Chains to Yards
Converter

Conversion Table

How to convert

1 chain (ch) = 22 yard (yd). Chain (ch) is a unit of Length used in Standard system. Yard (yd) 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.

Yard: A Unit of Length

A yard is a unit of length that is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches in the imperial and U.S. customary systems of measurement. It is also equal to 0.9144 meter in the International System of Units (SI). A distance of 1,760 yards is equal to 1 mile. The symbol for yard is yd.

How to Convert Yard

To convert a yard to other units of length, you can use the following formulas:

• To convert a yard to feet, multiply by 3. For example, 5 yd = 5 x 3 ft = 15 ft.
• To convert a yard to inches, multiply by 36. For example, 5 yd = 5 x 36 in = 180 in.
• To convert a yard to meters, multiply by 0.9144. For example, 5 yd = 5 x 0.9144 m = 4.572 m.
• To convert a yard to centimeters, multiply by 91.44. For example, 5 yd = 5 x 91.44 cm = 457.2 cm.
• To convert a yard to millimeters, multiply by 914.4. For example, 5 yd = 5 x 914.4 mm = 4572 mm.
• To convert a yard to kilometers, divide by 1093.6133. For example, 5 yd = 5 / 1093.6133 km = 0.00457 km.

Where Yard is Used

The yard is mainly used in the United States, the United Kingdom and some other countries that have historical ties with them. It is used for measuring length, distance, area and volume in various contexts such as:

• Sports: The yard is used for measuring the length of a football field (100 yd), the width of a soccer field (70 yd), the height of a basketball hoop (10 ft or 3.33 yd) and the distance between bases in baseball (90 ft or 30 yd).
• Textiles: The yard is used for measuring the length of fabrics and yarns (e.g., a yard of cloth, a skein of yarn).
• Construction: The yard is used for measuring the dimensions of buildings and structures (e.g., a yardstick, a cubic yard of concrete).
• Transportation: The yard is used for measuring the speed and distance of vehicles (e.g., miles per hour, yards per second).

Definition of the Yard

The current definition of the yard was established by an international agreement in 1959 as exactly 0.9144 meter. This definition was based on a prototype bronze bar that was forged in 1855 as an exact copy of the British Imperial Standard Yard held by Parliament. The prototype bar was called Bronze Yard No.11 and was the official standard of length for the United States until 1892.

The yard is defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of

(1/299792458) × (3600/3937)

History of the Yard

The origin of the yard measure is uncertain. It may have derived from the old English unit of tax assessment called the yardland, which was equal to 1/4 hide or about 30 acres. It may also have derived from the old English unit of surveying called the rod, which was equal to 1/4 chain or about 16 (1/2) feet.

The word “yard” comes from the old English word “gerd” or “gyrd”, which meant a branch, a staff or a measuring rod. The word “yard” was first used to describe this length in William Langland’s poem Piers Plowman in the late 14th century.

The first official standard for the yard was established by King Henry I of England in the early 12th century. He ordered that the yard should be equal to the length of his arm from the tip of his nose to the end of his thumb.

The yard was also used in other countries, such as Scotland, Ireland, France and Spain, with slight variations in length. For example, the Scottish yard was equal to 37 inches, the Irish yard was equal to 40 inches, the French yard was equal to 39.37 inches and the Spanish yard was equal to 32.38 inches.

The yard underwent several changes and refinements over the centuries, until it was finally standardized as 0.9144 meter in 1959 by an international agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Example Conversions of Yard to Other Units

Here are some example conversions of yard to other units of length:

• 1 yd = 3 ft
• 1 yd = 36 in
• 1 yd = 0.9144 m
• 1 yd = 91.44 cm
• 1 yd = 914.4 mm
• 1 yd = 1/1093.6133 km