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Length/Distance | Convert from palmo [Spanish] to smoot |
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Common Length Conversions Metric Length Conversions Unit Definition (palmo [Spanish]) The palmo is a traditional unit of distance in Spain and Portugal. The traditional Spanish palmo equals 9 pulgadas or 1/4 vara: this is about 20.9 centimeters in Spain and a little more than that in Spanish Latin America. Under the metric system in Spain, the palmo is an informal unit equal to 20 centimeters. These units are based on the width of a person's outstretched hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger, a definition identical to that of the English span. Unit Definition (smoot) A smoot is a unit of distance (or "length", as physical scientists say) used for measuring the Harvard Bridge. It is named after an MIT fraternity pledge at Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, Oliver R. Smoot (class of 1962), who in October, 1958 was rolled head over heels by his fraternity brothers to measure the length of the bridge. The smoot is equal to his height (five feet and seven inches -- 1.70 m), and the bridge's length was measured to be "364.4 smoots plus one ear".
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