How to Convert Miles: Step-by-Step Guide with Examples
A mile is defined as the unit of length, which is exactly equal to 5280 feet, or 1760 yards, and standardized as exactly 1609.344 meters by the International agreement in 1959. It is the largest unit that is commonly used to measure the distance between places that are far from each other.
While most of the countries replaced mile with kilometres when turning to the International System of Units, the international miles continues to be used in some countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, Liberia and a number of countries with less than 1 million inhabitants, most of which are US and UK territories or have a close tie-up with the US or UK.
Mile Symbol
The mile symbol ‘m’ was commonly used before the widespread adoption of the metric system, but after the adoption of the metric system, ‘mi’ became the preferred mile symbol to avoid confusion between miles and meters.
What is One Mile?
There are two types of miles namely nautical miles and statute miles.
1 Mile (Statute)= 5280 Feet = 1760 Yards = 63,360 inches
1 Mile (Nautical) = 6080.2 Feet = 2025.371 yards = 72913.3
How Much is a Mile?
A mile is exactly 1.609344 kilometres or 1609.34 meters. It usually takes 15-20 minutes to cover 1 mile by walking at a moderate pace.
Feets Per Mile
The Romans divided their miles into 5000 feet. In the US and UK, the mile unit is commonly referred to as the statute mile which is equivalent to 8 furlongs or 5280 feet. The statute mile was introduced long back in England, in 1953 due to the importance of furlong.
How to Remember Feet Per Mile
A mnemonic “ Five Tomatoes'' is a precise way to remember that there are 5280 feet in a mile as it sounds like “ five two eight oh”.
How Nautical Miles are Defined in Terms of Feet?
A nautical mile (abbreviated as m, nm or nmi) is a unit of length used in space navigation and air marine.
In the United States, the nautical mile was defined as 6080.2 feet long back in the 19 century whereas, in the United Kingdom, the nautical mile was defined as 6080 feet and was approximately one minute of latitude in the latitude of the south of the UK. In other countries of the UK, the nautical mile is defined differently, but now the nautical mile is defined internationally as 1852 metres or 6076.1154 feet.
Facts to Remember
1 nautical mile = 1.150779448 miles
1 nautical mile = 6076.12 feet
I statute mile = 5280 feet
Mile Unit Conversion Examples With Solution
1. Convert 15 Miles into Statute Feet.
Solution:
As we know,
1 mi = 5280 statue ft
Accordingly,
To convert statute 15 mi into ft, we will multiply 15 by 5280.
= 15 x 5280
= 79200 ft
Hence, 15 statute miles is equivalent to 79200 feet.
2. Convert 15 Miles into Nautical Feet.
Solution:
As we know,
1 mi = 6076.12 statue ft
Accordingly,
To convert 15 nautical mi into ft, we will multiply 15 by 6076.12.
= 15 x 6076.12
= 91,141.8 ft
Hence, 15 nautical miles is equivalent to 91,141.8 feet.
3. Convert 15 Miles into Metres.
Solution:
As we know,
1 mi = 1609.344 m
Accordingly,
To convert 15 mi into m, we will multiply 15 by 1609.344.
= 15 x 1609.344
= 24140.16 m
Hence, 15 miles is equivalent to 24140.16 metres.
4. Convert 15 miles into Kilometres.
Solution:
As we know,
1 mi = 1.60934 km
Accordingly,
To convert 15 mi into m, we will multiply 15 by 1.60934.
= 15 x 1.60934
= 24.1402 m
Hence, 15 miles is equivalent to 24.1402 kilometres.
FAQs on What Is a Mile in Mathematics?
1. What exactly is a mile and what is its standard abbreviation?
A mile is a unit of length in the imperial and US customary systems of measurement. It is most commonly used for measuring geographical distances on land, such as the distance between cities. The standard abbreviation for a mile is 'mi'. One statute mile is equal to 5,280 feet or approximately 1.609 kilometres.
2. How many kilometres are in one mile?
One mile is longer than one kilometre. Specifically, 1 mile is equal to approximately 1.60934 kilometres. For quick estimations, you can remember that a mile is about 1.6 times a kilometre, so a 10-mile distance is roughly 16 kilometres.
3. How many feet and yards are in one statute mile?
The statute mile, which is the standard mile used on land, is defined by its relationship to other imperial units. There are exactly:
- 5,280 feet in one mile.
- 1,760 yards in one mile.
4. What is the main difference between a statute mile and a nautical mile?
The primary difference between a statute mile and a nautical mile is their basis and application. The statute mile is used for land-based distances and is equivalent to 1,609 metres. In contrast, the nautical mile is used for air and sea travel and is based on the Earth's circumference, equalling 1,852 metres. A nautical mile is therefore longer than a statute mile.
5. What is the historical origin of the unit 'mile'?
The term 'mile' originates from the Roman Empire. It comes from the Latin phrase 'mille passus', which translates to 'a thousand paces'. For the Romans, a pace was considered to be two steps, and a thousand of these paces set the length of the Roman mile, which was about 4,850 feet, slightly shorter than the modern statute mile.
6. Why do some countries still use miles instead of the metric system's kilometres?
The continued use of miles in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom is largely due to historical and cultural reasons. The imperial system was established long before the metric system. Switching all road signs, educational materials, and public understanding to kilometres is a massive, expensive, and complex undertaking known as metrification. For this reason, these countries have maintained the mile as their standard unit for road distances.
7. How can a mile be measured in terms of time, such as minutes or hours?
This is a common point of confusion. A mile is a unit of distance, not time, so it cannot be directly measured in minutes or hours. The time it takes to cover a mile depends entirely on your speed. For example:
- Walking at a brisk pace, you might cover a mile in 15-20 minutes.
- Running, an average person might cover a mile in 8-12 minutes.
- Driving a car at 60 miles per hour, you cover one mile in exactly 1 minute.
8. In which real-world fields are miles and nautical miles primarily used?
The use of miles and nautical miles is specific to certain fields:
- Statute Miles (mi) are primarily used in the road transportation and infrastructure sectors of countries like the USA and UK. They are also used in some sports, like athletics (e.g., the 'mile run').
- Nautical Miles (nm) are the standard unit for distance in aviation (for pilots) and maritime (for sailors) navigation worldwide because they relate directly to the coordinates of latitude and longitude on a global scale.
9. Why is a nautical mile specifically defined based on the Earth's circumference?
A nautical mile is tied to the Earth's circumference for practical navigation. It is defined as one minute of arc along any meridian of latitude. This makes calculations for pilots and ship captains much simpler. When they look at a nautical chart, one minute of latitude on the chart equals one nautical mile of distance to travel, making it easy to plan routes and measure distances directly on the map without complex conversions.
