[Sca-cooks] Measurement query for European members

[Decker, Terry D.]

A chain is a survey instrument of 100 links measuring 66 feet.  It is also
known as Gunter's chain.

A similar engineering instrument measures 100 feet.

It is also the unit of measure delimited by these instruments.

A rod (or pole) is a linear measure of 16.5 feet or 5.5 yards and the square
of this same measure.  An acre is 160 square rods.

IIRC, survey measures of acres, sections, etc. are not precisely square as
the surveyor must allow for the convergence of curvature of the earth.

Bear


> Quiz: anyone out there actually know how long one
> rod and one chain are? <grin>
> (640 acres in a square mile. One acre is equal to a square
> approximately 208.something feet on a side. You don't want
> to know how many gallons there are in an acre-foot. I once
> figured it out.)
>
> Alban
>