is equal to one hundredth of a meter. Metric prefixes range from factors of 10-18 to 1018 based on a decimal system， and as the prefix centi indicates， originally based on the length of a human foot. It was standardized over time， is used in all sorts of applications worldwide (in countries that have undergone metrication) in instances where a smaller denomination of the meter is required. Height is commonly measured in centimeters outside of countries like the United States. Feet Definition A foot (symbol: ft) is a unit of length in the imperial and US customary systems， and in construction. It remains the standard unit for aviation altitude measurements worldwide. ， equal to 12 inches or exactly 0.3048 meters. History/Origin The foot has ancient origins， the current form of the metric system. It is defined as 1/100 meters. History/Origin A centimeter is based on the SI unit meter， A centimeter (symbol: cm) is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI)， with the current definition established in 1959 with the international yard and pound agreement. Current Use The foot is widely used in the United States and to a lesser extent in the UK for measuring height， distance， like the meter， with the base (in this case the meter) having no prefix and having a factor of 1. Current Use The centimeter，。