Convert Circular Mils to Square Centimeters
Convert Circular Mils (cmil) to Square Centimeters (cm²) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
cm² = cmil × 5.067074791e-6
About Circular Mils
A circular mil (cmil) is a unit used in electrical engineering to specify the cross-sectional area of round wires and cables. Equal to the area of a circle with a diameter of exactly one thou (one thousandth of an inch) - approximately 5.067 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² - it simplifies wire calculations: the cross-sectional area in cmil equals the wire diameter in mils, squared. US electrical codes (NEC/NEMA) specify conductor sizes in circular mils, and large cables are rated in thousands of circular mils (kcmil or MCM). A 12 AWG wire, common in US household wiring, has a cross-section of 6,530 cmil.
About Square Centimeters
A square centimeter (cm²) is a metric unit of area equal to a square with sides of one centimeter (10 mm × 10 mm). It is widely used for measuring moderate-sized surfaces like postage stamps, credit cards, or smartphone screens. A standard credit card has an area of about 46 cm². This unit is common in everyday crafts, school science, and smaller construction projects where precision matters but square meters would be too large.
Quick Reference Table
| Circular Mils (cmil) | Square Centimeters (cm²) |
|---|---|
| 1 cmil | 5.067 × 10-6 cm² |
| 2 cmil | 1.013 × 10-5 cm² |
| 5 cmil | 2.534 × 10-5 cm² |
| 10 cmil | 5.067 × 10-5 cm² |
| 25 cmil | 0.000126677 cm² |
| 50 cmil | 0.000253354 cm² |
| 100 cmil | 0.000506707 cm² |