m

What is a Meter?

Length Unit

Definition

The meter is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second.

Popular Meter Conversions

Most common conversions from Meters

1 m = 0.001 km Meter to Kilometers 1 m = 100 cm Meter to Centimeters 1 m = 1,000 mm Meter to Millimeters 1 m = 0.0006213712 mi Meter to Miles 1 m = 1.0936 yd Meter to Yards 1 m = 3.2808 ft Meter to Feet

History

The meter was originally defined in 1793 during the French Revolution as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole. It has been redefined several times, with the current definition based on the speed of light adopted in 1983.

Common Uses

  • Scientific measurements worldwide
  • Construction and engineering
  • Athletic track and field events
  • Everyday measurements in most countries

Fun Facts

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The word 'meter' comes from the Greek word 'metron' meaning 'measure'

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A meter is approximately the length of a long stride for an adult

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The meter is used by every country except the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar for everyday measurements

All Meter Conversions

Meters to Kilometers m → km Meters to Centimeters m → cm Meters to Millimeters m → mm Meters to Miles m → mi Meters to Yards m → yd Meters to Feet m → ft Meters to Inches m → in Meters to Nautical Miles m → nmi Meters to Micrometers m → μm Meters to Nanometers m → nm Meters to Light Years m → ly

Related Units

km Kilometer cm Centimeter mm Millimeter ft Foot yd Yard