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Rope (rope) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:rope
Plural:ropes
Category:Length

What is a Rope?

Definition

The Rope is an historical English unit of length, primarily used in surveying and sometimes in building or architecture. Its length was typically defined as 20 feet.

This equates to:

  • 6.096 meters (m)
  • Approximately 6.67 yards (yd)

Unlike more standardized surveying units like the chain, the rope's length could sometimes vary by region or specific use, but 20 feet is the most commonly cited value.

History

The origin of the Rope unit likely stems directly from the use of actual ropes of a predetermined length for measuring land or distances in medieval England and potentially earlier. Before the widespread adoption of more durable and precise measuring tools like metal chains (such as Gunter's chain, introduced in the 17th century), knotted or marked ropes served as practical, albeit less accurate, instruments for surveyors.

The length of 20 feet provided a convenient measure for certain types of land division or construction layout. However, ropes were susceptible to stretching, shrinking (when wet), and wear, leading to inconsistencies. This lack of precision contributed to its gradual replacement by the rod (16.5 feet) and the chain (66 feet) for official surveying work. The Rope unit fell into obsolescence as measurement standards became more rigorous and legally defined.

Common Uses

The Rope is now an obsolete unit, but historically it was used for:

  • Land Surveying: Measuring property boundaries, fields, and plots of land, particularly in older or less formal surveys.
  • Building and Construction: Laying out foundations or measuring lengths in large-scale construction projects in historical contexts.
  • Agriculture: Estimating field sizes or row lengths.
  • Nautical Measurement (Less Common): Occasionally, "rope" might refer to specific lengths used on ships, but this is distinct from the land surveying unit and often context-dependent (similar to a "cable length").

Unit FAQs

How long is a Rope?

The most common definition for the historical English Rope unit is 20 feet, which is exactly 6.096 meters.

How does the Rope compare to other surveying units?

  • Rod (or Pole, Perch): 1 Rod = 16.5 feet. Therefore, 1 Rope ≈ 1.21 Rods.
  • Gunter's Chain: 1 Chain = 66 feet = 4 Rods. Therefore, 1 Chain = 3.3 Ropes.
  • Foot: 1 Rope = 20 feet.
  • Yard: 1 Rope ≈ 6.67 yards.

Was the Rope a standardized unit?

No, it was not rigorously standardized like later units such as the foot or the Gunter's chain. While 20 feet was a common value, variations could exist, and the physical nature of a rope made it inherently less precise than metal instruments.

Is the Rope unit still used today?

No, the Rope as a formal unit of length is obsolete. Modern surveying uses meters, feet, and occasionally chains or rods in specific legal contexts (like older land deeds in the US), but not the Rope.

Is the Rope an SI unit?

No, the Rope is not an SI unit. It is a traditional English unit. The SI base unit for length is the meter (m).

Rope Conversion Formulas

To Meter:

1 rope = 6.096 m
Example: 5 ropes = 30.48 meters

To Kilometer:

1 rope = 0.006096 km
Example: 5 ropes = 0.03048 kilometers

To Hectometer:

1 rope = 0.06096 hm
Example: 5 ropes = 0.3048 hectometers

To Decimeter:

1 rope = 60.96 dm
Example: 5 ropes = 304.8 decimeters

To Centimeter:

1 rope = 609.6 cm
Example: 5 ropes = 3048 centimeters

To Millimeter:

1 rope = 6096 mm
Example: 5 ropes = 30480 millimeters

To Inch:

1 rope = 240 in
Example: 5 ropes = 1200 inches

To Foot:

1 rope = 20 ft
Example: 5 ropes = 100 feet

To Yard:

1 rope = 6.666667 yd
Example: 5 ropes = 33.333333 yards

To Mile:

1 rope = 0.003788 mi
Example: 5 ropes = 0.018939 miles

To Nautical Mile:

1 rope = 0.003292 NM
Example: 5 ropes = 0.016458 nautical miles

To Micrometer:

