Ruler — Object Measuring 5 cm — free printable diagram

How long is 5 cm?

The object in this illustration measures 5 centimetres. It starts at the 0 mark on the ruler and ends at 5, so its length is 5 cm — which is the same as 50 millimetres, or about 1.97 in.

Centimetres

5 cm

Millimetres

50 mm

Metres

0.05 m

Inches

≈1.97 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 5 cm = 50 mm.
• To convert centimetres to millimetres, multiply by 10: 5 × 10 = 50 mm. To go the other way, divide by 10.
• To convert centimetres to metres, divide by 100: 5 ÷ 100 = 0.05 m.
• One inch is exactly 2.54 cm, so 5 cm ÷ 2.54 is about 1.97 in.