Convert Square Chain (ch²) to Square Centimeter (cm²) instantly.
About these units
Square Chain (ch²)
A square chain equals the area of a square one chain (~66 feet) per side, resulting in 4,356 square feet, or exactly 1/10 of an acre. This unit is closely linked to the chain, a surveyor's unit standardized by Edmund Gunter in the 17th century. Because 10 square chains make an acre, survey calculations for early colonial and American lands were extremely efficient. Square chains allowed surveyors to map and divide land rapidly using ropes or metal chains, producing a legacy seen in long, straight property lines still visible today across rural landscapes.
Square Centimeter (cm²)
A square centimeter is the area of a square 1 cm per side. It is widely used in medicine, biology, and materials science because it provides a practical scale for human-sized and laboratory-sized areas. Dermatologists measure wound sizes in cm², biologists quantify cell culture plates in cm², and materials engineers specify surface treatments, coatings, and cross-sections using this unit. The cm² offers an intuitive middle ground between mm² (too small for many biological phenomena) and m² (too large for typical laboratory work), making it a universal unit in the sciences.