Fathom

High school (ages 12+)
Mathematics & Numbers

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/fathom

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the definition?A unit of length equal to 6 feet (1.8288 meters)
2. What is the primary application?Measuring the depth of water, especially in maritime contexts
3. Why do sailors use fathoms?Sailors use fathoms to measure how deep the water is. Knowing the depth helps ships avoid hidden rocks or reefs.
4. How did the fathom become a standard unit?It started as a human measure, then people agreed on a fixed size of 6 feet. Later it was linked to other units like the yard and the nautical mile.

Imperial System: A system of weights and measures historically used in the British Empire and the United States.
U.S. Customary System: The system of weights and measures used in the United States, largely based on imperial units.
Nautical Mile: A unit of distance used in maritime and air navigation, defined as 1,852 meters.
Sounding: The process of measuring the depth of a body of water.