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Length/Distance | Convert from shackle to X unit |
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Common Length Conversions Metric Length Conversions Unit Definition (shackle) The shackle is a traditional unit of length used for measuring the lengths of nautical cables and chains, especially anchor chains. Anchor chains are formed by using shackles to join short lengths of chain. When the anchor is dropped and the chain runs out, a seaman counting the number of shackles can report the total length of chain deployed. The size of the unit therefore varied somewhat, depending on the length of the short chains used. In Britain, the unit became standardized in the 16th century at 12.5 fathoms (75 feet or 22.86 meters). In 1949, the Royal Navy adopted a length of 15 fathoms, which is 90 feet or 27.432 meters; this brought the British shackle in line with the U.S. unit, which is usually called the shot. Unit Definition (X unit) The X-unit (symbol xu) is a unit of length formerly used to measure the wavelength of X-rays and gamma rays. The X-unit is approximately 1.0021×10-13 metre. Defined by the Swedish physicist Karl Manne Georg Siegbahn (1886-1978) in 1925, the X-unit could not at that time be measured directly; the definition was instead made in terms of the spacing between planes of the calcite crystals used in the measuring apparatus.
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