Definition:Centimetre/Historical Note

Historical Note on Centimetre

The centimetre was initially defined as:

$10^{-9}$ the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole at sea level

that is:

$\frac 1 {100}$ the length of a metre.

Its importance as one of the base units of the CGS system has waned, as the MKS system has supplanted it in importance.