To convert parsecs to chains, multiply by 1.533880926e+15. That factor is the whole relationship: both units measure length, so the conversion is a proportion with no offset and no substance-specific constant.
Sixty-six feet — the length of a cricket pitch, and the unit the US Public Land Survey was laid out in. The distance at which one astronomical unit subtends one arcsecond: about 3.26 light-years.
The mil and the millimetre are not the same thing and are out by a factor of about forty. A mil is one thousandth of an inch — 0.0254 mm — and a spec sheet that quotes film thickness in mils means the small unit. British drawings write the same size as "thou". The tables underneath give both a plain step-by-step lookup and a list of real quantities expressed in chains, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
parsecs- The amount you are converting, in parsecs
1.53388092614e+15- The exact number of chains in one parsec
chains- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in parsecs.
- It is multiplied by 1.53388092614e+15, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in chains, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A round figure: 1 pc in chains
Take a round figure, roughly 1 pc. The conversion is a single multiplication — 1 × 1.53388e+15 — giving 1.53388e+15 ch. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 3.06776e+15 ch.
A larger figure: 100 pc in chains
At 100 pc (a larger figure), the same quantity in chains is 100 × 1.53388e+15 = 1.53388e+17 ch. One parsec is 1.53388e+15 chains, so the numbers grow as expected.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many chains are in one parsec?
Exactly 1.53388092614e+15. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert parsecs to chains?
chains = parsecs × 1.53388092614e+15. Reversed, parsecs = chains ÷ 1.53388092614e+15, which is the same as multiplying by 6.51941088099e-16.
Which is the bigger unit, the parsec or the chain?
The parsec. One parsec equals 1.53388e+15 chains.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure length. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a parsec?
The distance at which one astronomical unit subtends one arcsecond: about 3.26 light-years.
What is a chain?
Sixty-six feet — the length of a cricket pitch, and the unit the US Public Land Survey was laid out in.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Is there a quick way to do pc to ch in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: multiply by 1.5000e+15 instead of using the exact factor 1.5339e+15. At 100 that shortcut gives 1.5000e+17 chains, off by 3.3881e+15 chains or about 2.21%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Parsecs to chains reference tables
| Parsecs | Chains |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pc | 7.6694e+14 ch |
| 1 pc | 1.53388e+15 ch |
| 2 pc | 3.06776e+15 ch |
| 3 pc | 4.60164e+15 ch |
| 5 pc | 7.66940e+15 ch |
| 10 pc | 1.53388e+16 ch |
| 20 pc | 3.06776e+16 ch |
| 25 pc | 3.83470e+16 ch |
| 50 pc | 7.66940e+16 ch |
| 75 pc | 1.15041e+17 ch |
| 100 pc | 1.53388e+17 ch |
| 250 pc | 3.83470e+17 ch |
| 500 pc | 7.66940e+17 ch |
| 1000 pc | 1.53388e+18 ch |
| 5000 pc | 7.66940e+18 ch |
Exact factor: 1 parsec = 1.53388092614e+15 chains.
| Quantity | pc | ch |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 2.774e-18 pc | 0.004255 ch |
| A door height | 6.585e-17 pc | 0.101 ch |
| An Olympic pool | 1.620e-15 pc | 2.485 ch |
| The Eiffel Tower | 1.069e-14 pc | 16.4 ch |
| A marathon | 1.367e-12 pc | 2098 ch |
| Earth’s diameter | 4.129e-10 pc | 6.334e+05 ch |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.