Convert Barleycorn (barleycorn) to Exameter (Em) instantly.
About these units
Barleycorn (barleycorn)
The barleycorn is an English unit, approximately 1/3 inch (8.47 mm), originally based on the length of a grain of barley. It served as a small-scale measure in tailoring, shoe sizing, and other crafts. In particular, the English shoe size system was historically based on barleycorns, with increments in size corresponding to single barleycorn units. This unit exemplifies the anthropometric and agronomic origins of measurement. Even today, the barleycorn's influence persists in the traditional shoe sizing system in the UK and the US, providing continuity with historical practices.
Exameter (Em)
An exameter, equal to 10¹⁸ meters, reaches into the interstellar and even intergalactic scale. It is useful for describing the dimensions of star clusters, distances between major astronomical features, or large-scale cosmological structures. Only a handful of physical phenomena require expression in exameters, and even then, astronomers typically prefer parsecs or light-years. The unit sees more use in theoretical physics, cosmology, and data modeling where SI uniformity is necessary. For example, mathematical simulations of the universe's evolution may employ exameters in their internal computations. Although too large for everyday use, the exameter highlights the vastness of the universe and the adaptability of the metric system to describe phenomena across incomprehensible scales.