Conversion Tables

Calculated Industries 4020 Conversion Calculator:

Measurements & Conversions

• by Pamela Liflander
• Running Press Pocket Guide (264 pages)

Definitions:

• The metre, symbol: m, is the basic unit of distance (or of "length", in the parlance of the physical sciences) in the International System of Units. The internationally-accepted spelling of the unit in English is "metre", although the American English spelling meter is a common variant. However, both American and non-American forms of English agree that the spelling "meter" should be used as a suffix in the names of measuring devices such as chronometers and micrometers.
• Metric Units are the units of measure developed in Europe and used in most of the world. Like the decimal system, the metric system uses the base 10. Metric units for length are millimeters, centimeters, meters, and kilometers. Metric units for weight are milligrams, grams, and kilograms. Metric units for volume are cubic millimeters, cubic centimeters, and cubic meters. Metric units for capacity are milliliters, centiliters, liters, and kiloliters.
• Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724.
• The degree Celsius (°C) is a unit of temperature named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701–1744), who first proposed a similar system in 1742. The Celsius temperature scale was designed so that the freezing point of water is 0 degrees, and the boiling point is 100 degrees at standard atmospheric pressure.
• A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer, symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). It is approximately equal to 0.621 miles, 1094 yards or 3281 feet.
• The kilogram or kilogramme, (symbol: kg) is the SI base unit of mass. A gram is defined as one thousandth of a kilogram. Conversion of units describes equivalent units of mass in other systems.
• A nautical mile is a unit of distance, or length, as physical scientists like to call it. The derived unit of speed is the knot, defined as one nautical mile per hour. Both nautical miles and knots are widely used around the world for maritime and aviation purposes.
• A litre is a metric unit of capacity equal to the volume of 1 kilogram of pure water at 4° C and 760 mm of mercury (or approximately 1.76 pints)

Metric Units and Conversion Charts

• The charts make a clear distinction between SI and other metric units by identifying SI units by red boxes.
• Official symbols of all SI units are given, along with the name of the unit.
• The recommended symbols for quantities are shown at the top of each chart.
• A new chapter on mass, force and gravity explains how the units of force were established.
• For introductory courses, chapters are included explaining quantity equations and numerical equations, together with worked-out examples.
• For classroom work, over 100 review questions, together with answers.