Bolt to Digit Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert bolts to digits with our free online length converter.
Bolt to Digit Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Bolt).
- The converted value in Digit will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
- Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Length category.
- Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.
How to Convert Bolt to Digit
Converting Bolt to Digit involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Bolt = 1600 digitsExample Calculation:
Convert 10 bolts: 10 × 1600 = 1.6000e+4 digits
Disclaimer: For Reference Only
These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.
Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.
What is a Bolt and a Digit?
A Bolt is a commercial unit of length primarily used for measuring rolls of cloth or fabric. Unlike standardized units like the meter or yard, the length of a bolt is not fixed and can vary significantly depending on the type of material, the manufacturer, the country of origin, and trade customs.
Common lengths often associated with a bolt include:
- 40 yards (approximately 36.58 meters) - Frequently cited, especially for cottons and silks in the US.
- 100 yards (approximately 91.44 meters) - Often used for heavier fabrics like canvas.
- Other lengths such as 30, 50, 60, or 120 yards may also be encountered.
The bolt represents a quantity convenient for wholesale trade, manufacturing, and inventory management rather than a precise scientific measurement.
The Digit, also known as the finger or fingerbreadth, is an ancient, anthropomorphic unit of length, originally based on the breadth (width) of a human adult finger (typically the index finger). As a body-based unit, its value varied significantly depending on the person, time period, and culture.
Historically, it was often considered to be approximately 3/4 of an inch or about 1.9 centimeters (cm). In many systems, it formed a subdivision of larger units like the palm, span, or cubit. For example, it was common for:
- 4 digits = 1 palm
- 12 digits = 1 span (sometimes)
- 24 or 28 digits = 1 cubit (depending on the cubit definition)
Note: The Bolt is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Digit belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Bolt and Digit
The concept of the bolt emerged from the practical needs of the textile industry. As cloth production scaled up, manufacturers and merchants needed a standardized way to handle, store, and trade large quantities of fabric. Winding cloth onto a roll or board (the "bolt") provided a convenient package.
The length associated with a bolt likely developed through trade customs specific to different types of fabric and regions. There was never a universal legal standard defining its length, leading to the wide variations seen historically and currently. While retail sales shifted towards measurement by the yard or meter, the bolt remained a useful unit in wholesale and industrial contexts. Even with the global adoption of the metric system, the term "bolt" persists in the textile trade as a reference to a full roll of fabric, though the exact length is usually specified separately in yards or meters.
The digit is one of the oldest known units of measurement, used by ancient civilizations including the Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Greeks, Romans, and later across Europe. Its convenience stemmed from the ready availability of the human hand for estimation.
- Ancient Egypt: The digit (djeba) was a fundamental unit, with 28 digits forming the Royal Cubit.
- Ancient Rome: The Roman digit (digitus) was defined as 1/16 of a Roman foot, approximately 1.85 cm. Four digiti made a palmus (palm).
- Medieval England: The digit was often reckoned as 3/4 of an inch, derived from the barleycorn (3 barleycorns = 1 inch, 4 digits = 3 inches).
Due to its inherent variability and the rise of more standardized systems based on physical prototypes (like the yard or meter), the digit gradually fell out of practical use for trade and science, becoming largely obsolete by the early modern period.
Common Uses for bolts and digits
Explore the typical applications for both Bolt (imperial/US) and Digit (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for bolts
The bolt is almost exclusively used within the textile industry:
- Wholesale Trade: Fabric manufacturers sell cloth to distributors or large buyers in bolts.
- Manufacturing: Clothing and upholstery manufacturers purchase fabric by the bolt for production runs.
- Inventory Management: Textile mills, warehouses, and large retailers manage stock using bolts as units.
- Industrial Fabrics: Suppliers of canvas, vinyl, and other industrial textiles often sell material by the bolt.
It is generally not used for retail sales to consumers, where fabric is typically measured and cut to specific lengths (yards or meters) from the bolt.
Common Uses for digits
The digit is now obsolete for practical measurement but is encountered in:
- Historical Texts: Found in ancient and medieval documents describing dimensions of objects, buildings, or anatomical measurements.
- Archaeology & Anthropology: Used when interpreting historical measurements or comparing ancient systems.
