Hello my dear reader, are you aware of the different ways we calculate weights and measures in English? Many times, you seem at a loss when you try imagining what a cubic foot is or what 100 pounds is. Not to worry, I have put together a description of weights and measures in English together just for you. Do share with your friends to educate them on the Description of Weights and Units of Measurements in English.
Description of Weights and Units of Measurements in English
There are different classifications of the Description of Weights and Measures in English. We will look at them from the angles of the English system and the Metric system. Let us start with the English system…
The English System
The English System of Weights and Measures comprises the following classifications of measurements:
Linear Measure
Linear measure involves the following:
- 12 inches = 1 foot
- 3 feet = 1 yard
- 51/2 yards = 1 rod
- 40 rods = 1 furlong
- 8 furlongs (5280 feet) = 1 statute mile
Mariners’ Measure
For Mariners’ measure, we have the following:
- 6 feet = 1 fathom
- 1000 fathom (approx.) = 1 nautical mile
- 3 nautical miles = 1 league
Square Measure
- 144 square inches = 1 square foot
- 9 square feet = 1 square yard
- 301/4 square yards = 1 square rod
- 160 square rods = 1 acre
- 640 acres = 1 square mile
Cubic Measure
- 1728 cubic inches = 1 cubic foot
- 27 cubic feet = 1 cubic yard
Surveyors’ Measure
- 92 inches = 1 link
- 100 links = 1 chain
Liquid Measure
- 4 gills = 1 pint
- 2 pints = 1 quart
- 4 quarts = 1 gallon
- 311/2 gallons = 1 barrel
- 2 barrels = 1 hogshead
Apothecaries’ Fluid Measure
- 60 minims = 1 fluid dram
- 8 fluid drams = 1 fluid ounce
- 16 fluid ounces = 1 pint
- 2 pints = 1 quart
- 4 quarts = 1 gallon
Dry Measure
- 2 pints = 1 quart
- 8 quarts = 1 peck
- 4 pecks = 1 bushel
Wood Measure
- 16 cubic feet = 1 cord foot
- 8 cord feet = 1 cord
Time Measure
- 60 seconds = 1 minute
- 60 minutes = 1 hour
- 24 hours = 1 day
- 7 days = 1 week
- 4 weeks (23 to 31 days) = 1 month
- 12 months (365-366 days) = 1 year
- 100 years = 1 century
Angular and Circular Measure
- 60 seconds = 1 minute
- 60 minutes = 1 degree
- 90 degrees = 1 right angle
- 180 degree = 1 straight angle
- 360 degrees = 1 circle
Troy Weight
- 24 grains = 1 pennyweight
- 20 pennyweights = 1 ounce
- 12 ounces = 1 pound
Avoirdupois Weight
- 2711/32 grains = 1 dram
- I6 drams = 1 ounce
- 16 ounces = 1 pound
- 100 pounds = 1 short hundredweight
- 20 short hundredweight = 1 short ton
Apothecaries’ Weight
- 20 grains = 1 scruple
- 3 scruples = 1 dram
- 8 drams = 1 ounce
- 12 ounces = 1 pound
Metric System
The Metric System of Weights and Measures comprises the following classifications of measurements:
Linear Measure
- 10 millimetres = 1 centimetre
- 10 centimetres = 1 decimetre
- 10 decimetres = 1 metre
- 10 metres = 1 decametre
- 10 decametres = 1 hectometre
- 10 hectometres = 1 kilometre
Square Measure
- 100 sq. millimetres = 1 sq. centimetre
- 100 sq. centimetres = 1 sq. decimetre
- 100 sq. decimetres = 1 sq. metre
- 100 sq. metres = 1 sq. decametre
- 100 sq. decametres = 1 sq. hectometre
- 100 sq. hectometres = 1 sq. kilometre
Cubic Measure
- 1000 cu. millimetres = 1 cu. centimetre
- 1000 cu. centimetres = 1 cu. decimetre
- 1000 cu. decimetres = 1 cu. metre
Liquid Measure
- 10 millilitres = 1 centilitre
- 10 centilitres = 1 decilitre
- 10 decilitres = 1 litre
- 10 litres = 1 decalitre
- 10 decalitres = 1 hectolitre
- 10 hectolitres = 1 kilolitre
Weights
- 10 milligrams = 1 centigram
- 10 centigrams = 1 decigram
- 10 decigrams = 1 gram
- 10 grams = 1 decagram
- 10 decagrams = 1 hectogram
- 10 hectograms = 1 kilogram
- 100 kilograms = 1 quintal
- 10 quintals = 1 ton
Metric and English Equivalents
Having considered both the English system and Metric system of weights and measure, it is equally important to compare and contrast the two systems of measurements; that is, the English Unit of measurement and the Metric Unit of measurement. I have decided to put this in a tabular form for the purpose of clarity and easy identification. Here we go…
