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Description
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Length is a base dimension in the International System of Units. The SI unit of length is the meter, defined as the length of the path traveled by light in vacuum during a time interval of second (17th CGPM, 1983).
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Maple knows the units of length listed in the following table.
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Name
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Symbols
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Context
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Alternate Spellings
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Prefixes
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meter
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m
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SI *
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meters, metre, metres
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SI
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bohr
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a0
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Atomic *
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bohrs
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mil
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standard *
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mils
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US_survey
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line
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standard *
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lines
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US_survey
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barleycorn
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standard *
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barleycorns
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US_survey
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digit
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standard *
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digits
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US_survey
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inch
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`in`
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standard *
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inches
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US_survey
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nail
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standard *
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nails
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US_survey
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palm
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standard *
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palms
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US_survey
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hand
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standard *
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hands
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US_survey
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finger
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standard *
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fingers
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US_survey
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span
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standard *
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spans
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US_survey
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foot
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ft
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standard *
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feet
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US_survey
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cubit
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standard *
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cubits
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US_survey
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step
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standard *
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steps
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US_survey
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yard
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yd
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standard *
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yards
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US_survey
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ell
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standard *
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ells
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US_survey
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pace
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standard *
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paces
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US_survey
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fathom
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standard *
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fathoms
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US_survey
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rod
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standard *
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rods
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US_survey
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pole
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standard *
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poles
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US_survey
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perch
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standard *
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perches
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US_survey
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furlong
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standard *
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furlongs
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US_survey
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mile
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mi
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standard *
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miles
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US_survey
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league
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standard *
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leagues
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US_survey
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link
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Gunter *
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links
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Gunter_US_survey
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Ramsden
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Ramsden_US_survey
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chain
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Gunter *
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chains
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Gunter_US_survey
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Ramsden
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Ramsden_US_survey
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chain
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UK_nautical *
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chains
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cable
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US_nautical *
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cables
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UK_nautical
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mile
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nautical *
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miles
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league
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nautical *
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leagues
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point
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printer *
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points
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computer
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TeX
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pica
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printer *
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picas
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computer
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TeX
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astronomical_unit
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AU, UA
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standard *
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astronomical_units
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parsec
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pc
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standard *
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parsecs
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SI
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light_year
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ly
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Julian *
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light_years
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SI
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tropical
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SI
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hubble
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Julian *
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hubbles
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tropical
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spat
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standard *
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spats
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angstrom
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Ao
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standard *
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angstroms
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fermi
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standard *
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fermis
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micron
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standard *
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microns
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bicron
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standard *
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bicrons
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x_unit
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copper *
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x_units
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molybdenum *
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microinch
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standard *
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microinches
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calibre
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standard *
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calibres, caliber, calibers
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marathon
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standard *
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marathons
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quadrant
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standard *
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quadrants
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electrical
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arpent
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PQ_area
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PQ_length
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handbreadth
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Sacred *
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handbreadths
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Talmudic
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nautical_mile
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SI *
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nautical_miles
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planck_length
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planck *
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planck_lengths
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An asterisk ( * ) indicates the default context, an at sign (@) indicates an abbreviation, and under the prefixes column, SI indicates that the unit takes all SI prefixes, IEC indicates that the unit takes IEC prefixes, and SI+ and SI- indicate that the unit takes only positive and negative SI prefixes, respectively. Refer to a unit in the Units package by indexing the name or symbol with the context, for example, meter[SI] or ft[standard]; or, if the context is indicated as the default, by using only the unit name or symbol, for example, meter or ft.
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The units of length are defined as follows.
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A bohr is defined as meter.
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For each of the following units, there is defined both a standard and US survey unit, each being the appropriate inch.
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A standard inch is defined as centimeters.
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A US survey inch is defined such that a meter is 39.37 US survey inches.
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A mil is defined as inch.
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A line is defined as inch.
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A barleycorn is defined as inch.
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A digit is defined as inch.
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A nail is defined as inches.
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A palm is defined as inches.
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A hand is defined as inches.
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A finger is defined as inches.
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A span is defined as inches.
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A foot is defined as inches.
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A cubit is defined as feet.
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A step is defined as feet.
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A yard is defined as feet.
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An ell is defined as feet.
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A pace is defined as feet.
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A fathom is defined as feet.
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The rod, pole, and perch are defined as feet.
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A furlong is defined as feet.
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A mile is defined as feet.
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A league is defined as miles.
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A Gunter chain is defined as feet.
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A Gunter link is defined as Gunter chain.
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A Ramsden chain is defined as feet.
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A Ramsden link is defined as Ramsden chain, or foot.
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For the following units, the context of the inch, foot, and mile is standard.
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A UK nautical chain is defined as feet.
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A US nautical cable is defined as feet.
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A UK nautical cable is defined as nautical mile.
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A nautical mile is defined as metres.
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A nautical league is defined as nautical miles.
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A printer's point is defined as inch.
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A computer point is defined as inch.
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A TeX point is defined such that there are points in an inch.
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A pica is defined as points of the corresponding context.
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An astronomical unit is defined as meters.
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A parsec is defined as a parallax second based on the astronomical unit.
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A Julian or tropical light year is defined as the distance light travels in Julian or tropical year.
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A Julian or tropical hubble is defined as Julian or tropical light years.
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A spat is defined as meters, or terameter.
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An angstrom is defined as meters, or picometers.
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A fermi is defined as meters, or femtometer.
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A micron is another term for a micrometer.
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A bicron is another term for a picometer.
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The copper and molybdenum x-units are approximately and meters, respectively.
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A microinch is defined as inch.
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A calibre is defined as inch.
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A marathon is defined as miles and yards.
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A quadrant is defined as meters.
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A electrical quadrant is defined as meter.
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A planck length is defined as the square root of: the planck constant times the Newtonian gravitational constant, divided by twice times the third power of the speed of light.
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Examples
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