Meter

Definition: A meter, or metre (symbol: m), is the base unit of length and distance in the International System of Units (SI). The meter is defined as the distance traveled by light in 1/299,792,458 of a second. This definition was modified in 2019 to reflect changes in the definition of the second.

History/origin: Originally, in 1793, the meter was defined as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole. This changed in 1889, when the International prototype metre was established as the length of a prototype meter bar (made of an alloy of 90% platinum and 10% iridium) measured at the melting point of ice. In 1960, the meter was again redefined, this time in terms of a certain number of wavelengths of a certain emission line of krypton-86. The current definition of the meter is effectively the same as the definition that was adopted in 1983, with slight modifications due to the change in definition of the second.

Current use: Being the SI unit of length, the meter is used worldwide in many applications such as measuring distance, height, length, width, etc. The United States is one notable exception in that it largely uses US customary units such as yards, inches, feet, and miles instead of meters in everyday use. Meters are the standard unit for scientific measurements and are used globally in engineering, construction, athletics, and most international sports.

Mile

Definition: A mile (symbol: mi or m) is a unit of length in the imperial and US customary systems of measurement. It is currently defined as 5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, or exactly 1,609.344 meters.

History/origin: The mile is an English unit (predecessor of Imperial units and United States Customary Units) of length. The use of the abbreviation "m" for mile was common before the widespread adoption of the metric system; after the adoption of the metric system, "mi" became the preferred abbreviation in order to avoid confusion between miles and meters. The definition of a mile as 5,280 feet (or 8 furlongs), sometimes referred to as the statute mile, international mile, or land mile, which differs from the Roman mile of 5,000 feet, developed due to the importance of the furlong in England, back in 1593. There also exist a number of units based on, or closely related to, the Roman mile, including the nautical mile (1.852 km exactly), Italian mile (~1.852 km), and the Chinese mile (500m exactly).

Current use: Although most countries have adopted the metric system and use kilometers, rather than miles, to express land distance, the mile is still prevalently used in countries such as the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Myanmar, and Liberia, as well as some other countries which are either US or UK territories, or have historical ties with either country.

Meter to Mile Conversion Table

How to Convert Meter to Mile