42 inches to centimeters
106.68 cm
42 in = 106.68 cm, or 3 ft 6 in.
centimeters
106.68cm
42 in = 106.68 cm
The short answer
How many centimeters is 42 inches?
42 in = 106.68 cm, which reads as 3 ft 6 in. 1 inch = 2.540000 centimeters, so the working is 42 × 2.540000 = 106.68.
The working
The factor below is an exact definition rather than a measurement, so nothing is approximated in the arithmetic. The only rounding on this page happens where a number is displayed.
1 inch = 2.540000 centimeters 42 × 2.540000 = 106.68
42 inches as 3 ft 6 in
A decimal is the right form for a spreadsheet and the wrong one for almost everything else. Split into whole units, 42 in is 3 ft 6 in — the reading you would actually give someone, and the one a tape measure, a scale, or a timetable is marked in.
How much precision do you need?
Each row is the same answer cut at a different number of decimals, with what that choice costs you. Pick the shortest row whose error is smaller than whatever you are measuring with.
| Rounded to | Answer (cm) | Off by |
|---|---|---|
| Whole number | 107 | +0.32000 |
| 1 decimal | 106.7 | +0.02000 |
| 2 decimals | 106.68 | exact |
Round trip: take 106.68 cm back the other way and you land on 42.0000 in — a drift of 0.0000 in. That gap is the rounding, not the conversion.
Frequently asked questions
What is 42 inches in centimeters?
42 inches is 106.68 centimeters. 1 inch = 2.540000 centimeters, so the working is 42 × 2.540000 = 106.68.
What is 42 inches written out in whole units?
3 ft 6 in. A decimal answer such as 106.68 cm is the right shape for a form field or a spreadsheet, but the compound form is what a tape measure, a scale, or a schedule actually reads.
How accurate is 106.68 cm?
Rounding to 106.68 cm and converting straight back gives 42.0000 in, a drift of 0.0000 in from the 42 you started with. The factor itself is exact; every bit of that difference comes from the rounding, not the conversion.
Nearby values
Any value at all
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