# Micrometers to Chains (μm to ch)

Source: https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/micrometers-to-chains/

**1 μm = 4.9709695378987E-8 ch**

One micrometer equals approximately 4.971 x 10-8 chains. A chain (66 feet / 20,116,800 um) contains about 20.1 million micrometers. The micrometer measures cells; the chain measures English land parcels. They have never interacted.

## Formula

Convert Micrometers to Chains

## Conversion Table

| Micrometers (μm) | Chains (ch) |
|---|---|
| 1 μm | 4.970969537898E-8 ch |
| 100 μm | 4.9709695378987E-6 ch |
| 10000 μm | 0.00049709695378987 ch |
| 100000 μm | 0.0049709695378987 ch |
| 1000000 μm | 0.049709695378987 ch |
| 10000000 μm | 0.49709695378987 ch |
| 20116800 μm | 1 ch |
| 100000000 μm | 4.9709695378987 ch |
| 1000000000 μm | 49.709695378987 ch |

## Units

### Micrometer (μm)

One millionth of a meter, also called a micron. Used in biology for cell sizes, in engineering for surface finishes, and in manufacturing tolerances.

### Chain (ch)

Exactly 66 feet or 4 rods (20.1168 m). Invented by Edmund Gunter for land surveying. 80 chains make one mile. Still used in US public land surveys.

## Background

A chain is about 20.1 million micrometers. A bacterium (2 um) is about 10-7 chains. A cricket pitch (1 chain) contains about 20 million micrometer-lengths. These units occupy completely different scales.

## Good to Know

The micrometer was born from microscopy in the 19th century. The chain was born from land surveying in the 17th century. They represent different eras, different professions, and different scales. Their only connection is that both are human attempts to measure the physical world.

## FAQ

### How many chains is 1 micrometer?

One micrometer equals approximately 4.971 x 10-8 chains (about 1/20 millionth of a chain).

### How many micrometers are in 1 chain?

One chain contains approximately 20,116,800 um (about 20.1 million).

### Is this conversion used?

Never. Microscopy and land surveying exist in completely different measurement domains.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### How many bacteria fit on a cricket pitch?

A cricket pitch is 1 chain = 20.1 million um long and about 3 m (3 million um) wide. At 2 um per bacterium, about 10 million bacteria fit lengthwise and 1.5 million widthwise. That is about 15 trillion bacteria covering the pitch surface. Cricket pitches are not sterile.

### Could you survey land with a microscope?

A microscope measures in micrometers. A chain measures in feet. Using a microscope to survey a field would be like using a teaspoon to measure the ocean: technically possible, practically insane, and you would die of old age before finishing.

### How thick is the paint on a surveyor's chain link in micrometers?

Protective paint on metal is typically 50-100 um thick. A chain link is about 8 mm (8,000 um) in diameter. The paint is about 1-1.25% of the link's thickness. The chain's protection is microscopically thin compared to what it protects.

## Related Articles

- [Why We Measure: The Deepest Urge in Human Civilisation](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/why-we-measure)
- [The Map Is Not the Territory: Why Every Measurement Is Wrong](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-map-is-not-the-territory)
- [Zero: The Most Dangerous Number in Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/zero-the-most-dangerous-number-in-measurement)
- [The Body as a Ruler: Every Measurement Unit That Came From Us](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-body-as-a-ruler)
- [The Speed of Everything: How We Measure From Glaciers to Light](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-speed-of-everything)
- [15 Obscure Measurement Units You've Never Heard Of (But Still Need)](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/obscure-measurement-units-guide)
- [When Measurements Go Wrong - Disasters, Blunders and Happy Accidents](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/when-measurements-go-wrong)
- [The Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Units of Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/stories-behind-measurement-units)
- [Metric vs. Imperial - The Complete Guide to the World's Two Measurement Systems](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/metric-vs-imperial-complete-guide)
- [Length & Distance Conversion Guide - Meters, Feet, Miles & Kilometers](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/length-and-distance-guide)

## See Also

- [Chains to Micrometers](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/chains-to-micrometers/)