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Length/Distance | Convert from cubit [English] to quadrant |
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Common Length Conversions Metric Length Conversions Unit Definition (cubit [English]) The cubit is a historic unit of distance frequently mentioned in the Bible. The word comes from the Latin cubitum, "elbow," because the unit represents the length of a man's forearm from his elbow to the tip of his outstretched middle finger. This distance tends to be about 18 inches or roughly 45 centimeters. In ancient times, the cubit was usually defined to equal 24 digits or 6 palms. The Egyptian royal or "long" cubit, however, was equal to 28 digits or 7 palms. In the English system, the digit is conventionally identified as 3/4 inch; this makes the ordinary cubit exactly 18 inches (45.72 centimeters). The Roman cubit was shorter, about 44.4 centimeters (17.5 inches). The ordinary Egyptian cubit was just under 45 centimeters, and most authorities estimate the royal cubit at about 52.35 centimeters (20.61 inches). Unit Definition (quadrant) The quadrant is a unit of distance equal to the distance from the North Pole to the Equator. The metric system was originally designed to make this distance exactly 10 million meters (6213.71 miles). The actual meter comes close to the design. Using the conventional figures of 12 756 kilometers for the equatorial diameter of the earth and 12 714 kilometers for the polar diameter, and assuming the earth to have elliptic cross section, the length of the quadrant is about 10 001 300 meters (6214.52 miles). In principle, the quadrant is divided into 5400 nautical miles; in fact, 5400 international nautical miles equal 10 000 800 meters.
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