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To convert from Centimeter (cm) to US Survey Foot (ft-us), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Foot (ft) and Meter (m).
Let's convert 5 Centimeter (cm) to US Survey Foot (ft-us).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 Centimeter (cm) is equal to US Survey Foot (ft-us).
Here are some quick reference conversions from Centimeter (cm) to US Survey Foot (ft-us):
| Centimeters | US Survey Feet |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 cm | ft-us |
| 0.001 cm | ft-us |
| 0.1 cm | ft-us |
| 1 cm | ft-us |
| 2 cm | ft-us |
| 3 cm | ft-us |
| 4 cm | ft-us |
| 5 cm | ft-us |
| 6 cm | ft-us |
| 7 cm | ft-us |
| 8 cm | ft-us |
| 9 cm | ft-us |
| 10 cm | ft-us |
| 20 cm | ft-us |
| 30 cm | ft-us |
| 40 cm | ft-us |
| 50 cm | ft-us |
| 100 cm | ft-us |
| 1000 cm | ft-us |
| 10000 cm | ft-us |
For all Length converters, choose units using the From/To dropdowns above.
A centimeter (cm) is a unit of length in the metric system.
It is equal to one hundredth of a meter (0.01 m). The plural form is centimeters.
One of the most crucial facts about the centimeter is its relationship with the inch.
There are exactly 2.54 centimeters in one inch.
This precise conversion factor is essential for global trade, engineering, and daily life. It enables easy and accurate translation between the metric system (used by most of the world) and the imperial system (still used in countries such as the United States).
Gaining a clear understanding of this cm to inch conversion is essential for various tasks, including purchasing clothing and international manufacturing.
The centimeter is a cornerstone of the Centimeter-Gram-Second (CGS) system of units.
This system was an essential precursor to the modern International System of Units (SI).
In the CGS system, the centimeter was the base unit of length, the gram the base unit of mass, and the second the base unit of time.
While less common today, it's still widely used in specific fields of physics, such as astrophysics, for calculating other vital units like force and energy.
To understand how big a centimeter is, it helps to use common items as a useful mental benchmark. This is great for estimating its length without a ruler.
A centimeter is approximately the same width as:
The US Survey Foot is a unit of length historically used for land surveying in the United States.
It is very close in length to the international foot, equaling approximately 1.000002 international feet (ft). The plural form is US Survey Feet.
The origin of the US Survey Foot dates back to the Mendenhall Order of 1893. This order defined the relationship between the meter and US customary units.
It established that 1 meter is precisely equal to 39.37 inches. From this relationship, the US Survey Foot was derived, defined as 1200/3937 meters.
This definition differs slightly from the international foot, which was established in 1959 and is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters.
To simplify measurements and prevent confusion, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) made a critical change.
They officially retired the U.S. Survey Foot on December 31, 2022.
Surveying and mapping applications in the United States will now use the international foot. This critical change helps unify the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) and prevents costly errors in large-scale projects.
While the difference between a US Survey Foot and an international foot is minuscule—only about two parts per million—it becomes significant over large distances.
For every mile, the discrepancy adds up to approximately 1/8 inch.
This minor error may not be significant for a backyard fence. However, for massive construction projects and infrastructure development, such as bridges that cross state lines, the accumulated error can lead to severe misalignments and costly mistakes.