A US public land survey section is one square mile or 640 acres.
Sections to Barns Converter — section to b
Convert Section (section) to Barn (b) using the exact conversion factor (1 section = 2.589988e+34 barn). See the formula, worked examples, and conversion table.
Sections to Barns converter
Converter
Area Converter
Convert land, construction, mapping, survey, and scientific area units.
Context values
Some unit families need one extra value for a physically accurate result.
A barn is a nuclear cross-section unit equal to 1e-28 square meters.
Result = input x 2.58998811e+6 / 1e-28.
Area uses the square meter as the base unit.
Reserved above the conversion cards and below the converter.
About Converting Sections to Barns
Comparing Section and Barn is common in agriculture and real estate, where US land is typically measured in acres and most of the rest of the world uses hectares. Specifically: A US public land survey section is one square mile or 640 acres, and a barn is a nuclear cross-section unit equal to 1e-28 square meters.
Formula
barns = sections × 2.589988e+34
This factor comes from each unit's defined relationship to the category's base unit: 1 section equals 2589988.11034 base units, and 1 barn equals 1e-28 base units, so dividing one by the other gives the direct section-to-barn factor of 2.589988e+34.
Simple example
1 section × 2.589988e+34 = 2.589988e+34 b
1 section = 2.589988e+34 barns.
Real-world example
10 section × 2.589988e+34 = 2.589988e+35 b
10 sections = 2.589988e+35 barns.
Conversion table
| Section (section) | Barn (b) |
|---|---|
| 1 section | 2.589988e+34 b |
| 5 section | 1.294994e+35 b |
| 10 section | 2.589988e+35 b |
| 25 section | 6.47497e+35 b |
| 50 section | 1.294994e+36 b |
| 100 section | 2.589988e+36 b |
Reverse conversion: Barn to Section
2.589988e+34 b × 3.861022e-35 = 0.9999999574 section
2.589988e+34 barns = 0.9999999574 sections.
sections = barns × 3.861022e-35
For a page dedicated to this direction, see Barn to Section.
Understanding the Section (section)
A US public land survey section is one square mile or 640 acres.
Understanding the Barn (b)
A barn is a nuclear cross-section unit equal to 1e-28 square meters.
Reserved between the cards and the FAQ so the page stays balanced.
Frequently asked questions
How many barns are in 1 section?
1 section equals 2.589988e+34 barns, using the exact defined conversion factor rather than an estimate.
How do I convert section to barn?
Multiply the section value by 2.589988e+34. The converter above does this instantly to whatever precision you set.
How do I convert barn back to section?
Use the reverse factor: 1 barn equals 3.861022e-35 sections. You can also use the swap control in the converter above to flip the direction instantly.
What is a section?
Section (section) is a unit of area.
What is a barn?
Barn (b) is a unit of area.
Is the section to barn conversion exact?
Yes. Both section and barn are defined by fixed standards rather than physical artifacts, so the factor of 2.589988e+34 used above is exact to as many digits as you choose to display.