On a chart, distance is measured in nautical miles; each nautical mile equals how many feet?

On a chart, distance is measured in nautical miles; each nautical mile equals how many feet?

• A. 6000
• B. 6076
• C. 5280
• D. 3280

Answer: (B)

In chart work, distances use nautical miles because a nautical mile is tied to Earth's geometry: it represents one minute of arc along a meridian, which makes it a natural unit for measuring distances over the curved surface. One nautical mile is defined as 1,852 meters, which converts to about 6,076 feet. So, each nautical mile on the chart equals roughly 6,076 feet. The other figures are not the nautical mile: 6,000 feet is just a rough guess, 5,280 feet is a statute mile, and 3,280 feet is about a kilometer in feet. Therefore, the correct value is about 6,076 feet per nautical mile.

In chart work, distances use nautical miles because a nautical mile is tied to Earth's geometry: it represents one minute of arc along a meridian, which makes it a natural unit for measuring distances over the curved surface. One nautical mile is defined as 1,852 meters, which converts to about 6,076 feet. So, each nautical mile on the chart equals roughly 6,076 feet. The other figures are not the nautical mile: 6,000 feet is just a rough guess, 5,280 feet is a statute mile, and 3,280 feet is about a kilometer in feet. Therefore, the correct value is about 6,076 feet per nautical mile.