The conversion of 1 foot (ft) to centimeters (cm) results in exactly 30.48 cm. This means that one foot equals thirty point four eight centimeters.
Since 1 foot is defined as 12 inches and 1 inch is equal to 2.54 centimeters, multiplying 12 inches by 2.54 gives the total centimeters in a foot, which is 30.48 cm. This conversion factor helps translate measurements from imperial to metric units accurately.
Conversion Result
1 ft is equal to 30.48 cm.
Conversion Tool
Result in cm:
Conversion Formula
The formula to convert feet to centimeters is: centimeters = feet × 30.48. Because 1 foot contains exactly 12 inches and each inch equals 2.54 centimeters, multiplying the number of feet by 30.48 (which is 12×2.54) gives the length in centimeters. For example, 2 ft: 2 × 30.48 = 60.96 cm.
Conversion Example
- Convert 3 ft to cm:
- Step 1: Take the number of feet (3).
- Step 2: Multiply by 30.48 (conversion factor).
- Step 3: 3 × 30.48 = 91.44 cm.
- Convert 0.5 ft to cm:
- Step 1: Take 0.5 as feet.
- Step 2: Multiply 0.5 by 30.48.
- Step 3: 0.5 × 30.48 = 15.24 cm.
- Convert 10 ft to cm:
- Step 1: Take 10 feet.
- Step 2: Multiply by 30.48.
- Step 3: 10 × 30.48 = 304.8 cm.
Conversion Chart
| Feet (ft) | Centimeters (cm) |
|---|---|
| -24.0 | -731.52 |
| -20.0 | -609.6 |
| -15.0 | -457.2 |
| -10.0 | -304.8 |
| -5.0 | -152.4 |
| 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1.0 | 30.48 |
| 5.0 | 152.4 |
| 10.0 | 304.8 |
| 15.0 | 457.2 |
| 20.0 | 609.6 |
| 25.0 | 762.0 |
| 26.0 | 789.84 |
This chart shows selected feet measurements and their corresponding centimeters values. Use it to quickly estimate conversions without calculator or to check calculations visually.
Related Conversion Questions
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- Is 1 foot the same as 30.48 centimeters in different measurement systems?
Conversion Definitions
“ft” is a unit of length in the imperial system, used mainly in the United States and UK, equal to 12 inches or approximately 0.3048 meters, commonly used for measuring height, distance, or length in various applications.
“cm” stands for centimeters, a metric unit of length equal to one-hundredth of a meter, widely used for measuring small objects, dimensions, or distances in scientific, medical, and everyday measurements worldwide.
Conversion FAQs
Why is 1 foot equal to 30.48 centimeters?
This is because the foot is historically based on human body measurements but was standardized to exactly 12 inches, and each inch was defined as 2.54 centimeters, leading to the exact conversion factor of 30.48 cm per foot.
Can I use a rough estimate to convert feet to centimeters?
Yes, a quick approximation is to multiply feet by 30, which gives a close estimate, though for precise measurements, using the exact factor 30.48 is recommended to avoid errors in critical applications.
How does knowing the conversion from ft to cm help in international projects?
Understanding the conversion helps ensure measurements match across systems, especially when working with metric countries, avoiding mistakes in dimensions, and enabling accurate planning regardless of measurement standards used locally.
Is the conversion factor of 30.48 consistent everywhere?
Yes, because it is an internationally accepted standard based on precise definitions of inches and feet, so it remains consistent in all contexts where the imperial measurement system is used.