How many kilometers is one mile. What is a nautical mile and what is the sea knot

Or adventures, in films about desperate sailors, in articles on a geographical theme and in conversation between sailors, the term “ nautical mile". It's time to figure out what the length in shipping is, and why sailors do not use the kilometers we are used to.

What is 1 nautical mile equal to?

Initially, this value corresponded to the length of 1/60 degree of the arc of a circle on the surface of the Earth with a center coinciding with the center of the planet. In other words, if we consider any meridian, then the nautical mile will be approximately equal to the length one minute latitude. Since it is somewhat different from the outlines of an ideal ball, the length of 1 minute of a degree of the considered meridian may differ slightly depending on latitude. This distance is greatest at the poles - 1861.6 m, and least of all at the equator - 1842.9 m. To avoid confusion, it was proposed to unify the length of the nautical mile. The length of 1 minute of a degree at 45º of latitude (1852.2 m) was taken as the basis. This definition has led to the fact that the nautical mile has become convenient for calculating navigational tasks. For example, if it is necessary to measure a distance of 20 miles on a map, then for this it will be enough to measure 20 arc minutes with a compass on any meridian plotted on the map.

Beginning in 1954, the international nautical mile (1852 m) was used in the United States. In practice, it is often rounded up to 1800 meters. The official designation of this unit was never adopted. Sometimes the abbreviation "nmi", "nm" or "NM" is encountered. By the way, "nm" is the generally accepted designation of the nanometer. 1/10 international nautical mile = 1 cable = 185.2 meters. And 3 miles equals 1 nautical league. In the UK, their own nautical mile, equal to 1853.184 m, was often used in the past. In 1929, an international conference was held in Monaco dedicated to various issues hydrography, on which the length of a nautical mile was determined at 1852.00 meters. Do not forget that a mile is not only sea, but also land. In this case, its length is 1.151 times less than the sea.

What is the relationship between a nautical mile and a knot?

The nautical mile, or, as it is sometimes called, geographical or navigational, has become widespread in geography, aviation and navigation. Closely related to it is the concept of the sea knot, which is used in shipping as the basic unit of speed. One knot is equal to one mile traveled per hour of the vessel's movement. The name "knot" is due to the fact that in the old days a lag was used on ships to measure speed. It was a log or a board in the shape of a triangle, to which the load was tied. A line (rope) was tied to this, on which knots were tied after a certain distance. The log was thrown overboard, after which, for a selected period of time (from 15 seconds to 1 minute), it was calculated how many knots would go into the water.

There is different versions about the distance between nodes. Some believe that it was 25 feet, and if one knot left in 15 seconds, then one nautical mile (100 feet / min) was obtained as a result. According to the second version, the knots were tied after 47 feet and 3 inches (14.4018 m), and the countdown was 28 seconds. In this case, one knot showed a speed of 101.25 fpm.

We hope that now you will not have difficulty in understanding maritime terminology, and miles with knots will become as clear as familiar kilometers.

On the territory of our country has been used for a long time metric system. She is recognized on international level and officially is a way of expressing various length units, masses, volume etc. Almost every unit has its own standard stored in Paris Chamber of Weights and Measures. And, it seems, no questions should arise. But if you often have to meet with foreign sources of information, technology and documentation (from Great Britain or USA), then you could not help but notice that these countries still use such units of measurement as inches, feet, miles . We are interested in the last point. Miles often found on the speedometers of cars that came to us from abroad. They are also mentioned in books and reference books devoted to navigation. At the same time, you might have heard that these are slightly different distance units. What - completely confused? We will try to tell you how many kilometers are in a mile.

All roads lead to Rome

There is a land mile and a sea mile

In the American mile 1km 609m, there is also a sea, Roman, geographical, German. By modern definition, an international nautical mile is equal to 1852 meters (exactly). Nautical miles, oddly enough, are also used in aviation. This measure of length came to us from antiquity and has many varieties and, as a result, values ​​- from 580 meters in an Egyptian mile to more than 11 kilometers in a Norwegian one.

Based on the length of the flight in British / American miles, an accounting unit of the same name has also arisen bonus programs airlines. Miles A mile is the most popular unit of length and is equal to 5280 feet (1760 yards or about 1609 meters). The use of the mile as a unit of measure is now common in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada.

