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Inch (in) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:in
Plural:inches
Category:Length

What is a Inch?

Definition

The inch is a unit of length in the British imperial and United States customary systems of measurement. It is defined as exactly 1/12 of a foot or 2.54 centimeters.

History

The inch has ancient origins, historically related to the width of a thumb or the length of three barleycorns laid end-to-end. Its definition was standardized internationally in 1959 based on the metric system (1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly).

Common Uses

  • Everyday US Measurements: Everyday measurements in the US (e.g., height, paper size, screen sizes).
  • US Construction: Construction and carpentry in the US.
  • Apparel Sizing: Clothing sizes (e.g., waist size, inseam).
  • US Meteorology: Measuring rainfall in the US.
  • Engineering Components: Component sizes in some engineering fields.

Unit FAQs

How many inches are in a foot?

There are exactly 12 inches (in) in 1 foot (ft).

How many centimeters are in an inch?

There are exactly 2.54 centimeters (cm) in 1 inch (in).

Where is the inch primarily used?

The inch is the standard unit for many everyday length measurements in the United States. It is also used to some extent in Canada and the UK, though metric is more common officially.

Inch Conversion Formulas

To Meter:

1 in = 0.0254 m
Example: 5 inches = 0.127 meters

To Kilometer:

1 in = 0.000025 km
Example: 5 inches = 0.000127 kilometers

To Hectometer:

1 in = 0.000254 hm
Example: 5 inches = 0.00127 hectometers

To Decimeter:

1 in = 0.254 dm
Example: 5 inches = 1.27 decimeters

To Centimeter:

1 in = 2.54 cm
Example: 5 inches = 12.7 centimeters

To Millimeter:

1 in = 25.4 mm
Example: 5 inches = 127 millimeters

To Foot:

1 in = 0.083333 ft
Example: 5 inches = 0.416667 feet

To Yard:

1 in = 0.027778 yd
Example: 5 inches = 0.138889 yards

To Mile:

1 in = 0.000016 mi
Example: 5 inches = 0.000079 miles

To Nautical Mile:

1 in = 0.000014 NM
Example: 5 inches = 0.000069 nautical miles

To Micrometer:

1 in = 25400 μm
Example: 5 inches = 127000 micrometers

To Nanometer:

1 in = 25400000 nm
Example: 5 inches = 127000000 nanometers

To Light Year:

1 in = 2.6847e-18 ly
Example: 5 inches = 1.3424e-17 light years

To Astronomical Unit:

1 in = 1.6979e-13 AU
Example: 5 inches = 8.4893e-13 astronomical units

To Parsec:

1 in = 8.2315e-19 pc
Example: 5 inches = 4.1158e-18 parsecs

To Angstrom:

1 in = 254000000 Å
Example: 5 inches = 1270000000 angstroms

To Point (Typography):

1 in = 71.999955 pt
Example: 5 inches = 359.999773 points

To Mil/Thou:

1 in = 1000 mil
Example: 5 inches = 5000 mils

To Fathom:

1 in = 0.013889 fath
Example: 5 inches = 0.069444 fathoms

To Furlong:

1 in = 0.000126 fur
Example: 5 inches = 0.000631 furlongs

To Link (Gunter's):

1 in = 0.126263 li
Example: 5 inches = 0.631313 links

To Pace:

1 in = 0.033333 pace
Example: 5 inches = 0.166667 paces

To Span:

1 in = 0.111111 span
Example: 5 inches = 0.555556 spans

To Digit:

1 in = 1.333333 digit
Example: 5 inches = 6.666667 digits

To Cable Length:

1 in = 0.000137 cb
Example: 5 inches = 0.000686 cable lengths

To Ell:

1 in = 0.022222 ell
Example: 5 inches = 0.111111 ells

To Finger:

1 in = 0.222222 finger
Example: 5 inches = 1.111111 fingers

To Roman Mile:

1 in = 0.000017 m.p.
Example: 5 inches = 0.000086 Roman miles

To Stadion:

1 in = 0.000137 stadion
Example: 5 inches = 0.000686 stadia

To Chi (Chinese):

1 in = 0.076208 chi
Example: 5 inches = 0.381038 chi

To Shaku (Japanese):

1 in = 0.083828 shaku
Example: 5 inches = 0.419142 shaku

To Li (Chinese):

1 in = 0.000051 li
Example: 5 inches = 0.000254 li

To Toise:

1 in = 0.013032 toise
Example: 5 inches = 0.065162 toise

To Bolt:

1 in = 0.000833 bolt
Example: 5 inches = 0.004167 bolts

To Rope:

1 in = 0.004167 rope
Example: 5 inches = 0.020833 ropes

To Smoot:

1 in = 0.014925 smoot
Example: 5 inches = 0.074627 smoots

To Sajene:

1 in = 0.011905 sajene
Example: 5 inches = 0.059524 sajenes

To Ken:

1 in = 0.013971 ken
Example: 5 inches = 0.069857 ken

To Wa:

1 in = 0.0127 wa
Example: 5 inches = 0.0635 wa

To Vara:

1 in = 0.030303 vara
Example: 5 inches = 0.151515 varas

To Aln:

1 in = 0.042761 aln
Example: 5 inches = 0.213805 alnar

To Cubit (Royal/Egyptian):

1 in = 0.048566 cubit
Example: 5 inches = 0.24283 cubits

To Versta:

1 in = 0.000024 versta
Example: 5 inches = 0.000119 versts

To Arpent:

1 in = 0.000434 arpent
Example: 5 inches = 0.002172 arpents

To Ri (Japanese):

1 in = 0.000006 ri
Example: 5 inches = 0.000032 ri

To Klafter:

1 in = 0.013393 klafter
Example: 5 inches = 0.066965 klafter

To Yojana:

1 in = 0.000002 yojana
Example: 5 inches = 0.000009 yojanas

To Skein:

1 in = 0.000231 skein
Example: 5 inches = 0.001157 skeins

Convert Inch

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Inch Quick Info

in
Symbol:in
Category:Length
System:Imperial/US Customary
Convert Inch

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