How to Convert Inches to Centimeters

There are many inches (“) to centimeters (cm) converters available online, all of which claim that 1 inch = 2.54 cm . Your teacher will ask you to explain the calculation. Fortunately, converting inches to centimeters using algebraic steps and then dropping the appropriate units is simple. If the original data is in inches, you just need to replace the value in the space in the simple formula below and do the calculation.See step 1 below to get started.

Table of Contents

Convert with simple math

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Write down the length value in inches. Use the given value (such as the information in a problem statement) or use a ruler/tape measure to measure the length you want to convert.

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Multiply the length value by 2.54. One inch is approximately 2.54 centimeters, so to convert inches to centimeters, you need to multiply the inch value by 2.54.

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Assign the unit for the new value to be centimeters. Don’t forget to record the correct units for the new value. For school assignments, if you forget or conclude the wrong unit, the teacher may deduct points, or even mark them as wrong.

Convert with detailed explanation

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You need to make sure that the original measurement is in inches. It sounds obvious, but it’s important to remember, especially when converting a combination of feet (ft) and inches (usually represented by apostrophes, e.g. 6’2″) Remember: in composite measurements (like the last example), the number represented by apostrophes is feet , which gives 1 foot = 12 inches.

To convert 6’2″ to cm, we need to multiply 6 feet by 12 inches to make 72 inches. Then take 72 inches plus the 2 available inches to get the final value of 74 inches .

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Substitute the value (inches) in the following inch-to-centimeter conversion factor:

____ in

*

2.54 cm
1 ~~inch~~

=

? cm

This conversion factor will help you find the correct answer in centimeters and meet most “presentation” requirements (if you are a student). Just replace the inch value in the blank at the beginning of the conversion factor and do the multiplication.

This formula will also get you the correct units . Note: the “inch” in the denominator will be reduced by the “inch” of the value you substitute, the final answer will only be “cm” in the numerator of the formula.
Try substituting 74 inches in the conversion factor.
- (74 inches × 2.54 cm)/(1 inch)
- (187.96 inches × cm)/(1 inch)
- Remove the “inches” since they appear twice in both the numerator and the denominator, so we are left with a final answer of 187.96 cm .

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Use a calculator if you don’t need to prove the solution. If you are not interested in presenting the solution for learning purposes, all you need to do to convert inches to centimeters is multiply the inch value by 2.54 on your calculator. Basically the process is similar to the above formula and you will also get the same result in cm.

For example, to convert 6 inches to centimeters, we only need to calculate 6 × 2.54 = 15.24 cm .

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If a quick calculation is required, round the conversion factor to a more easily calculated value. If you don’t have a calculator at hand, you can still convert inches to centimeters using the “rounding” conversion factor for easier mental multiplication. Instead of using the exact conversion factor of 2.54 cm/1 inch, round to 2.5 cm/1 inch. Note: with this calculation, the final answer will be slightly different, so you should only apply it in cases where accuracy is not needed.

For example, let’s convert 31 inches to centimeters using the quick calculation method:
- 2.5 × 30 = 75. 2.5 × 1 = 2.5
- 75 + 2.5 = 77.5 cm .
- Note: if you use the exact conversion factor of 2.54 centimeters/1 inch, the answer will be 78.74 cm . These two answers have a difference of 1.24 cm (about 1.5%).

Advice

1 inch = 2.5399999 cm, so 2.54 cm = 1 inch is very accurate because:
- As a scale, 1 cm = 0.39370079 inches or “1 cm / 0.39370079 inches”, which approximates 4/10 inches = 1 cm.

Steps

Convert with simple math

Convert with detailed explanation

Advice

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