Do you know why kilometers are good, and why, in fact, they have become the main unit of distance measurement? Yes, the decimal system played a role here, but there is another reason - the kilometer is the standard, while the mile can be different. The most common mile is 1609 meters, but if we are talking about nautical distances, then most likely we mean a nautical mile, which is already 1852 meters.

Literally, “mile” means one thousand “canes” (double steps). In BV, questions like “how many units of such and such will be in units of such and such” are often asked. 0.58 km and up to 11.3 km. In a nautical mile, there are 1852 of our earth meters. But there are other miles, the measures of which you can see in Eldena's answer.

Mile in different countries

That is, approximately 1609 meters are obtained. Here you can easily and very quickly convert miles to km and back online. For example, in some countries, miles and feet are used to measure distances. We are so accustomed to the metric system that the distance indicated in miles sometimes introduces ordinary person into a stupor.

In order not to bore the reader with the history of the origin of this unit of measurement, it is enough to say that it originated in the Roman Empire. Mainly used in English speaking countries and former British colonies. It is logical to assume that the reader is interested in a standard mile, but even here there are difficulties: there is both a land mile and a nautical mile.

When calculating offhand, you can simply multiply the number of miles by 1.5 - this is easier to calculate mentally, but the accuracy of such a calculation is extremely low. You will be surprised, but at the time when you ask "how many kilometers in one mile", people using the imperial system experience a similar helplessness with meters.

After all, just knowing how many kilometers are in one mile is not enough, you still need to remember exact value when required. Therefore, it does not hurt to practice a little in translating from one system to another. 1/250 of a square kilometer. MILE - (French mille, German Meile). MILE - (English mile), a unit of length, which was widespread in the nat. iemetric

You are currently converting distance from kilometers to miles

MI/LA and; and. [English] mile] 1. A unit of length, measuring distances, used in maritime affairs. The ship was moving at eight miles an hour. Sea m. (distance 1,853 kilometers). Thus, a movement of one nautical mile along the meridian roughly corresponds to a change geographical coordinates one minute latitude.

A measure of length used primarily in maritime affairs. Swim a few miles. Etymology: From English mile (← Latin milia passuum ‘thousand double Roman steps’). That's three feet, or 91.44 centimeters. Since the yard is only slightly short of the meter, if you do not need high accuracy, you can not even translate this metric unit.

Travel measure in Europe, having different size, in Russia = 7 versts. Thus, if you come across a value in feet, and you are more accustomed to being aware of it in meters. It is also possible that you have mastered the language of Shakespeare perfectly and read the English-language press in the original - in this case, it will also be useful to know what these quantities are.

distance in astronomy

However, in the vast majority of cases, a mile is understood as a British (or American) mile - 1609 meters 34 centimeters. So if now your child asks how tall Thumbelina was in Andersen's fairy tale, you can answer with accuracy.

Unit Converter Convert kilometer [km] mile

A word that is often used in crossword puzzles and is the answer to the question "English measure of area." But this is not a problem - just double your weight in kilograms and report it to the simulator. This is 1/16 of a pound, which is 28.35 grams. It is used in medicine for weighing preparations, as well as in perfumery. Look at the packaging of your perfume - you will surely find a designation like 3.3 fl. oz. - this is the designation of the mass (or, more precisely, volume) of perfume in ounces.

Every laptop has a conversion table. Sorry, the author, unsuccessfully chose the topic. And the boards, pipes - the whole supply to the work of the artisan, always measured in inches in Rush - Lord, who came up with all this! Cruise ship Celebrity Reflection at the port in Miami. Length is the largest measurement of the body. AT three-dimensional space length is usually measured horizontally.

The nautical mile was originally defined as the length of a great circle on the surface the globe one arc minute in size. A mile (from Latin milia passuum - a thousand double Roman steps) is a travel measure for measuring distance. First of all, let's find out how many kilometers in a nautical mile - exactly 1852 meters. It wasn't always like that. The simple question "how many kilometers are in one mile" is rather difficult to answer.

