MCQ Detailed View

A fathom is a traditional unit of length used primarily to measure the depth of water. It is widely used in navigation and maritime applications. One fathom is equal to 6 feet or approximately 1.8288 meters. This unit helps sailors and scientists quickly communicate water depth without using metric units.

Understanding conversions between different units of length is important in physical chemistry and related sciences. The fathom is larger than a foot but smaller than a yard. It is mainly practical for measuring oceans, rivers, and lakes, where precise metric measurements may be less convenient.

Other options, such as 6 meters, 60 feet, or 100 cm, are incorrect. 6 meters is much longer than a fathom, 60 feet is ten times larger, and 100 cm equals only 1 meter. These differences highlight why 6 feet is the correct equivalence for one fathom.

Historically, the fathom was based on the span of a person's outstretched arms. Its use continues in maritime charts, sonar readings, and depth soundings. Knowledge of such conversions is essential for students studying physical chemistry, physics, and engineering disciplines.

The relationship between fathoms and feet also helps in calculating distances in nautical miles and understanding pressure variations with depth in water. Fathoms are practical because they provide a compact, standardized way to express depth without resorting to large numbers of feet or meters.

By remembering that one fathom equals six feet, students can easily perform depth calculations, conversions, and practical experiments involving water measurements and maritime applications.