Convert Cuerda (cuerda) to Sabin (sabin) instantly.
About these units
Cuerda (cuerda)
The cuerda is a traditional land unit used primarily in Puerto Rico, where it is legally defined as 3,930.395625 square meters—slightly smaller than a hectare and slightly larger than an acre. Cuerdas are widely used in real estate transactions, agriculture, and land management throughout the island. Farmland, forest preserves, and rural homesteads are typically measured in cuerdas rather than square meters or acreage. The cuerda's historical roots likely tie back to Spanish colonial surveying practices, but unlike many colonial units, the cuerda has been standardized, stabilized, and legally maintained well into the modern era. Its continued use reflects cultural identity as much as practicality; Puerto Ricans often conceptualize land parcels in cuerdas, making it a central part of the island's land-economy vocabulary.
Sabin (sabin)
A sabin is the acoustic unit of sound absorption area, equivalent to the absorption provided by one square foot of a perfectly absorbing surface. Unlike geometric area units, the sabin measures how much sound energy a surface absorbs rather than its physical size alone. Materials with partial absorption effectiveness—such as acoustic tiles or drapes—contribute fractional sabins depending on their absorption coefficient. Architects and acoustic engineers use sabins to design theaters, concert halls, classrooms, and workplaces. The unit translates directly into reverberation time calculations, making it a foundational concept in architectural acoustics.