Chains to Miles
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1 chain (ch) = 0.0125 mile (mi). Chain (ch) is a unit of Length used in Standard system. Mile (mi) 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.

Mile: A Unit of Length

The mile is a unit of length that is equal to 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards. It is based on the older English unit of length that was used before the adoption of the metric system. The mile is also a derived unit in the British imperial and US customary systems of measurement. The symbol for mile is mi or m.

The mile is most commonly used when expressing distances on land or in air travel. The mile is also used for measuring speed, such as miles per hour (mph). The mile is sometimes distinguished from other types of miles, such as the nautical mile or the geographical mile, by using the term statute mile.

In this article, we will explore the definition, history, usage and conversion of the mile as a unit of length.

Definition of the Mile

The mile is a unit of length that is equal to 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards. It is defined as 1,609.344 meters by international agreement in 1959. One foot is equal to 0.3048 meter and one yard is equal to 0.9144 meter.

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

History of the Mile

The origin of the mile as a unit of length can be traced back to ancient times, when it was used as a measure of distance based on the human pace. The word mile comes from the Latin word mille, which means thousand. It referred to the distance of one thousand paces, which was about 5,000 Roman feet or 1.48 kilometers.

The mile was adopted by other countries that followed the Roman system of measurement, such as England and France. It varied in length from country to country and from time to time, depending on local standards and methods of measurement.

The mile was standardized in England by an act of Parliament in 1593, which set it as a distance of 8 furlongs or 5,280 feet. A furlong was a measure of distance used for plowing fields and was equal to 660 feet or 40 rods. A rod was a measure of length used for surveying land and was equal to 16.5 feet or 5.5 yards.

The mile 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 of measurement, 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 mile remained as a derived unit in the imperial system, but it was no longer recommended for use in scientific and technical fields.

Usage of the Mile

The mile is a unit of length that is used for measuring distances on land or in air travel. For example:

• Measuring the distance between cities and towns.
• Measuring the length and width of roads and highways.
• Measuring the altitude and speed of airplanes and helicopters.
• Measuring the size and shape of land areas and features.

The mile is commonly used in everyday life, especially in countries that follow the British imperial or US customary systems of measurement. Some examples are:

• Measuring the height and weight of people and animals.
• Measuring the fuel efficiency and performance of vehicles.
• Measuring the speed limit and distance signs on roads.
• Measuring the distance covered by runners and cyclists.

The mile is also used for measuring speed, such as miles per hour (mph). This is a measure of how fast an object moves in relation to another object or point. For example:

• Measuring the speed of cars and trains.
• Measuring the wind speed and direction.
• Measuring the speed of sound and light.

Example Conversions of Mile to Other Units

The mile can be converted to other units of length by using different factors and formulas. Here are some examples of conversion for different types of units:

• To convert a mile to feet, multiply by 5,280:

1 mi x 5,280 = 5,280 ft

• To convert a mile to yards, multiply by 1,760:

1 mi x 1,760 = 1,760 yd

• To convert a mile to meters, multiply by 1,609.344:

1 mi x 1,609.344 = 1,609.344 m

• To convert a mile to kilometers, multiply by 1.609344:

1 mi x 1.609344 = 1.609344 km

• To convert a mile to nautical miles, divide by 1.150779:

1 mi / 1.150779 = 0.868976 nmi

• To convert a mile to geographical miles, divide by 0.869:

1 mi / 0.869 = 1.151 mi

• To convert a foot to miles, divide by 5,280:

1 ft / 5,280 = 0.000189 mi

• To convert a yard to miles, divide by 1,760:

1 yd / 1,760 = 0.000568 mi

• To convert a meter to miles, divide by 1,609.344:

1 m / 1,609.344 = 0.000621 mi

• To convert a kilometer to miles, divide by 1.609344:

1 km / 1.609344 = 0.621371 mi

• To convert a nautical mile to miles, multiply by 1.150779:

1 nmi x 1.150779 = 1.150779 mi

• To convert a geographical mile to miles, multiply by 0.869:

1 mi x 0.869 = 0.869 mi