Despite the general desire of the countries of the world for standardization, to this day there are duplicate measurement systems. For example, in some countries, miles and feet are used to measure distances. We are so accustomed to the metric system that the distance indicated in miles sometimes puts the average person in a stupor. This article is intended to help anyone who is experiencing problems with the imperial system. So, how many kilometers are there in an American mile?

In order not to bore the reader with the history of the origin of this unit of measurement, it is enough to say that it originated in the Roman Empire. Used mainly in English-speaking countries and former British colonies. At one time even Russian empire almost completely switched to a similar system.

The simple question "how many kilometers are in one mile" is rather difficult to answer. Why? Because the meaning will be different in some countries and regions. It is logical to assume that the reader is interested in a standard mile, but even here there are difficulties: there is both a land mile and a nautical mile. It is not recommended to confuse them, because. for every 10 "erroneous" miles you get 2 kilometers difference - an unacceptable error even for everyday calculations.

First of all, let's find out how many kilometers in a nautical mile - exactly 1852 meters. It wasn't always like that. But we are only interested contemporary meaning. Oddly enough, they are also used in aviation. Such miles are designated "NM", in contrast to land miles - "M".

Now it remains to find out how many kilometers are in one mile. As you noticed, the definition of "land" is missed, because. if no definition is mentioned, the default is to assume that the measurement is in standard British-American miles. Such a mile is equal to 1609 meters (with a small error).

When calculating offhand, you can simply multiply the number of miles by 1.5 - this is easier to calculate verbally, but the accuracy of such a calculation is extremely low. This is useful when there is no time to count or there is no calculator at hand. For example, when reading a book, when the actual length does not matter. However, for more serious calculations, it is better to use exact values.

Moreover, the problem of translation is not one-sided. You will be surprised, but at the time when you ask "how many kilometers in one mile", people using the imperial system experience a similar helplessness with meters. It all depends on what system a person is used to using. Fortunately, in all complex instruments and documents, two scales are given for the convenience of users from different countries. In other cases, you will have to rely only on your own mathematical ability yes for memory. After all, just knowing how many kilometers are in one mile is not enough, you also need to remember the exact value when you need it. Therefore, it does not hurt to practice a little in translating from one system to another.

For at least a week, make it a point to convert all kilometers to miles wherever you see length mentioned. You will see, in a couple of days you will begin to carry out such calculations without hesitation.

Very often in English and American literature one can find not entirely clear metric units such as miles, feet, yards, inches - especially if the translator is too lazy to convert them into meters and kilograms that are convenient for our perception.

A mile (from Latin milia passuum - a thousand double Roman steps) is a travel measure for measuring distance.

1 mile = 1.609344 kilometers

The mile was used in a number of countries in antiquity, as well as in many modern countries before the introduction of the metric system of measures. In countries with a non-metric system of measures, the mile is still used today. The size of a mile is different in different countries and ranges from 0.58 km (Egypt) to 11.2 km (Old Bohemian mile).

  • Ancient Roman (milliatrius): 1 mile = 1.598 km (according to other sources 1.480 km)
  • Starorusskaya: 1 mile = 7 versts = 7.4676 km
  • British and American: 1 mile = 8 furlongs = 1.6093 km
  • Geographic (German): 1 mile = 1/15° equator = 7.420 km

Nautical mile- a unit of distance used in navigation and aviation.

The nautical mile was originally defined as the length of a great circle on the surface of the globe, measuring one minute of arc. Thus, a movement of one nautical mile along the meridian roughly corresponds to a change in geographic coordinates for one minute of latitude.

By modern definition, an international nautical mile is equal to 1852 meters (exactly).

International nautical mile = 10 cable

UK nautical mile = 1853.184 meters (until 1970).

The French had at least two miles - land and sea, and their dimensions were displayed as part of the length of the arc of the earth's meridian. How many kilometers in a land mile, calculated from 1/25 ° of the earth meridian, and this is 4444.4 meters, that is, almost 4.5 kilometers, similarly, a nautical mile, 1/20 ° of the earth meridian, and this is 5.555 km.

