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To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Nanometer (nm), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Micrometer (μm), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Millimeter (mm), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Centimeter (cm), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Decimeter (dm), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Meter (m), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Kilometer (km), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Mil (mil), use the following formula:
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Inch (in), use the following formula:
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Yard (yd), use the following formula:
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to US Survey Foot (ft-us), use the following formula:
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Foot (ft), use the following formula:
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Mile (mi), use the following formula:
To convert from Fathom (fathom) to Nautical Mile (nMi), use the following formula:
A fathom is a unit of length in the imperial system of measurement.
It is most famously used for measuring the depth of water.
A fathom is equal to exactly 6 feet (or 1.8288 meters). The plural form is fathoms.
The word "fathom" originates from the Old English word "fæthm," which means "outstretched arms" or "a pair of embracing arms."
Historically, a fathom was defined as the distance from the middle fingertip of one hand to the middle fingertip of the other when a person's arms are fully extended.
This made it a convenient and readily available unit of measurement for sailors and workers.
The fathom is best known for its use in a nautical context to measure water depth.
Mariners would drop a weighted line, called a sounding line, into the water and count the number of "arm spans" it took to reach the bottom.
This measurement was crucial for safe navigation, anchoring, and creating nautical charts to map the seabed.
While modern technology and the metric system have replaced the fathom in official hydrographic surveys, its influence persists.
The term is still used informally in commercial fishing and can be found on many older nautical charts.
Figuratively, the verb "to fathom"—meaning to understand something deeply—is a direct link to the original act of measuring depth and getting to the bottom of things.