How to Determine How Tall Someone Is in Centimeters

The modern metric system is also known as The International System of Units. The system revolves around base units, such as the meter, and is broken down into units of 10. Because most of the world uses the metric system (the U.S. is an exception), you may need to know how to convert inches to centimeters.

Instructions

• 1

  Measure the person's height. Have him remove hair ornaments and shoes, and let his hair down. The wall must be flat and not have any molding. The person should stand up straight, with his back, buttocks, and heels against the wall. His eyes should look straight ahead. Use a flat, hard object, such as a book, to form a right angle with the wall. Mark where the top of the person's head rests. Use a tape measure to measure from the floor to the mark.

• 2

  Convert imperial standard measurements to metric. One inch is equal to 2.54 centimeters. If you know the person is 64 inches, simply multiply 64 by 2.54 to get the number of inches. In this case, the person is 162.56 centimeters. If you know his height in feet and inches, first convert that number to inches. There are 12 inches in every foot, so a person who is 5 feet and 4 inches is 64 inches. Use the metric-to-standard calculator located in the resources section if this is easier for you.

• 3

  Convert meters to centimeters. One centimeter is one hundredth of a meter; there are 100 centimeters in one meter. If you know the person is 1.4 meters tall, simply multiply the number of meters by 100. So a person who is 1.4 meters tall is 140 centimeters.