1 rope = 6096000 μm
Example: 5 ropes = 30480000 micrometers

To Nanometer:

1 rope = 6096000000 nm
Example: 5 ropes = 30480000000 nanometers

To Light Year:

1 rope = 6.4433e-16 ly
Example: 5 ropes = 3.2216e-15 light years

To Astronomical Unit:

1 rope = 4.0749e-11 AU
Example: 5 ropes = 2.0374e-10 astronomical units

To Parsec:

1 rope = 1.9756e-16 pc
Example: 5 ropes = 9.8778e-16 parsecs

To Angstrom:

1 rope = 60960000000 Å
Example: 5 ropes = 304800000000 angstroms

To Point (Typography):

1 rope = 17279.989115 pt
Example: 5 ropes = 86399.945575 points

To Mil/Thou:

1 rope = 240000 mil
Example: 5 ropes = 1200000 mils

To Fathom:

1 rope = 3.333333 fath
Example: 5 ropes = 16.666667 fathoms

To Furlong:

1 rope = 0.030303 fur
Example: 5 ropes = 0.151515 furlongs

To Link (Gunter's):

1 rope = 30.30303 li
Example: 5 ropes = 151.515152 links

To Pace:

1 rope = 8 pace
Example: 5 ropes = 40 paces

To Span:

1 rope = 26.666667 span
Example: 5 ropes = 133.333333 spans

To Digit:

1 rope = 320 digit
Example: 5 ropes = 1600 digits

To Cable Length:

1 rope = 0.032916 cb
Example: 5 ropes = 0.164579 cable lengths

To Ell:

1 rope = 5.333333 ell
Example: 5 ropes = 26.666667 ells

To Finger:

1 rope = 53.333333 finger
Example: 5 ropes = 266.666667 fingers

To Roman Mile:

1 rope = 0.004119 m.p.
Example: 5 ropes = 0.020595 Roman miles

To Stadion:

1 rope = 0.032951 stadion
Example: 5 ropes = 0.164757 stadia

To Chi (Chinese):

1 rope = 18.289829 chi
Example: 5 ropes = 91.449145 chi

To Shaku (Japanese):

1 rope = 20.118812 shaku
Example: 5 ropes = 100.594059 shaku

To Li (Chinese):

1 rope = 0.012192 li
Example: 5 ropes = 0.06096 li

To Toise:

1 rope = 3.127758 toise
Example: 5 ropes = 15.638789 toise

To Bolt:

1 rope = 0.2 bolt
Example: 5 ropes = 1 bolts

To Smoot:

1 rope = 3.58209 smoot
Example: 5 ropes = 17.910448 smoots

To Sajene:

1 rope = 2.857143 sajene
Example: 5 ropes = 14.285714 sajenes

To Ken:

1 rope = 3.353135 ken
Example: 5 ropes = 16.765677 ken

To Wa:

1 rope = 3.048 wa
Example: 5 ropes = 15.24 wa

To Vara:

1 rope = 7.272727 vara
Example: 5 ropes = 36.363636 varas

To Aln:

1 rope = 10.262626 aln
Example: 5 ropes = 51.313131 alnar

To Cubit (Royal/Egyptian):

1 rope = 11.655832 cubit
Example: 5 ropes = 58.279159 cubits

To Versta:

1 rope = 0.005714 versta
Example: 5 ropes = 0.028571 versts

To Arpent:

1 rope = 0.104257 arpent
Example: 5 ropes = 0.521284 arpents

To Ri (Japanese):

1 rope = 0.001552 ri
Example: 5 ropes = 0.007762 ri

To Klafter:

1 rope = 3.214342 klafter
Example: 5 ropes = 16.071711 klafter

To Yojana:

1 rope = 0.000452 yojana
Example: 5 ropes = 0.002258 yojanas

To Skein:

1 rope = 0.055556 skein
Example: 5 ropes = 0.277778 skeins

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Rope Quick Info

rope
Symbol:rope
Category:Length
System:Various
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