Convert Dekameter (dam) to Arpent (arpent) instantly.
About these units
Dekameter (dam)
A dekameter (sometimes spelled "decameter"), equal to ten meters, is another unit in the metric system that is infrequently used in everyday life. Its primary applications arise in surveying, topographic mapping, and environmental science. When measuring the heights of waves, depth increments in lakes, or widths of natural features like river channels, the dekameter provides a convenient scale—large enough to avoid cumbersome numbers yet small enough to maintain meaningful detail. While modern GPS and digital mapping tools often use meters directly, the dekameter persists in specialty fields that value standardized interval measurements. For example, contour intervals on geographic maps may be expressed in dekameters for uniformity. The unit's relative obscurity reflects the public's preference for units with intuitive relevance (like meters and kilometers), but its presence is nonetheless important in systematic metric progression.
Arpent (arpent)
The arpent is a French unit of length and area, historically used in France and French colonial territories like Louisiana and Canada. As a length, it was roughly 58.47 meters, while as an area unit it varied regionally but was commonly used for agricultural plots. The arpent was central to land measurement, urban planning, and agriculture, particularly in colonies where standard French units were imposed. It helped define plots for farming, taxation, and property distribution, often in combination with other traditional French units such as the perche. Although largely replaced by metric units, the arpent remains significant for historians, geographers, and legal scholars interpreting colonial-era land documents and property records.