Milliatrius, she is the ancient Roman mile, equals 1.482 km. The old Russian mile was equal to seven versts, and now it is almost 7.5 kilometers, about the same value - 7420 meters is the German one mile. How many kilometers the Swedes and Norwegians equate to one mile is 10.668 km and 11.298 km respectively. True, after the adoption of the law on metric measures, both countries equated a mile to exactly ten kilometers.

How many kilometers in a mile are there now

Now there is a concept of two miles - nautical and land.

The nautical mile is equal to 1862 meters, the American land mile is equal to 1.609344 kilometers.

To calculate how many kilometers are in a mile, for an approximate value, simply multiply the number in miles by 1.6. That is, approximately 1609 meters are obtained. A nautical mile is also larger than a land mile and includes approximately 1,852 kilometers or 1,852 meters.

So, a car speed of 40 miles per hour would be approximately equal to the metric 65 kilometers per hour.

1 mile is equal to:

  • 1.609344 km;
  • 1609.344 m;
  • 16093.44 dm;
  • 1609344000 µm;
  • 63360 inch;
  • 1609344 mm;
  • 160934.4 cm;
  • 5280 ft;
  • 1760 yards;

Mile

This measure of length came to us from antiquity and has many varieties and, as a result, values ​​- from 580 meters in an Egyptian mile to more than 11 kilometers in a Norwegian one. However, in the vast majority of cases, a mile is understood as a British (or American) mile - 1609 meters 34 centimeters. So if in a text or a movie you come across a mention of the length in miles, and you need to roughly estimate how much it will be in kilometers, feel free to multiply by 1.5. However, it is also necessary to distinguish the nautical mile, which is used in navigation and aviation - it is slightly longer and is 1852 meters.

Inch

According to legend, the length of the upper phalanx of the thumb was taken as the basis of the inch. Of course, finger to finger is different, and therefore the generally accepted value is 2.54 centimeters. So if now your child asks how tall Thumbelina was in Andersen's fairy tale, you can answer with accuracy.

Foot

Since a foot is 12 inches, it is quite easy to calculate the value: 30.48 centimeters. Thus, if you come across a value in feet, and you are more accustomed to being aware of it in meters, then simply divide it by three. So, the old sea wish “fair wind and seven feet under the keel” meant that 2 meters 10 centimeters should be enough so that the ship does not hit the ground.

Yard

That's three feet, or 91.44 centimeters. Since the yard is only slightly short of the meter, then if you do not need high accuracy, you can not even translate this metric unit. And the name of the famous comedy with Bruce Willis "The Nine Yards" no longer seems like an incomprehensible set of letters. (However, in fairness, we note that the name is a phraseological unit and is translated as "everything to the end, without a trace").

Acre

A word that is often used in crossword puzzles and is the answer to the question "English measure of area." Indeed, by an acre, the ancient English meant a piece of land that a pair of bulls cultivates in a day. Equals an acre to exactly 4046.86 square meter, or approximately 1/250 of a square kilometer. You will not envy that pair of bulls, which will have to process a square kilometer of land - after all, they will have to work for eight whole months!

Lb

Not to be confused with foot! If a foot means distance, then a pound means the mass of an object. By the way, the pound sterling was originally a pound of silver coins, 453.6 grams, that is, almost half a kilo. Very often, modern exercise machines such as a bicycle or a treadmill offer to enter body weight before starting a session. Be careful, because if the simulator is made in England or the USA, then most likely it asks you to specify the weight in pounds. But this is not a problem - just double your weight in kilograms and report it to the simulator. (But when starting to cook according to old Russian cookbooks, keep in mind that the Russian pound is smaller, only 410 grams.)

Ounce

This is 1/16 of a pound, which is 28.35 grams. It is used in medicine for weighing preparations, as well as in perfumery. Look at the packaging of your perfume - you will probably find a designation like 3.3 fl. oz. - this is the designation of the mass (or, more precisely, volume) of perfume in ounces.

For most cases, the listed units will be enough, so now you do not have to puzzle over the English notation for length or mass. Simple Rules not only will they keep peace of mind when reading an interesting book that has not been processed by a lazy translator, but will also make you more erudite. After all, if a penalty kick in football breaks through from a distance of 12 yards, then it’s not so difficult to convert this value into meters, right?

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