Convert nail (cloth) to X-unit Online | Free Length Converter

Nail (Cloth)

A nail is a traditional unit of length used in cloth measurement, equal to 2¼ inches or approximately 5.715 centimeters. It was commonly used by tailors and fabric merchants in England to measure small lengths of fabric.

The term “nail” likely originates from the practice of marking lengths on a measuring stick with notches or nails, making it easy to measure fabric quickly. The nail was a convenient subdivision of the yard, with 1 yard = 16 nails.

Though obsolete today, the nail remains an interesting part of historical textile measurement systems.

Summary:

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  1 nail = 2¼ inches (5.715 cm)

  
  
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  1 yard = 16 nails

  
  
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  Used historically in tailoring and fabric trade

  
  
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  Originates from notches or nails on measuring sticks

  
  

X-unit

The X-unit (symbol: xu) is a very small unit of length used primarily to measure wavelengths of X-rays and gamma rays. It was introduced in the early 20th century for precision measurements in X-ray crystallography.

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  1 X-unit ≈ 0.1 picometers (pm) or 10⁻¹³ meters

  
  
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  It allows scientists to express extremely small wavelengths typical of X-rays, which are on the order of atomic spacing

  
  
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  The exact definition has varied historically, but the unit remains useful for comparing wavelengths in X-ray spectroscopy and crystallography

  
  

Though largely replaced by the picometer or ångström in modern usage, the X-unit played a crucial role in early developments of atomic-scale measurement.