What unit is a fathom?

Study for the Naval Ships and Submarines Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

What unit is a fathom?

Explanation:
A fathom is a length unit used in nautical measurement, historically based on the span of a person’s outstretched arms. It is standardized as six feet. That’s why six feet is the correct equivalence. In practice, depth on charts is often given in fathoms, so a depth of five fathoms would be about 30 feet (roughly 9.14 meters, since 1 fathom ≈ 1.8288 meters). The other options don’t match this widely used nautical unit.

A fathom is a length unit used in nautical measurement, historically based on the span of a person’s outstretched arms. It is standardized as six feet. That’s why six feet is the correct equivalence. In practice, depth on charts is often given in fathoms, so a depth of five fathoms would be about 30 feet (roughly 9.14 meters, since 1 fathom ≈ 1.8288 meters). The other options don’t match this widely used nautical unit.

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