Metre - Equivalents in Other Units

Equivalents in Other Units

Metric unit expressed in non-SI units				Non-SI unit expressed in metric units
1 metre	≈	1.0936	yards	1 yard	≡	0.9144	metres
1 metre	≈	39.370	inches	1 inch	≡	0.0254	metres
1 centimetre	≈	0.39370	inch	1 inch	≡	2.54	centimetres
1 millimetre	≈	0.039370	inch	1 inch	≡	25.4	millimetres
1 metre	≡	1×1010	ångström	1 ångström	≡	1×10−10	metre
1 nanometre	≡	10	ångström	1 ångström	≡	100	picometres

Within this table, "inch" and "yard" mean "international inch" and "international yard", respectively, though approximate conversions in the left-hand column hold for both international and survey units.

"≈" means "is approximately equal to";

"≡" means "equal by definition" or "is exactly equal to."

One metre is exactly equivalent to 10,000⁄₂₅₄ inches and to 10,000⁄_9,144 yards.

A simple mnemonic aid exists to assist with conversion, as three "3":

1 metre is nearly equivalent to 3 feet–3 3⁄₈ inches. This gives an overestimate of 0.125 mm.

The ancient Egyptian cubit was about 1⁄₂ m (surviving rods are 52.3–52.9 cm.) Scottish and English definitions of ell (two cubits) were 0.941 m and 1.143 m, respectively. The ancient Paris toise (fathom) was slightly shorter than 2 m, and was standardized at exactly 2 m in the mesures usuelles system, such that 1 m was exactly 1⁄₂ toise. The Russian versta was 1.0668 km. The Swedish mil was 10.688 km, but was changed to 10 km when Sweden converted to metric units.

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