Meter Converter

About Meters (m)

The meter (symbol: m) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as the length of the path travelled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second. This definition was adopted in 1983, making the speed of light in a vacuum exactly 299,792,458 meters per second.

The concept of the meter originated in France during the 18th century. Early definitions were based on the Earth's meridian (one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole). Later, a physical prototype bar made of platinum-iridium alloy served as the standard. The current definition, based on a fundamental constant of nature (the speed of light), ensures greater precision and reproducibility.

Meters are the standard unit of length for most applications worldwide, including:

• Scientific research, engineering, and manufacturing.
• Construction and architecture.
• Everyday measurements of height, distance, and dimensions (e.g., room size, fabric length).
• Sporting events (e.g., 100-meter dash, swimming pool lengths).
• Geographic measurements, often expressed as kilometers (km).

The meter is used with SI prefixes to denote multiples and submultiples:

• 1 kilometer (km) = 1,000 meters
• 1 hectometer (hm) = 100 meters
• 1 dekameter (dam) = 10 meters
• 1 meter (m) = 10 decimeters (dm)
• 1 meter (m) = 100 centimeters (cm)
• 1 meter (m) = 1,000 millimeters (mm)
• 1 meter (m) = 1,000,000 micrometers (µm or microns)

Some approximate imperial equivalents:

• 1 meter ≈ 3.28084 feet
• 1 meter ≈ 39.3701 inches
• 1 meter ≈ 1.09361 yards
• 1 kilometer ≈ 0.62137 miles

To help visualize a meter:

• The height of a standard doorknob is often about 1 meter from the floor.
• The width of a typical interior doorway is often slightly less than 1 meter.
• Many adult humans are between 1.5 and 2 meters tall.
• A standard guitar is approximately 1 meter long.
• A brisk walking step for an adult can be around 0.75 to 1 meter.