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Simple English definitions for legal terms
nautical mile
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A quick definition of nautical mile:
A nautical mile is a unit of measurement used for air and sea navigation. It is equal to one minute of arc of a great circle of the earth. This means that it is a way to measure distance based on the size of the earth. Different countries have used different measures in the past, but since 1959, the United States has used an international measure for a nautical mile. This measure is equal to 6,076.11549 feet or 1,852 meters.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: A nautical mile is a unit of measurement used for air and sea navigation. It is equal to one minute of arc of a great circle of the earth. The distance of a nautical mile varies depending on the shape of the earth. Since 1959, the United States has used an international measure for a nautical mile, set by the Hydrographic Bureau, which is equal to 6,076.11549 feet or 1,852 meters.
Example: A ship captain needs to know how far they have traveled on the ocean. They measure the distance in nautical miles instead of regular miles because it is more accurate for navigation on the curved surface of the earth.
Explanation: The example illustrates how a nautical mile is used in sea navigation. The captain needs to know the distance they have traveled, and using nautical miles is more precise because it takes into account the curvature of the earth.