The distance converter offers units suited to longer distances. The length converter offers a different menu for dimensions. Both change the units of a supplied number; their examples do not make them route planners or geometry tools.
| Feature | Distance | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Controls | Distance, From, To | Value, From, To |
| Unit menus | km, mi, m, ft | m, ft, in, yd |
| Base | Meters | Meters |
| Primary format | Up to 4 fractional places | Up to 6 fractional places |
| Supporting panel | Every supported unit except target | Units other than source and target |
| Negative values | Rejected | Converted as signed values |
Both use the international 1 ft = 0.3048 m. The other relevant definitions are 1 in = 0.0254 m, 1 yd = 0.9144 m, and 1 mi = 1,609.344 m. Their meter/foot arithmetic uses the same dimensional factors, but different output rounding can produce different displayed strings.
The distance default 5 km → miles displays 3.1069 mi. Its supporting meters row uses up to two fractional places; other supporting distance units use up to four. The length default 1 m → feet displays 3.28084 ft. A worked 2 m → feet result displays 6.56168 ft, with 78.740157 inches and 2.187227 yards as supporting values.
When length source and target differ, two other units remain. When both selections are the same unit, three other units remain; the panel is not always two rows. A signed example −2 ft → meters displays −0.6096 m. The length computation does not add a negative-input warning note. Both Copy strings summarize the input and target with their respective fractional-place maxima.
Use the menu containing the units you need. These conversions do not establish navigation accuracy, a measured path, fabrication tolerance, object clearance or suitability for an installation.
Sources
- NIST SP 811, 2008 edition — International foot, inch, yard and mile conversion factors only; not navigation, fabrication or installation assurance.