Apace is aunit oflength consisting either of one normalwalking step (approximately 0.75 metres or 30 inches), or of a double step, returning to the same foot (approximately 1.5 metres or 60 inches). The normal pace length decreases with age and some health conditions.[1] The word "pace" is also used for units inverse to speed, used mainly for walking and running, commonlyminutes per kilometer.[2]
The word "pace" is also used to translate similar formal units in other systems of measurement.Pacing is also used as an informal measure insurveying, with the "pace" equal to two of the surveyor's steps reckoned through comparison with astandard rod orchain.
Like other traditional measurements, the pace started as an informalunit of length, but was later standardized, often with the specific length set according to a typical brisk or militarymarching stride.
In the United States the pace is an uncommoncustomary unit of length denoting a brisk singlestep and equal to2+1⁄2feet or 30.0inches or 76.2centimetres.[3][4]
TheAncient Roman pace (Latin:passus) was notionally the distance of a full stride from the position of one heel where it raised off of the ground to where it set down again at the end of the step: two steps, one by each foot. UnderMarcus Vipsanius Agrippa, it was standardized as the distance of twosteps (gradūs) or fiveRoman feet (pedes), about 1.48 meters or 4 feet 10 inches. One thousand paces were described simply asmille passus orpassuum, now known as aRoman mile; this is the origin of the English term "mile".
TheByzantine pace (Ancient Greek:βῆμα,bḗma) was an adaption of the Roman step, a distance of 2½ Greek feet.[7] Thedouble pace (βῆμα διπλοῦν,bḗma diploûn), meanwhile, was similar to the Roman unit, comprising 5 Greek feet.
TheWelsh pace (Welsh:cam) was reckoned as 3 Welsh feet of 9 inches and thus may be seen as similar to theEnglish yard: 3 paces made up aleap and 9000 aWelsh mile.
The Russianarshin is an archaic unit equal to 28 inches (710 mm) by definition. This originates from theOttomanarşın of around 27 inches (690 mm), defined as an arm's length.[i] In the 18th century, the AnglophilePeter the Great redefined the value of the units in terms of English units. The newarshin became a 'pace' of exactly 28".[8] Military use of this measure encouraged the thought of it as a pace, and thus easily measured in the field, and so it became the calibration measure forrifle sights.[9]
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