Convert Hand to Chain
Convert hands to chains instantly. 1 hand = 0.0050505051 chain — use the live calculator, the exact formula, a conversion table and worked examples. Also check the Chain to Hand converter for the reverse conversion.
Units explained
Hand
A hand is an Imperial unit of length equal to 4 inches (101.6 mm). It is used primarily to measure the height of horses at the withers.
The hand derives from the average breadth of a human hand and was standardised at exactly 4 inches by the Statute of Henry VIII in 1541.
Hands are used worldwide for horse height specification (the typical riding horse is 14–17 hh). Also used in some equestrian-adjacent contexts. The unit is now almost exclusively a horse-measurement convention.
Standardised at 4 inches by Henry VIII in 1541; value became exact in 1959 when the inch was fixed at 25.4 mm.
Chain
A chain is an Imperial unit of length equal to 66 feet (20.1168 m), or exactly 4 rods or 100 links. It is the central unit in the Gunter chain-based land-survey system.
Defined by Edmund Gunter in 1620 specifically to make land-area arithmetic easy: 10 square chains = 1 acre exactly. The 66-foot length and 100-link subdivision were chosen so chain measurements could be added decimally.
Chains are the fundamental unit of legacy US public land surveys (the entire US township-and-range system uses chains). Modern survey work generally uses meters or feet, but legacy deeds remain in chains.
Invented by Edmund Gunter in 1620; standardised throughout English and American land survey; became exact via the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement.
Hand to Chain conversion formula
The relationship between hands and chains:
To convert hands to chains, multiply the value in hands by 0.0050505051. To reverse, multiply chains by 198.
How to use this converter
Type a value into the calculator. The result in chains updates as you type. Tap a quick value, copy the result with one click, or use the swap arrow to jump straight to the Chain to Hand converter for the reverse direction.
Step-by-step: convert hands to chains
- Write down the value in hands (hh).
- Multiply that value by the factor 0.0050505051.
- The product is the equivalent value in chains (ch).
- To reverse, multiply the chain value by 198.
Worked examples
Example 1 — Convert 1 hh to ch:
1 × 0.0050505051 = 0.0050505051 ch
Example 2 — Convert 100 hh to ch:
100 × 0.0050505051 = 0.5050505051 ch
Real-world example — Fabric purchase length
Two hands of fabric equals a value in chains essential for tailors and textile buyers sourcing material from international suppliers that quote in different units.
2 hh × 0.0050505051 = 0.0101010101 ch
Real-world example — Maritime depth conversion
A 10-hand sounding depth converts cleanly into chains. Recreational divers and sailors translate between the two units whenever they read legacy charts against modern depth-sounder displays.
10 hh × 0.0050505051 = 0.0505050505 ch
Real-world example — Reference scenario in case of fallback
Conversion between human-scale length units is the everyday workflow of architecture, athletics, and apparel design — three of the most common contexts that span metric and imperial systems.
1 hh × 0.0050505051 = 0.0050505051 ch
Hand to Chain conversion table
Standard reference values for converting hands to chains:
| Hand [hh] | Chain [ch] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 | 5.050505e-5 |
| 0.1 | 0.0005050505 |
| 1 | 0.0050505051 |
| 2 | 0.0101010101 |
| 3 | 0.0151515152 |
| 4 | 0.0202020202 |
| 5 | 0.0252525253 |
| 10 | 0.0505050505 |
| 20 | 0.101010101 |
| 30 | 0.1515151515 |
| 40 | 0.202020202 |
| 50 | 0.2525252525 |
| 100 | 0.5050505051 |
| 500 | 2.5252525253 |
| 1000 | 5.0505050505 |
Frequently asked questions
How many chains is 1 hand?
How do I convert hands to chains?
How do I convert chains back to hands?
How many chains is 100 hands?
Popular length unit conversions
Convert Hand to other length units
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Metric / SI (4 units)
Imperial / US Customary (26 units)
Sources & references
Conversion factor (1 hh = 0.0050505051 ch) verified against the following authoritative sources:
- BIPM — The International System of Units (SI Brochure 9th ed.)
Official BIPM publication defining the seven SI base units (including the meter) and the rules for their use. The global authority on units of measurement.
- NIST — Guide to the SI
US National Institute of Standards and Technology reference covering the SI base and derived units with definitions and usage rules for US technical practice.
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units
Detailed NIST guide covering exact conversion factors between SI and US customary units along with formatting and rounding conventions.
- NIST — Refinement of values for the yard and pound (Federal Register 1959)
The treaty (signed by US
- International Astronomical Union — System of Astronomical Constants
The IAU defines astronomical units including the AU (149597870700 m exactly) light-year and parsec used in astronomy and astrophysics.