Ruler — Object Measuring 2 cm — free printable diagram

How long is 2 cm?

The object in this illustration measures 2 centimetres. It starts at the 0 mark on the ruler and ends at 2, so its length is 2 cm — which is the same as 20 millimetres, or about 0.79 in.

Centimetres

2 cm

Millimetres

20 mm

Metres

0.02 m

Inches

≈0.79 in

• Measure from the 0 mark, not from the end of the ruler. Most rulers have a small margin before the scale begins, and starting there is the commonest source of a wrong answer.
• Each numbered mark is 1 centimetre and each small mark between them is 1 millimetre, so 10 mm = 1 cm and 2 cm = 20 mm.
• To convert centimetres to millimetres, multiply by 10: 2 × 10 = 20 mm. To go the other way, divide by 10.
• To convert centimetres to metres, divide by 100: 2 ÷ 100 = 0.02 m.
• One inch is exactly 2.54 cm, so 2 cm ÷ 2.54 is about 0.79 in.