Chains to Inches
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1 chain (ch) = 792 inch (in). Chain (ch) is a unit of Length used in Standard system. Inch (in) is a unit of Length used in Standard system.

Chain: A Unit of Length Used for Measuring Land

The chain is a unit of length that is equal to 66 feet or 22 yards or 4 rods or 100 links. It is part of the US customary and imperial measurement systems. It is used for measuring land, especially in surveying and mapping. The symbol for chain is ch. There are 10 chains in a furlong, and 80 chains in one statute mile. An acre is the area of 10 square chains. The unit is named after the chain, a measuring device that was invented by Edmund Gunter, a clergyman and mathematician, in the 17th century. The chain is also sometimes called a Gunter’s chain, a surveyor’s chain or a land chain. In this article, we will explore the definition, history, usage and conversion of the chain as a unit of length.

Definition of the Unit

The chain is a unit of length that is equal to 66 feet or 22 yards or 4 rods or 100 links. It is one of the base units in the US customary and imperial measurement systems, along with the foot, the yard and the mile. The chain is also a derived unit in the International System of Units (SI), which is the most widely used system of measurement in the world. The SI base unit of length is the meter, which is defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299792458 seconds.

The definition of the chain has not changed since its introduction by Edmund Gunter in 1620, who based it on an earlier English unit called an acre’s breadth, which was equal to one-tenth of a furlong or one-eightieth of a mile. However, the definition of the foot, which is used to define the chain, has changed several times over time, as different standards and methods of measurement were adopted by various countries and regions. The current definition of the foot as 0.3048 meter was agreed upon by an international treaty in 1959.

History of the Unit

The origin of the chain as a unit of length can be traced back to 1620, when Edmund Gunter created a measuring device called a chain. The chain was 66 feet long and consisted of 100 metal links connected by three rings each. The links were made of thick wire with a loop at each end. The chain had brass handles at each end for holding and folding. Gunter chose this unit because it was convenient for his work on surveying and mapping land. He also named this unit after himself, as he wrote in his book: "I have taken as unit for these measurements one hundredth part [of a furlong], which I will call an Chain".

Gunter’s unit was soon adopted by other surveyors and mapmakers, who found it useful for measuring distances and areas on flat or gently sloping land. The chain was also used for laying out roads, railways and canals. The chain became part of the US customary and imperial measurement systems, which were based on earlier English units that were brought by British settlers to America. The chain was also used in some other countries influenced by British practice, such as Canada and India.

In 1785, when the United States Congress passed the Land Ordinance Act to survey and divide the public land west of the Appalachian Mountains into rectangular townships and sections, the use of the chain as a unit of measurement was mandated by law. The act also defined the chain as equal to four rods or poles or perches. The surveyors who carried out this work were known as "chain bearers" or "chain carriers", and they marked each mile along their survey lines with wooden posts called "milestones".

In 1959, when the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries agreed to adopt a common definition of the foot as 0.3048 meter, based on the international yard that was defined as 0.9144 meter by an international treaty in 1959, the chain became exactly equal to 20.1168 meters.

Usage of the Unit

The chain is a unit of length that is used for measuring land, especially in surveying and mapping. The chain is also used for measuring distances on roads, railways and canals. The chain is still used in some rural areas and historical contexts in the United States, Canada and some other countries that follow the US customary or imperial measurement systems.

The chain is used for various purposes, such as:

• Measuring length, width and area of land parcels and properties.
• Measuring distances and dimensions on maps and plans.
• Measuring boundaries and borders between states, counties and townships.
• Measuring road widths and lengths.
• Measuring railway track gauges and lengths.
• Measuring canal widths and depths.

How to Convert

The chain can be converted to other units of length by using conversion factors or formulas. Here are some examples of how to convert chains to other units of length in the US customary system, the imperial system and the SI system:

• To convert chains to feet, multiply by 66. For example, 10 ch = 10 × 66 = 660 ft.
• To convert chains to yards, multiply by 22. For example, 10 ch = 10 × 22 = 220 yd.
• To convert chains to miles, divide by 80. For example, 10 ch = 10 / 80 = 0.125 mi.
• To convert chains to centimeters, multiply by 2011.68. For example, one ch = one × 2011.68 = 2011.68 cm.
• To convert chains to meters, multiply by 20.1168. For example, one ch = one × 20.1168 = 20.1168 m.
• To convert chains to kilometers, divide by 49.7097. For example, 10 ch = 10 / 49.7097 = 0.2012 km.

