Nine-tenths (nine parts out of ten; 90%; 9/10) of a mile is equivalent to:
1.4484096 kilometers
1448.4096 meters
4752 feet
1584 yards
'One-tenth of a mile' means that you divide the mile up into 10 equal parts. It follows that if you're going to take nine-tenths of a mile, you are taking 9 of those parts.
More than ten-tenths (such as eleven-tenths or fourteen-tenths), the distance formed by the parts is greater than a mile because the units add up to more than the whole.
If fewer are taken, such as two-tenths or nine-tenths, the resulting distance is less than a mile.
How to Convert Lengths (courtesy of MathsisFun.com):
To convert length from one unit to another: multiply by the correct number.
Follow these steps:
Find the correct conversion number (see Conversion Charts)
Then multiply by that number
Sometimes you can get the conversion the "wrong way around", so it is a good idea to think "will my answer be more or less?"
If you get the wrong answer, try dividing by the conversion number.