Convert feet to meters

Foot

Overview
A foot (symbol: ft) is a length unit in the Imperial and U.S. customary systems. Since 1959, it’s defined as exactly 0.3048 meters. Each foot comprises 12 inches, and three feet make a yard.

Origins
Historically, many cultures—Greek, Roman, English, Chinese, French—used variations of the “foot” based on body measurements, ranging roughly from 250 mm to 335 mm. In 1959, these disparate values were unified into the modern international foot of exactly 304.8 mm.

Modern Use
Feet remain standard in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. for measuring height, room dimensions, field lengths, and aviation altitudes. In these regions you’ll hear travel distances, building plans, and personal heights expressed in feet and inches.

Meter

Overview
A meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length, defined as the distance light travels in 1/299 792 458 second. This constant-based definition replaced earlier Earth- and artifact-based standards, ensuring universal precision.

Origins

• 1793: One ten-millionth of the Earth’s quadrant (Equator → North Pole)

• 1889: Length of a platinum-iridium bar at 0 °C

• 1960: Specified number of krypton-86 wavelengths

• 1983–2019: Tied directly to the speed of light

Modern Use
Meters are used worldwide—for scientific research, engineering, construction, and everyday measurements of distance and height. In the U.S., customary units persist in daily life, but meters dominate in science and international trade.

Foot → Meter Conversion Table

How to Convert

• 1 ft = 0.3048 m

• 1 m = 3.28084 ft

Example

Convert 15 ft to meters:

15 ft × 0.3048 m/ft = 4.572 m