Length
Measure of distance in physical space / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the International System of Units (SI) system the base unit for length is the metre.
| Length | |
|---|---|
 | |
Common symbols | l |
| SI unit | metre (m) |
Other units | see unit of length |
| Extensive? | yes |
| Dimension | L |
Length is commonly understood to mean the most extended dimension of a fixed object.[1] However, this is not always the case and may depend on the position the object is in.
Various terms for the length of a fixed object are used, and these include height, which is vertical length or vertical extent, and width, breadth or depth. Height is used when there is a base from which vertical measurements can be taken. Width or breadth usually refer to a shorter dimension when length is the longest one. Depth is used for the third dimension of a three dimensional object.[2]
Length is the measure of one spatial dimension, whereas area is a measure of two dimensions (length squared) and volume is a measure of three dimensions (length cubed).