Many probably heard phrases related to the concept of yard in foreign cinema. It is difficult for a Russian person to imagine the distance in a yard without possessing information about him, since we do not use this measure of length in everyday life. This measure is more suitable for the USA and Great Britain, where this value arose. But one way or another, you should know the approximate figure in standardized meters to understand what 1 yard is.
general information
Yard is an English measure of length (0.9144 meters) that has been used since the tenth century in the UK. Also, many English-speaking countries used the yard. Currently, the yard is not included in the SI system, but it is actively used in some countries. In addition to the yard, other measures of length are used in the historical homeland. The yard-to-foot ratio is 1: 3, and the ratio with the inch is 1:36.
History of occurrence
Initially, a yard, in English settlements, was called a straight branch or a thick rod, according to which the length was measured. Then, in the tenth century, King Edgar of England, who ruled from 959 to 975, introduced a new unit of measure for the yard. He considered a certain standard of length the distance from his nose to the tip of the middle finger of his hand, stretched to the side along his body. This shortest distance on the outstretched arm was called the yard.
After the death of the king, a new monarch ascended the throne, but his physique and growth were larger than the previous one, so the yard had to be changed upwards. A similar situation happened with the next ruler - the yard was changed. The constant change in the indicator of magnitude led people to confusion.
Yard, according to other versions, is the length of the waist of the king, others believe that this is the length of the monarch's sword, including the point and hilt.
In 1101, King Henry I stopped the variation of the yard and ordered to legalize the length of the yard on a standard of elm. Then new units were added: half-yard (half yard), span (fourth part of the yard), finger (eighth of the yard) and nail (sixteenth of the yard). Now the yard has a length of 0.9144 meters, although this measure has been repeatedly changed in recent centuries.
Today's time
To answer the question: "What is 1 yard in meters?" we can say that, the exact yard length was obtained in 1959 through negotiations between English-speaking countries: Great Britain, Australia, USA, Canada and New Zealand. At the congress, it was decided to take a general international yard measure, which was calibrated by standards and tied to a meter. 0.9144 meters - its exact length, to simplify it is rounded to 0.914 meters.
In order to convert yards to meters, multiply the number of yards by 0.914. To convert meters to yards, divide the numerical value of meters by 0.914.