What unit is a fathom?

Study for the Naval Ships and Submarines Test. Enhance your naval knowledge with comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Prepare confidently for your examination!

Multiple Choice

What unit is a fathom?

Explanation:
A fathom is a length unit used in nautical measurement, historically based on the span of a person’s outstretched arms. It is standardized as six feet. That’s why six feet is the correct equivalence. In practice, depth on charts is often given in fathoms, so a depth of five fathoms would be about 30 feet (roughly 9.14 meters, since 1 fathom ≈ 1.8288 meters). The other options don’t match this widely used nautical unit.

A fathom is a length unit used in nautical measurement, historically based on the span of a person’s outstretched arms. It is standardized as six feet. That’s why six feet is the correct equivalence. In practice, depth on charts is often given in fathoms, so a depth of five fathoms would be about 30 feet (roughly 9.14 meters, since 1 fathom ≈ 1.8288 meters). The other options don’t match this widely used nautical unit.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy