Convert Length from Us Survey Foot to Decimeter (ft-us to dm)

US Survey Foot to Decimeter Conversion Formula

To convert from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Decimeter (dm), use the following formula:

With $\frac{1}{3.28084}$ is the ratio between the base units Meter (m) and Foot (ft).

Example

Let's convert 5 US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Decimeter (dm).

Using the formula:

Therefore, 5 US Survey Foot (ft-us) is equal to $15.240029992319040246$ Decimeter (dm).

What is a US Survey Foot (ft-us)?

The US Survey Foot is a unit of length historically used for land surveying in the United States.

It is very close in length to the international foot, equaling approximately 1.000002 international feet (ft). The plural form is US Survey Feet.

Where Did the US Survey Foot Come From?

The origin of the US Survey Foot dates back to the Mendenhall Order of 1893. This order defined the relationship between the meter and US customary units.

It established that 1 meter is precisely equal to 39.37 inches. From this relationship, the US Survey Foot was derived, defined as 1200/3937 meters.

This definition differs slightly from the international foot, which was established in 1959 and is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters.

Why Was the US Survey Foot Replaced?

To simplify measurements and prevent confusion, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) made a critical change.

They officially retired the U.S. Survey Foot on December 31, 2022.

Surveying and mapping applications in the United States will now use the international foot. This critical change helps unify the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) and prevents costly errors in large-scale projects.

Why Did This Small Difference Cause Big Problems?

While the difference between a US Survey Foot and an international foot is minuscule—only about two parts per million—it becomes significant over large distances.

For every mile, the discrepancy adds up to approximately 1/8 inch.

This minor error may not be significant for a backyard fence. However, for massive construction projects and infrastructure development, such as bridges that cross state lines, the accumulated error can lead to severe misalignments and costly mistakes.

What is a Decimeter (dm)?

A decimeter (dm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to one-tenth of a meter (0.1 m).

Its plural form is decimeters.

How Are Decimeters and Liters Related?

One of the most important uses of the decimeter is in measuring volume.

A cubic decimeter (dm³) is the volume of a cube with edges that are one decimeter long. This connection is beneficial, as one cubic decimeter is precisely equal to one liter (L).

This direct relationship (1 dm³ = 1 L) makes the decimeter a fundamental unit in chemistry and physics for calculating liquid volumes and densities.

How to Convert Decimeters (dm to m & cm)

The decimeter serves as a convenient intermediate unit between the meter (m) and the centimeter (cm). It provides a practical step in the metric system's base-10 structure.

Here are the key conversions:

• 1 meter = 10 decimeters
• 1 decimeter = 10 centimeters

While less common in everyday conversation, the decimeter is often used in specific fields, such as woodworking and shoemaking, for measurements that are too large for centimeters but too small for fractions of a meter.

What Does the Prefix "Deci-" Mean?

The name "decimeter" comes from the Latin word decimus, meaning "tenth."

The prefix "deci-" always signifies one-tenth (1/10 or 10⁻¹) of a base unit.

• A decimeter is one-tenth of a meter.
• A decigram is one-tenth of a gram.
• A deciliter is one-tenth of a liter.

Understanding this prefix makes it easy to convert between different metric units.

What is the imperial system?

What is the metric system?

US Survey Foot to Decimeter Conversion Table

Here are some quick reference conversions from US Survey Foot (ft-us) to Decimeter (dm):