Linear Measure
| English Unit | Metric Unit |
| 1 inch | 25.4 millimetres |
| 1 inch | 2.54 centimetres |
| 1 foot | 30.48 centimetres |
| 1 foot | 3.048 decimetres |
| 1 foot | 0.3048 metre |
| 1 yard | 0.9144 metre |
| I mile | 1609.3 metres |
| 1 mile | 1.6093 kilometres |
| 0.03937 inch | 1 millimetre |
| 0.3937 inch | 1 centimetre |
| 3.937 inches | 1 decimetre |
| 39.37 inches | 1 metre |
| 3.2808 feet | 1 metre |
| 1.0936 yards | 1 metre |
| 3280.8 feet | 1 kilometre |
| 1093.6 yards | 1 kilometre |
| 0.62137 mile | 1 kilometre |
Liquid Measure
| English Unit | Metric Unit |
| 1 fluid ounce | 29.573 millilitres |
| 1 quart | 9.4635 decilitres |
| 1 quart | 0.94635 litres |
| 1 gallon | 3.7854 litres |
| 0.033814 fluid ounce | 1 millilitre |
| 3.3814 fluid ounces | 1 decilitre |
| 33.814 fluid ounces | 1 litre |
| 1.0567 quarts | 1 litre |
| 0,26417 gallon | 1 litre |
Square Measure
| English Unit | Metric Unit |
| 1 square inch | 645.16 square millimetres |
| 1 square inch | 6.4516 square centimetres |
| 1 square foot | 929.03 square centimetres |
| 1 square foot | 9.2903 square decimetres |
| 1 square foot | 0.092903 square metre |
| 1 square yard | 0.83613 square metre |
| 1 square mile | 2.5900 square kilometres |
| 0.0015500 square inch | 1 square millimetre |
| 0.15500 square inch | 1 square centimetre |
| 15.500 square inches | 1 square decimetre |
| 0.10764 square foot | 1 square decimetre |
| 1.1960 square yards | 1 square metre |
| 0.38608 square mile | 1 square kilometre |
Cubic Measure
| English Unit | Metric Unit |
| 1 cubic inch | 16.387 cubic centimetres |
| 1 cubic inch | 0.016387 litre |
| 1 cubic foot | 0.028317 cubic metre |
| 1 cubic yard | 0.76455 cubic metre |
| 1 cubic mile | 4.16818 cubic kilometres |
| 0.061023 cubic inch | 1 cubic centimetre |
| 61.023 cubic inches | 1 cubic decimetre |
| 35.315 cubic feet | 1 cubic metre |
| 1.3079 cubic yards | 1 cubic metre |
| 0.23990 cubic mile | 1 cubic kilometre |
Dry Measure
| English Unit | Metric Unit |
| 1 quart | 1.1012 litres |
| 1 peck | 8.8098 litres |
| 1 bushel | 35.239 litres |
| 0.90808 quart | 1 litre |
| 0.11351 peck | 1 litre |
| 0.028378 bushel | 1 litre |
Weights
| English Unit | Metric Unit |
| 1 grain | 0.064799 gram |
| 1 avoirdupois ounce | 28.350 grams |
| 1 troy ounce | 31.103 grams |
| 1 avoirdupois pound | 0.45359 kilogram |
| 1 troy pound | 0.37324 kilogram |
| 1 short ton (0.8929 long ton) | 907.18 kilograms |
| 1 short ton (0.8929 long ton) | 0.990718 metric ton |
| 1 long ton (1.1200 short tons) | 1016.0 kilograms |
| 1 long ton (1.1200 short tons) | 1.0160 metric tons |
| 15.432 grains | 1 gram |
| 0.035274 avoirdupois ounce | 1 gram |
| 0.032151 troy ounce | 1 gram |
| 2.2046 avoirdupois pounds | 1 kilogram |
| 0.98421 long ton | 1 metric ton |
| 1.1023 short tons | 1 metric ton |
Summary
Apart from Description of Weights and Measures in English, there are other tons of information under our What You Should Know category where you can also learn useful and educative items of information such as:
- Collection of Famous English Proverbs
- Clichés and their Meanings
- Number Plate or Plate Number
- Amazing Facts about our 7 Continents
- Boohoo and Rhyming Reduplications in English
- Crinkum-crankum and Ablaut Reduplications With Examples
- Freezes and Reduplication in English (Meaning and Examples)
- Emoticon vs Emoji (Definition and Difference)
- What is Bilingualism? (Definition, Types and Examples)
- British and American Spellings (Variations and Examples)
- Branches of Linguistics (with Definitions, Explanations and Examples)
- What is Palindrome? (Meaning, Types & Examples)
Do remember to connect with us on the Social Media and share our posts with your friends; sharing is just a click away! See you around.