Convert mil to span (cloth) Online | Free Length Converter

Mil

A mil is a unit of length commonly used in engineering and manufacturing to measure very small distances, especially thicknesses. It is equal to one-thousandth of an inch (0.001 inch), which is approximately 0.0254 millimeters.

The mil is widely used in industries like plastic film, coatings, wire diameter, and mechanical parts, where precise measurements of thin materials are necessary. It should not be confused with the millimeter, which is 0.001 meters or 1,000 microns — much larger than a mil.

Key points:

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  1 mil = 0.001 inch = 0.0254 mm

  
  
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  Used mainly for small thicknesses or diameters

  
  
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  Common in engineering, manufacturing, and material sciences

  
  
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  Not to be confused with millimeter (mm)

  
  

The mil remains an important unit in technical fields where fine measurement is critical.

Span (Cloth)

A span is an old unit of length based on the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the little finger of a fully extended hand. Traditionally, it measures about 9 inches or 22.86 centimeters.

In the context of cloth and textiles, the span was used as a convenient, informal measure to estimate small lengths of fabric before standardized rulers became widespread. It was helpful for tailors and traders to quickly gauge lengths during measuring and cutting.

While the span is largely obsolete as a formal unit today, it reflects historical measurement practices tied closely to the human body, similar to the cubit or hand.

Summary:

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  1 span ≈ 9 inches (22.86 cm)

  
  
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  Based on the hand’s spread

  
  
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  Used historically in cloth measurement and tailoring

  
  
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  Now mostly of historical and cultural interest