The inch, once the size of a barleycorn kernel, has fascinating origins. Early English measurement systems based it on the width of a man’s thumb. In the 14th century, King Edward II of England formalized it, defining an inch as the length of three barleycorns laid end to end. Historically, the inch was crucial for countless innovations, especially in Anglo-Saxon countries, influencing everything from watchmaking to industrial design.
Today, the inch still plays an integral role in areas like screen sizes and standardized paper dimensions, delighting both tech enthusiasts and everyday users. Interestingly, in surveying, an inch is divided into hundredths in the US, showing its adaptability in precision tasks. Despite the global shift towards the metric system, the inch endures, showcasing its resilience and continued relevance.
The kilometer, a unit of length in the metric system, is standard for measuring distances in most of the world, but did you know that it was officially defined in terms of the Earth’s geometry? Originally, a kilometer was devised as one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole, a fraction of the Earth’s meridian. This fascinating origin reflects humanity’s quest to make sense of the vastness of our planet.
Moreover, the metric system’s global reign didn’t happen overnight. The U.S. is one of the few countries primarily using miles, yet if you’re ever curious, consider that a marathon—26.2 miles—is approximately 42.195 kilometers! Imagine, the very races where athletes push the limits of human endurance are framed by this historical unit, rooting the challenge in a nearly ten-thousand-year-old tradition.
| Inches | Kilometers |
|---|---|
0
in
|
0
km
|
1
in
|
0.0000254
km
|
2
in
|
0.0000508
km
|
3
in
|
0.0000762
km
|
4
in
|
0.0001016
km
|
5
in
|
0.000127
km
|
6
in
|
0.0001524
km
|
7
in
|
0.0001778
km
|
8
in
|
0.0002032
km
|
9
in
|
0.0002286
km
|
10
in
|
0.000254
km
|
11
in
|
0.0002794
km
|
12
in
|
0.0003048
km
|
13
in
|
0.0003302
km
|
14
in
|
0.0003556
km
|
15
in
|
0.000381
km
|
16
in
|
0.0004064
km
|
17
in
|
0.0004318
km
|
18
in
|
0.0004572
km
|
19
in
|
0.0004826
km
|
20
in
|
0.000508
km
|
21
in
|
0.0005334
km
|
22
in
|
0.0005588
km
|
23
in
|
0.0005842
km
|
24
in
|
0.0006096
km
|
25
in
|
0.000635
km
|
26
in
|
0.0006604
km
|
27
in
|
0.0006858
km
|
28
in
|
0.0007112
km
|
29
in
|
0.0007366
km
|
30
in
|
0.000762
km
|
31
in
|
0.0007874
km
|
32
in
|
0.0008128
km
|
33
in
|
0.0008382
km
|
34
in
|
0.0008636
km
|
35
in
|
0.000889
km
|
36
in
|
0.0009144
km
|
37
in
|
0.0009398
km
|
38
in
|
0.0009652
km
|
39
in
|
0.0009906
km
|
40
in
|
0.001016
km
|
41
in
|
0.0010414
km
|
42
in
|
0.0010668
km
|
43
in
|
0.0010922
km
|
44
in
|
0.0011176
km
|
45
in
|
0.001143
km
|
46
in
|
0.0011684
km
|
47
in
|
0.0011938
km
|
48
in
|
0.0012192
km
|
49
in
|
0.0012446
km
|
50
in
|
0.00127
km
|
51
in
|
0.0012954
km
|
52
in
|
0.0013208
km
|
53
in
|
0.0013462
km
|
54
in
|
0.0013716
km
|
55
in
|
0.001397
km
|
56
in
|
0.0014224
km
|
57
in
|
0.0014478
km
|
58
in
|
0.0014732
km
|
59
in
|
0.0014986
km
|
60
in
|
0.001524
km
|
61
in
|
0.0015494
km
|
62
in
|
0.0015748
km
|
63
in
|
0.0016002
km
|
64
in
|
0.0016256
km
|
65
in
|
0.001651
km
|
66
in
|
0.0016764
km
|
67
in
|
0.0017018
km
|
68
in
|
0.0017272
km
|
69
in
|
0.0017526
km
|
70
in
|
0.001778
km
|
71
in
|
0.0018034
km
|
72
in
|
0.0018288
km
|
73
in
|
0.0018542
km
|
74
in
|
0.0018796
km
|
75
in
|
0.001905
km
|
76
in
|
0.0019304
km
|
77
in
|
0.0019558
km
|
78
in
|
0.0019812
km
|
79
in
|
0.0020066
km
|
80
in
|
0.002032
km
|
81
in
|
0.0020574
km
|
82
in
|
0.0020828
km
|
83
in
|
0.0021082
km
|
84
in
|
0.0021336
km
|
85
in
|
0.002159
km
|
86
in
|
0.0021844
km
|
87
in
|
0.0022098
km
|
88
in
|
0.0022352
km
|
89
in
|
0.0022606
km
|
90
in
|
0.002286
km
|
91
in
|
0.0023114
km
|
92
in
|
0.0023368
km
|
93
in
|
0.0023622
km
|
94
in
|
0.0023876
km
|
95
in
|
0.002413
km
|
96
in
|
0.0024384
km
|
97
in
|
0.0024638
km
|
98
in
|
0.0024892
km
|
99
in
|
0.0025146
km
|
100
in
|
0.00254
km
|
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