What is the diference between a noutical mile and a normal mile and why are they diferent?

Question

What is the diference between a noutical mile and a normal mile and why are they diferent?

Answer 1

A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of latitude along any meridian. It is a non-SI unit used especially by navigators in the shipping and aviation industries.

The international standard definition is: 1 nautical mile = 1,852 metres exactly

The international mile (and before 1959, the statute mile) is the distance typically meant when the word mile is used without other qualifying words (e.g. nautical mile, see below). The international and statute miles are all equal to 5,280 feet, but the international mile is defined in terms of the international foot, while the statute miles of the various English-speaking countries were based on the national foot of each country. The (mostly obsolete) U.S. statute mile is based on the U.S. survey foot (which is exactly 1200/3937 m) and differs from the international mile by about 3 mm. [5]

Answer 2

It looks like you've already received many Wikipedia copies as an answer. Now, here is my own story:

The ancient babylonians divided the circle in 360 degrees because they believed it was the right ascension of the sun for one day, hence a year of 360 days.

They further divided in fractions of sixty which was they way to calculate fractions. They used the northern star as the reference in finding their latitude and therefore the 'mile' became for all seafarers in the past 3,000 years the unit of distance since it was a minute of a degree.

Today, it is what we call the nautical mile, which is also the unit of distance for the unit of speed; the knot.

But then, why having a different 'normal' mile? Well, there is no other 'normal' mile; you have one in the USA, we have another here, in Norway, etc.

The reason it appeared different miles is that, in order to measure it, you need to know the earth diameter so that you can divide the angle by the distance. But the earth diameter was wrongly estimated for many centuries. For example, Christopher Columbus used the Italian mile that was the former Roman mile that was quite shorter. It is that, in addition that he miscalculated to distances covered by Marco Polo, that gave him the idea that he could reach faster India (and the spices islands!) sailing west instead of east.

Since that time different countries have had different 'normal' miles but seafarers who need an accurate unit of distance in order to nagivate accurately, used a more and more accurate mile that is now known as the nautical mile.

I hope you enjoyed the story. The history of navigation is my favourite litterature.

Answer 3

The word "mile" is from the French "mille," meaning "a thousand," and goes back to medieval systems of measurement

What you're calling a "normal" mile is no more or less "normal" than any other measure.  It just seems "normal" to people in countries--including the USA--where the statutory system has long been used.

The international mile is 5280 feet, based on an official, but erroneous, measure coming from British artillery calculations.  That's the "mile" most familiar to Americans.

The nautical mile is 1,000 fathoms, or 6,000 feet, and it is a much more reasonable unit of measure.  "Fathom," on the other hand, is a Middle French/Gaelic word that means "the height of a man."  The fathom was adopted in the Middle Ages as a convenient unit of measure for such things as lengths of rope and depths of water.

The 5,280-foot "mile" was supposed to be 1,000 fathoms, but the measuring stick was a 8.64 inches short.  After 1,000 measures, the error added up to 720 feet.

In the adoption of the nautical system, the error was corrected, giving an even 6,000 ft nautical mile, which also works out to be one minute of celestial arc projected on the earth's surface along any meridian.

As you have noticed by now, there is lots of history and science mixed up in this subject, and not everybody agrees on, or has learned, the correct values.

If you fly an airplane made in the last 40 years or so, the airspeed indicator will be calibrated in knots, or nautical miles per hour.  It is not correct to say or write "knots per hour."

So go forth and navigate.  Have fun.

Answer 4

1 nautical mile = 1.15 miles

Traveling 100kts per hour = Traveling 115 mph

Answer 5

they are different

Answer 6

A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of latitude along any meridian. It is a non-SI unit used especially by navigators in the shipping and aviation industries. It is commonly used in international law and treaties, especially regarding the limits of territorial waters. It developed from the geographical mile.

A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. Its size can vary from system to system, but in each is between one and ten kilometers. In contemporary English contexts, mile most commonly refers to the international mile of 5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, or exactly 1,609.344 meters.

A regular mile is used when working with land vehicles. A Nautical mile is dealt with in the Aviation and Marine industry as these types of transports will use knots as it strongly connects to Nautical Mile.

Answer 7

Simple answer....

statute mile(normal)   5280ft

Nautical mile               6076ft