Decimetre
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The decimetre (symbol: dm) is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). One decimetre equals one tenth of a metre, or 0.1 metres, equivalent to 10 centimetres.
The name comprises the prefix 'deci-', meaning one tenth (10⁻¹), and the word 'metre'. Consequently, one metre contains ten decimetres.
Conversion of units
1 dm = 0.1 m = 10 cm = 100 mm. Alternatively, 1 m = 10 dm, and 1 km equals 10,000 dm.
Derived units
The square decimetre (dm²) has an area of 0.01 square metres. The cubic decimetre (dm³) equals one litre, the most common application of the decimetre, since the litre is defined as the volume of a cube with each side measuring one decimetre.
Usage
The decimetre is not commonly used in daily measurements when compared to the centimetre and metre. It appears mainly in mathematics and science education, where it serves to illustrate decimal prefixes. Some industrial and volume measurement applications also use the cubic decimetre.