc away.
• The nearest galaxy to ours, Andromeda, is about 780 kpc away.
• The most distant quasar known, ULAS J1342+0928, is about 8.8 Gpc away.

The parsec can also be used in other fields that deal with large distances or angles, such as geodesy, navigation and surveying.

Example conversions of parsec to other units

Here are some examples of converting parsecs to other units of length:

• How many meters are in one parsec?

To convert one parsec to meters, we multiply by the conversion factor:

1 pc × 3.0857 × 10^¹⁶ m/pc = 3.0857 × 10^¹⁶ m

• How many miles are in 10 parsecs?

To convert 10 parsecs to miles, we multiply by the conversion factor:

10 pc × 1.9174 × 10^¹³ mi/pc = 1.9174 × 10^¹⁴ mi

• How many astronomical units are in 0.01 parsecs?

To convert 0.01 parsecs to astronomical units, we multiply by the conversion factor:

0.01 pc × 2.06265 × 10^⁵ au/pc = 2.06265 × 10^³ au

• How many light-years are in 100 parsecs?

To convert 100 parsecs to light-years, we multiply by the conversion factor:

100 pc × 3.26156 ly/pc = 326.156 ly

• How many parsecs are in one meter?

To convert one meter to parsecs, we divide by the conversion factor:

1 m / (3.0857 × 10^¹⁶ m/pc) = 3.24078 × 10^^-17 pc

• How many parsecs are in one mile?

To convert one mile to parsecs, we divide by the conversion factor:

1 mi / (1.9174 × 10^¹³ mi/pc) = 5.21553 × 10^^-14 pc

• How many parsecs are in one astronomical unit?

To convert one astronomical unit to parsecs, we divide by the conversion factor:

1 au / (2.06265 × 10^⁵ au/pc) = 4.84814 × 10^^-6 pc

• How many parsecs are in one light-year?

To convert one light-year to parsecs, we divide by the conversion factor:

1 ly / (3.26156 ly/pc) = 0.306601 pc

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.