- Figurative Language: Occasionally used informally to mean a very small distance ("just a digit more").
- Understanding Historical Units: Key to understanding the structure of ancient measurement systems (e.g., relationship to palm, cubit).
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Bolt (bolt)
How long is a bolt of cloth?
There is no single standard length. It depends heavily on the fabric type and manufacturer. Common lengths include:
- 40 yards (~36.58 m)
- 100 yards (~91.44 m)
- Other lengths like 30, 50, 60, or 120 yards are also possible. Always check the specific product information for the actual length of a particular bolt.
How many yards are in a bolt?
Commonly 40 yards or 100 yards, but this is highly variable.
How many meters are in a bolt?
Based on common yard lengths:
- A 40-yard bolt is approximately 36.58 meters.
- A 100-yard bolt is approximately 91.44 meters.
Is the bolt a standardized unit?
No, it is not a standardized unit of length like the yard or meter. It's a commercial trade unit whose length varies.
Is the bolt still used today?
Yes, the term "bolt" is still widely used in the wholesale textile industry and manufacturing contexts to refer to a full roll of fabric, although the precise length is usually specified in yards or meters.
Is this related to the fastener "bolt"?
No, the bolt unit for cloth is completely unrelated to the metal fastener known as a bolt. They share the same name but have entirely different meanings and origins.
About Digit (digit)
How long is a digit?
There is no single, precise value for the digit because it was based on human anatomy and varied by system. Common historical approximations include:
- Approximately 0.75 inches (in)
- Approximately 1.85 to 1.9 centimeters (cm)
- Often defined as 1/4 of a palm or 1/16 of a foot within specific historical systems.
What is the relation between a digit and a palm?
In many historical systems (like the Roman and often the English), 4 digits were considered equal to 1 palm (the width of the hand across the base of the fingers).
What is the relation between a digit and a cubit?
The relationship varied. For example:
- The Egyptian Royal Cubit contained 28 digits.
- The common Greek and Roman cubits often contained 24 digits.
Is the digit an SI unit?
No, the digit is not an SI unit. It is an ancient, non-standardized, anthropomorphic unit. The corresponding SI unit for length is the meter (m).
Is the digit still used today?
No, the digit is not used for any standard or practical measurements today. Its use is confined to historical study, interpretation of old texts, and occasional figurative speech.
Where does the name 'digit' come from?
The name comes from the Latin word digitus, which means "finger" or "toe". This reflects the unit's origin based on the width of a human finger.
Conversion Table: Bolt to Digit
| Bolt (bolt) | Digit (digit) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1,600 |
| 5 | 8,000 |
| 10 | 16,000 |
| 25 | 40,000 |
| 50 | 80,000 |
| 100 | 160,000 |
| 500 | 800,000 |
| 1,000 | 1,600,000 |
All Length Conversions
Other Units from Length
- Meter (m)
- Kilometer (km)
- Hectometer (hm)
- Decimeter (dm)
- Centimeter (cm)
- Millimeter (mm)
- Inch (in)
- Foot (ft)
- Yard (yd)
- Mile (mi)
- Nautical Mile (NM)
- Micrometer (μm)
- Nanometer (nm)
- Light Year (ly)
- Astronomical Unit (AU)
- Parsec (pc)
- Angstrom (Å)
- Point (Typography) (pt)
- Mil/Thou (mil)
- Fathom (fath)
- Furlong (fur)
- Link (Gunter's) (li)
- Pace (pace)
- Span (span)
- Cable Length (cb)
- Ell (ell)
- Finger (finger)
- Roman Mile (m.p.)
- Stadion (stadion)
- Chi (Chinese) (chi)
- Shaku (Japanese) (shaku)
- Li (Chinese) (li)
- Toise (toise)
- Rope (rope)
- Smoot (smoot)
- Sajene (sajene)
- Ken (ken)
- Wa (wa)
- Vara (vara)
- Aln (aln)
- Cubit (Royal/Egyptian) (cubit)
- Versta (versta)
- Arpent (arpent)
- Ri (Japanese) (ri)
- Klafter (klafter)
- Yojana (yojana)
- Skein (skein)