Equivalents in Other Units and Scales

The chain can be expressed in terms of other units of length by using equivalent values or ratios. Here are some examples of how to express chains in other units of length:

• One chain is equal to four rods or poles or perches.
• One chain is equal to one-tenth of a furlong or one-eightieth of a mile.
• One chain is equal to one-hundredth of a league or one-fortieth of a league (US).
• One chain is equal to one-hundred-millionth of an astronomical unit or one-forty-billionth of a light-year.
• One chain is equal to one-thousandth of a nautical mile or one-three-thousand-six-hundredth of a degree of latitude or longitude.

Inch: A Unit of Length Used in the US Customary System

Definition of Inch

The inch is a unit of length that is equal to 1/12 of a foot. It is defined as 25.4 millimeters. The foot is defined as 0.3048 meters.

The definition of the inch has changed over time, as different standards and methods of measurement were developed by various countries and organizations. The current definition of the inch as based on millimeters was agreed upon by an international treaty in 1959.

History of Inch

The origin of the inch as a unit of length can be traced back to ancient times, when it was used as a measure of length based on the human body. The word inch comes from the Latin word uncia, meaning one-twelfth. It referred to one-twelfth of a Roman foot, which was about 29.6 millimeters.

The inch was also used as a measure of length by other civilizations, such as the Anglo-Saxons, who used it as one-third of a palm or one-twenty-fourth of an ell. The Anglo-Saxon inch was about 25 millimeters.

The inch was adopted by other countries that followed the English system of measurement, such as the United States and Canada. It was also incorporated into the imperial system, which was established by an act of Parliament in 1824. The imperial system was based on seven base units that could be derived from natural and traditional units. The inch remained as a derived unit in the imperial system, but it was no longer recommended for use in scientific and technical fields.

Usage of Inch

The inch is a unit of length that is used for measuring short distances and dimensions, such as the length of a nail or the width of a finger.

The inch is commonly used in everyday life, especially in countries that follow the US customary system. Some examples are:

• Measuring the size and shape of objects and tools.
• Measuring the height and weight of people and animals.
• Measuring the distance and time between places and events.
• Measuring clothing sizes and shoe sizes.

The inch is also used in some scientific and technical fields, such as:

• Measuring the diameter and circumference of circles and spheres.
• Measuring the thickness and density of materials.
• Measuring the pressure and temperature of gases and liquids.

How to Convert Inch to Other Units of Length in the US Customary System

To convert inch to other units of length in the US customary system, we need to know the relationship between inch and other units. Here are some common units and their equivalent values in inches:

• 1 foot = 12 inches
• 1 yard = 36 inches
• 1 mile = 63,360 inches
• 1 mil = 0.001 inch

To convert inch to any of these units, we need to multiply or divide by the appropriate factor. For example, to convert 10 inches to feet, we need to divide by 12:

10 inches / 12 = 0.833 feet

To convert 10 inches to miles, we need to divide by 63,360:

10 inches / 63,360 = 0.000158 miles

To convert 10 inches to mils, we need to multiply by 1000:

10 inches x 1000 = 10,000 mils

How to Convert Inch to Other Units of Length in the SI System

To convert inch to other units of length in the SI system, we need to know the relationship between inch and meter. One inch is equal to 0.0254 meters.

To convert inch to any other unit of length in the SI system, we need to multiply or divide by the appropriate power of ten and add a prefix. Here are some common units and their equivalent values in inches:

• 1 centimeter = 0.39370079 inches
• 1 millimeter = 0.039370079 inches
• 1 micrometer = 3.9370079 x 10^-5 inches

To convert inch to any of these units, we need to multiply by the appropriate factor and add a prefix. For example, to convert 10 inches to centimeters, we need to multiply by 2.54:

10 inches x 2.54 = 25.4 centimeters