Convert span (cloth) to foot (US survey) Online | Free Length Converter

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

Foot (US Survey)

The US survey foot is a unit of length used historically in the United States for land surveying and mapping. It is defined as exactly 1200/3937 meters, which is approximately 0.3048006096 meters. This makes it very slightly longer than the international foot, which is exactly 0.3048 meters.

The US survey foot was established to maintain consistency with earlier land surveys and legal descriptions in the U.S. It was used extensively in the Public Land Survey System and other cadastral surveys.

Key points:

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  1 US survey foot = 1200/3937 meters ≈ 0.3048006096 meters

  
  
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  Slightly longer than the international foot by about 0.0006 millimeters

  
  
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  Used primarily in land surveying and legal documents

  
  
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  As of recent years, the US has been phasing out the US survey foot in favor of the international foot for standardization.

  
  

Though nearly identical to the international foot, the US survey foot remains important for understanding older land records and measurements.