Measurement of different kinds of things is done by different terms and units. Even for one same parameter, we have different units, each of them having a different value or being in a different metric system.
The seven fundamental units for different physical quantities are kilogram (mass), meter (length), Kelvin (temperature), Ampere (electric current), second (time), Candela (luminous intensity), and mole (amount of substance). This is about the SI system, while the CGS system has different units for the same parameters.
Yard vs Meter
The difference between Yard and Meter is that a yard is a unit used for the measurement of length while a meter is the standard unit used for the measurement of length. They both are used for measuring physical distances but differ in their presence and usage across the globe.
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The yard is the unit applicable in the United States and the United Kingdom, along with other American countries, for the measurement of length. It is not used globally as the unit for length.
Meter is the standard unit for the measurement of length. It is used globally and is the fundamental unit in the International Unit of Systems for length. One meter equals 100 centimeters, and 1000 meters equals one kilometer. The symbol used to denote meter is ‘m’.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Yard | Meter |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The yard is an English unit used for length and is abbreviated as ‘yd.’ | The path length or the distance traveled by the light in 1/299792458 seconds in vacuum condition. |
| Symbol | yd | m |
| Histology | The English word ‘gerd’ or ‘gyrd’ was used for twigs, measuring rods, and branches. | Meter– derived from Greek word which means ‘to measure,’ and from French unit mètre. |
| Unit | US Customary system and British Imperial | International Standard Unit |
| Value equivalent | 0.9144 meter; 91.44 cm (centimeter) | 1.094 yards; 100 cm (centimeter) |
| Usage | Measurement of ground length such as cricket pitch, golf court, etc. | Meter is the standard unit used for all kinds of measurements of length. |
What is Yard?
A yard is an English unit used for length. It is abbreviated as ‘yd.’ The term yard is derived from the English word ‘gerd’ or ‘gyrd,’ which was originally used for twigs, measuring rods, and branches.
A physical standard was used to prepare a metal yardstick used for measurement. This metal yardstick was originally designed for the derivation of other measurements of length for the English system of measurements.
So, finally, in 1959, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia switched to the Canadian measurement system that comprised values where one yard was equal to 0.9144 meters. The yard system of measurement is still used for the measurement of fields in some countries such as America and in cases of Canadian Football association, cricket field dimensions, and in case of golf court dimensions.
What is Meter?
The meter has two spellings: meter (American spelling, derived from a Greek word which means ‘to measure,’ and from French unit mètre) and meter (International Bureau of Weights and Measures or, Bureau International des Poids et Mesures spelling, and British spelling). Meter is used globally and is the international standard unit of length.
Meter in SI unit system is demoted as ‘m’. Definition of the length according to the SI system: The path length or the distance traveled by the light in 1/299792458 seconds in vacuum conditions.
The current definition in use was adopted 23 years later, in 1983. A unit of an imperial inch equals 0.0254 meters, 25.4 millimeters, or 2.54 centimeters.
Main Differences Between Yard and Meter
- The yard is a measurement of length that was predominantly used in the United States and the United Kingdom. Meter is a unit of length that was predominantly used in Canadian countries but is now the International Standard for length all over the globe.
- The yard is obsolete and is used in the measurement of ground length such as cricket pitch, golf court, etc. Meter is the standard unit used for all kinds of measurements of length.
- One yard equals 0.9144 meters, while one meter equals 1.094 yards.
- In terms of the CGS unit, one yard equals 91.44 cm (centimeter) while a meter equals 100 cm (centimeter).
- Originally, a yardstick was used for measurement in terms of yards. For measurement in terms of meter, a scale or measuring tape is used in general daily life.
- https://journals.aps.org/pri/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevSeriesI.1.19
- https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED414182
- https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=eHd_A2sYNfQC&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=yard+and+meter&ots=2VzMgJj6FP&sig=evc0TTFZvBgSHlrujp3nToIFXdM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=yard%20and%20meter&f=false
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
