What is Yard: Definition With Examples

Aren’t we constantly measuring things in our daily lives? We are curious about how tall a building is; we want to know how much a packet of sugar weighs or our body temperature. Ever wondered how you can get the answer to these questions?

To find the answers to these questions, we often use tools that help us gauge them. When we measure things, we obtain the result as a numeric value with certain units. We have different units to measure each of these quantities: length, mass, capacity (volume), and temperature. A yard is one such unit to measure length, which is commonly used in the United States.  

US Customary System of Measurement 

A system of measurement is a collection of units of measurement and rules relating them to each other. There are 3 systems of measurement commonly used in the world. The US customary system is one of them.

Customary Units for Length

Length and distances in the customary system are measured in inches, feet, yards, and miles. 

What does Yard mean in Math?

A yard is a unit of length in both US Customary and British Imperial Systems of Measurement. It is equivalent to 3 feet or 36 inches. Its symbol is yd. It is often used to measure the length of medium-sized objects. For example, furniture, football field, etc.

The image given below would help kids understand the meaning of yard better.

How Do We Convert Yard to Other Units

Yards to Inches

We have learned that a yard is equal to 36 inches. So, to convert the yard to inches, we multiply the given value by 36. Let’s understand this through an example by converting 10 yards into inches.

We know that 1 yd = 36 inches.

So, 10 yds = 10 x 36 inches = 360 inches. 

Yards to Feet

We have learned that a yard is equal to 3 feet. So, to convert yard to foot, we multiply the given value by 3. Let’s understand this through an example by converting 5 yards into feet. We know that 1 yard = 3 feet.

So, 5 yds = 5 x 3 feet = 15 feet.

Yard to Meters

Meter is an SI unit (International System of Units) of length that is most commonly used throughout the world. A yard is equal to 0.9144 meters.

To convert yard to meters, we multiply the given value by 0.9144.

To convert meters to yards, we divide by 0.9144.

Let’s understand this through an example by converting 6 yards into meters.  

We know that 1 yd =  0.9144 meters.

So, 6 yds = 6 x 0.9144 meters = 5.4864 meters.

Conversion Table for Different Units of Length

Fun Facts! 

• A yard was originally the length of a man’s belt or girdle.
• In the 12th century, King Henry I of England fixed the yard as the distance from his nose to the thumb of his outstretched arm.
• A yardstick is equal to one yard or 3 feet.
• An rectangular football field measures 100 yards between the goal lines.  

Solved Examples

Example 1: How many feet are equal to 8 yds?

Solution: 

We know that 1 yd = 3 feet

So, 8 yds = 8 x 3 feet = 24 feet

Therefore, 8 yds are equal to 24 feet.

Example 2: How many yards are equal to 30 feet?

Solution:  

We know that 1 yd = 3 feet. This means a foot represents ⅓ of a yard.

So, to convert feet into yards, we divide by 3.  

30 feet = 30 ÷ 3 yds = 10 yds

Therefore, 30 feet are equal to 10 yds.

Example 3:  Convert 7 yds into meters.

Solution:  We know that 1 yd = 0.9144 meters

So, 7 yds = 7 x 0.9144 meters = 6.4008 meters

Therefore, 7 yds are equal to 6.4008 meters

Practice Problems

Frequently Asked Questions