What Is This Tool?
This converter transforms measurements from Earth's polar radius, a geodetic length denoting the distance from Earth's center to its geographic pole, into links, a historic English surveying unit. It's ideal for relating large geodetic lengths to historic land measurement units.
How to Use This Tool?
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Enter the measurement value in Earth's polar radius units
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Select 'Earth's polar radius' as the from-unit
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Choose 'link [li]' as the to-unit
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Click convert to get the equivalent length in links
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Review the result and apply it to geodetic or historical research
Key Features
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Converts from Earth's polar radius to the historic link (li) unit
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Browser-based, easy-to-use length conversion
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Supports geodetic and historical surveying use cases
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Provides exact unit definitions for clarity
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Includes practical examples for quick reference
Examples
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1 Earth's polar radius equals 31,599,344.826214 link (li)
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0.5 Earth's polar radius converts to 15,799,672.413107 link (li)
Common Use Cases
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Converting geodetic measurements to historic surveying units
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Interpreting distances in old land deeds or cadastral records
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Studying satellite orbits and Earth-shape via geodetic data
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Reconstructing historical property boundaries from archival maps
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Cartography related to 18th–19th century land surveys
Tips & Best Practices
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Verify units carefully before converting between modern and historic measures
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Use this tool to assist in research involving old land survey documents
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Complement conversions with geodetic knowledge for satellite or Earth science contexts
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Keep in mind the link is primarily relevant for historical land surveying
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Cross-check results when dealing with very large or precise geodetic values
Limitations
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The link is a non-SI, historic unit mostly relevant to older surveying practices
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Conversions involving large geodetic lengths may face precision constraints
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Modern geodetic work generally favors meter-based units for accuracy and consistency
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Earth's polar radius used for?
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It defines the semi-minor axis of geodetic reference ellipsoids, aiding mapping, GPS, satellite orbit modeling, and Earth shape studies.
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Why convert Earth's polar radius to links?
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To relate large geodetic measurements to the historic link unit, useful for interpreting old land records and cadastral documents.
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Is the link unit still commonly used?
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No, it is mainly a historic unit used in 18th–19th century surveying and land measurement.
Key Terminology
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Earth's Polar Radius
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The distance from Earth's center to the mean geographic pole, defining the semi-minor axis of a reference ellipsoid.
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Link (li)
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A historic English unit of length equal to 1/100 of Gunter's chain, used in 18th–19th century land surveying.
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WGS84
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A widely used geodetic reference ellipsoid defining Earth's shape and size for mapping and GPS.