How Big Is 1 Centimeter?

1 centimeter (cm) is a unit of length in the metric system. Here’s a clear idea of its size:

• 1 cm = 0.01 meters (one hundredth of a meter)
• 1 cm ≈ 0.3937 inches (just under half an inch)

Everyday Examples of 1 cm:

• The width of a standard pencil lead is about 1 cm.
• The thickness of a standard credit card is roughly 0.76 cm, so 1 cm is just a bit thicker.
• The diameter of a small button on a shirt is often close to 1 cm.

If you want to visualize it, 1 cm is about the length of the tip of your fingernail. Would you like a comparison with other units or objects?