Convert hand to Earth equatorial radius Online | Free Length Converter

Hand

A hand is a traditional unit of length primarily used to measure the height of horses. It is equal to 4 inches or 10.16 centimeters.

The origin of the hand as a measurement comes from using the width of a human hand, and it has been standardized at 4 inches for consistency in horse measurement. Horse height is expressed in "hands," measured from the ground to the highest point of the withers (the ridge between the shoulder blades).

Key points:

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  1 hand = 4 inches

  
  
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  1 hand = 10.16 centimeters

  
  
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  Used mainly for measuring horse height

  
  
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  Horse height is often given in hands and inches, e.g., 15.2 hands means 15 hands plus 2 inches

  
  

The hand remains the standard unit for horse height in many English-speaking countries.

Earth Equatorial Radius

The Earth's equatorial radius is the distance from the center of the Earth to the equator. It represents the Earth's radius measured along the equatorial plane.

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  Its value is approximately 6,378.1 kilometers (about 3,963.2 miles).

  
  
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  The Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid, so the equatorial radius is slightly larger than the polar radius.

  
  
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  This radius is important for geodesy, satellite orbits, and mapping.

  
  

Key facts:

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  Equatorial radius ≈ 6,378.1 km

  
  
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  Larger than polar radius due to Earth's flattening at the poles

  
  
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  Used in Earth sciences, navigation, and space missions

  
  

Understanding the Earth's equatorial radius helps in accurate modeling of the planet’s shape and gravitational field.