Re: [Paddlewise] Back to basics

From: Les Uhrich <luhrich_at_ctc.ctc.edu>
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 14:23:15 -0800
At 11:23 PM 3/11/98 +0000, Ari Saarto wrote:
>is there anywhere a list, a web page in the net, which would help a 
>Frustrated Finn to compare knots to metres/second or to 
>kilometres/hour?

The defining link to the metric (SI) system of length measurements is this:

1 inch = 2.54 cm    defined to be exact

in fact, the (stupid) english (or american standard) system is now defined
in terms of the metric (read: much more useful) system.

To convert: from any english system to any metric system, or vice versa,
use the relationships above (and a few math skills).

To convert from the nautical system, which is based on the distance between
lines on the earth (60 Nautical Miles = the distance between the latitude
lines on the earth drawn 1 degree apart). There are 90 degrees of latitude
between the earth's Equator and the True North Pole. Now, the radius of the
earth is 6,370, 000 meters and 1/4 of the circumference (2 Pi times the
diameter)  is .25 x 2 x 3.141592654 x 6,370,000 =10,005,972.6 metres. Ok,
now divide this by 90 and get 111177.4734.  Now divide this by 60 to get
1853  meters (1.85 km) per Nautical mile.  

Oh, hell, I have been in the clkassroom way too long.





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Received on Wed Mar 11 1998 - 14:22:50 PST

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