Weights and Measures

 

 

METRIC SYSTEM
LENGTH
Unit	Abbreviation	Number of Meters	Approximate U.S. Equivalent
kilometer	km	1,000	0.62 mile
hectometer	hm	100	328.08 feet
dekameter	dam	10	32.81 feet
meter	m	1	39.37 inches
decimeter	dm	0.1	3.94 inches
centimeter	cm	0.01	0.39 inch
millimeter	mm	0.001	0.039 inch
micrometer	µm	0.000001	0.000039 inch
AREA
Unit	Abbreviation	Number of Square Meters	Approximate U.S. Equivalent
square kilometer	sq km or km2	1,000,000	0.3861 square miles
hectare	ha	10,000	2.47 acres
are	a	100	119.60 square yards
square centimeter	sq cm or cm2	0.0001	0.155 square inch
VOLUME
Unit	Abbreviation	Number of Cubic Meters	Approximate U.S. Equivalent
cubic meter	m3	1	1.307 cubic yards
cubic decimeter	dm3	0.001	61.023 cubic inches
cubic centimeter	cu cm or cm3 also cc	0.000001	0.061 cubic inch
CAPACITY
Unit	Abbreviation	Number of Liters	Approximate U.S. Equivalent
			cubic	dry	liquid
kiloliter	kl	1,000	1.31 cubic yards
hectoliter	hl	100	3.53 cubic feet	2.84 bushels
dekaliter	dal	10	0.35 cubic foot	1.14 pecks	2.64 gallons
liter	l	1	61.02 cubic inches	0.908 quart	1.057 quarts
cubic decimeter	dm3	1	61.02 cubic inches	0.908 quart	1.057 quarts
deciliter	dl	0.10	6.1 cubic inches	0.18 pint	0.21 pint
centiliter	cl	0.01	0.61 cubic inch		0.338 fluid ounce
milliliter	ml	0.001	0.061 cubic inch		0.27 fluid dram
microliter	µl	0.000001	0.000061 cubic inch		0.00027 fluid dram
MASS AND WEIGHT
Unit	Abbreviation	Number of Grams	Approximate U.S. Equivalent
metric ton	t	1,000,000	1.102 short tons
kilogram	kg	1,000	2.2046 pounds
hectogram	hg	100	3.527 ounces
dekagram	dag	10	0.353 ounce
gram	g	1	0.035 ounce
decigram	dg	0.10	1.543 grains
centigram	cg	0.01	0.154 grain
milligram	mg	0.001	0.015 grain
microgram	µg	0.000001	0.000015 grain

 

QUICK TIPS FOR CALCULATIONS

1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups = 128 fluid ounces

1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups = 32 fluid ounces

1 pint = 2 cups = 16 fluid ounces

1 cup = 8 fluid ounces = 16 tablespoons

1 gill = 1/2 cup = 4 fluid ounces = 8 tablespoons

1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon = 1/2 fluid ounce = 3 teaspoons

To convert ounces to grams, multiply ounces x 28.35
To convert pounds to grams, multiply pounds x 453.59

To convert Fahrenheit degrees (F) to Celsius degrees (C):
°C = (°F - 32) x 5/9

1 stick of butter = 8 tablespoons = 4 ounces = 1/4 pound

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VOLUME MEASURES CONVERSIONS

Metric equivalents are rounded.

U.S. Measurement	Metric Measurement
1 teaspoon	5 milliliters
1 tablespoon	15 milliliters
1 fluid ounce (2 tablespoons)	30 milliliters
2 fluid ounces (1/4 cup)	60 milliliters
8 fluid ounces (1 cup)	240 milliliters
16 fluid ounces (2 cups = 1 pint)	480 milliliters
32 fluid ounces (2 pints = 1 quart)	950 milliliters (.95 liter)
128 fluid ounces (4 quarts = 1 gallon)	3.75 liters

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WEIGHT MEASURES CONVERSIONS

Metric equivalents are rounded.

U.S. measurement	Metric measurement
1/4 ounce	8 grams
1/2 ounce	15 grams
1 ounce	30 grams
4 ounces	115 grams
8 ounces (1/2 pound)	225 grams
16 ounces (1 pound)	450 grams
32 ounces (2 pounds)	900 grams
40 ounces (2-1/4 pounds)	1 kilogram

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Apothecaries' fluid measures : (UK)

The (latest) measures being based on the Imperial Gallon, the equivalencies are obvious.

• 1 minim = 0.059 ml (or about 2 droplets of a low viscosity liquid like water)
• 60 minims = 1 fluid drachm (= 3.55156 ml)
• 8 drachms = 1 fluid ounce (= 28.4125 ml)
• 20 fl. ounces = 1 pint (called "pt." or "Octarius") (= 0.56825 l)
• 8 pints = 1 gallon (called "gal." or "Congius") (= 4.546 l)

One observes therefore that : 1 quart (Imp) = 40 fl. ounces

But in the US, 1 quart (US) = 32 fl. ounces ! A US fl. ounce is equal to 29.5735 ml.

Weight

Avoirdupois weight

• 1 grain (= 64.79891 mg) with 7000 grains = 1 pound
• and 16 grains = 1 gram (!) - so 1 "gram" = 1.03678256 g (don't be confused)
• 27.34375 grains = 1 dram (= 1.771845195 g)
• 16 dram = 1 ounce (= 28.34952313 g) therefore 437.5 grains = 1 ounce
• 16 ounces = 1 pound (= 453.59237 g - exact weight since July 1, 1959)
• 14 pounds = 1 stone (= 6.3503 kg) - yes, you read 14, not 12 nor 16 - used in UK only
• 2 stones = 1 British quarter (= 12.701 kg)
• but the US quarter was equal to 25 pounds (= 11.34 kg)

Troy weight

• the same grain (= 64.79891 mg)
• 24 grains = 1 pennyweight or dwt. (= 1.55517384 g)
• 20 pennyweights = 1 ounce Troy (= 31.1034768 g or 480 grains)
• 12 ounces Troy = 1 pound Troy (= 5760 grains or 373.2417216 g)

Apothecaries weight
Based on the Troy system

• 20 (same) grains or minims = 1 scruple (1 scruple = 1.2959782 g)
• 3 scruples = 1 drachm (drap) or dram in the US (= 3.8879346 g)
• 8 drachms = 1 ounce Troy

Note : there was also an Imperial carat (1877) equal to 3.168 grains or 0.2053 g and a metric carat equal to 0.2 g.
The old carat is sometimes defined as 4 grains, which gives 0.2592 g but that's a mistake : in fact, it was equal to 4 "pearl grains", a somewhat smaller unit also called a quarter or a carat grain (these were real seeds !)

Another meaning of carat or karat is the analysis of precious metals as alloys, in twenty-four parts.
Example : a 22 carat gold contains 22/24 gold or 91.7 %, the remaining being generally silver.

Note : in England, the Troy pound was abolished on Jan. 6, 1879.
Only the Troy ounce and its subdivisions were retained.

Detail : The name Troy, used for weighing precious metals, is derived from the city of Troyes (Champagne - France) where the system is thought to have originated : they had a well known commercial fair throughout the Middle Ages.
Anecdote : the pennyweight was also defined in 1266 by Henry III as the weight of 32 wheatcorns taken in the middle of the ear. NB : for 24 grains, what species ? :-)
In monetary terms, a Troy pound of silver gave its name to the Sterling pound, subdivided into 20 shillings or 240 pence (pennyweights).

 

 

 

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Updated 05/09/2005
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