Ten centimeters are in one decimeter.
A decimeter is a unit for measuring length that is one tenth of a meter, and that equals ten centimeters, so if you picture a ruler marked in centimeters a decimeter would span from the zero mark to the ten mark. Think of a decimeter as a short stick made of ten one-centimeter blocks lined up end to end; each centimeter is one small piece and ten of those pieces make the longer decimeter. When you convert between meters and centimeters remember that one meter equals one hundred centimeters, so moving the decimal point or counting by tens helps you see why a decimeter sits between a centimeter and a meter. Measuring something that is about the length of your hand often takes about one decimeter, which makes this size easier to imagine.
Students often confuse decimeters with centimeters and try to count one hundred instead of ten, so remember that deci means one tenth which gives you the smaller tenfold relation; if you forget, just ask how many tenths fit into one whole meter. Another common mistake is thinking the prefix centi means ten instead of one hundred, so practice by remembering that centi gives you one hundred parts in a meter and deci gives you ten parts. If you get stuck, draw a meter as one long line and divide it into ten equal parts labeled decimeters and then divide one of those parts into ten smaller parts labeled centimeters so you can see the sizes.
Visit www.gumballdegree.com to find more videos and resources on metric units and conversions.
Decimeter to Centimeter Conversion Guide
- Decimeter equals ten centimeters
- Picture a ruler to visualize
- Think of ten 1 cm blocks
- One meter equals 100 centimeters
- Move decimal or count by tens
- Hand-length approximates one decimeter
Common Metric Mistakes and Fixes
- Confusing decimeters with centimeters
- Thinking centi means ten
- Not visualizing meter and subdivisions
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