20metres

Twenty metres is a unit of length in the metric system. The metre is the SI base unit of length, and 20 metres equals twenty times one metre. In decimal form it is approximately 65.6 feet, 21.9 yards, or 787.4 inches. The metre is defined as the distance light travels in vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second.

In sport and related contexts, twenty metres appears in several practical uses. A 20-metre sprint or acceleration test is common in fitness assessments, such as the 20 m shuttle run used to evaluate speed and endurance. Some swimming pools use 20-metre lengths for training lanes, especially where facilities are shorter than the standard 25-metre length. In diving, there is also a 20-metre high diving platform used in competitive events.

Outside sports, twenty metres may be encountered in construction, architecture, or surveying as a short, convenient measurement for planning and layout work. The term is widely understood in countries that use the metric system and follows the standard kilometre–metre conversions common to European and other international measures.

In amateur radio, the 20-metre band refers to the shortwave frequency range around 14 MHz, corresponding to a wavelength near 20 metres. It is used for long-distance communications, particularly during daylight hours, and is one of the widely employed HF bands.

See also: metre, foot, yard, shortwave radio bands, high diving platform.