CHAPTER 25

Measurements

The United States system of weights and measures is different from the metric system used in most countries in the world. The US still uses the English system of measurement for everyday tasks. Food products are sold by weight. Net weight (net wt) is the weight of the contents but does not include the packaging. Recipes are stated in dry or liquid volume such as cups, tablespoons and teaspoons. Use cups and spoons specifically made as measuring tools. Regular drinking and eating utensils will not give you accurate measurements.

Length

1 millimeter (mm) = 0.0397 in.
1 centimeter (cm) = 10mm = 0.3937in.
1 meter(m) = 100 cm = .0936yd = 39.4in
1 kilometer(km) = 1,000m = 0.6214 mile
1 inch (in) = 25.4mm = 2.54cm
1 foot (ft) = 12in = 0.3048m = 30.48cm
1 yard (yd) = 3ft.= 36in = 0.9144m = 91.44cm
1 mile = 1,760yd = 5280ft = 1.6093km

Area

1 square cm (cm2) = 100mm2 = 0.1550in2
1 square meter(m2) = 10,000cm2 =1,1960yd2
1 hectare (ha) = 1 0,000m2 = 2.4711 acres
1 square km (km2) = 100ha = 0.3861 mile2
1 square in (in2) = 645.16mm2
1 square foot (ft2) = 0.093m2
1 square yard (yd2) = 9ft2 = 0.8361m2
1 acre = 4840yd2 = 4046.86m2
1 square mile (mile2) = 640 acres = 2.59km2

 

Electric Current

The standard US current is 110 volts, 60 cycles alternating current (AC). Appliances running on 220-240 volts will not work in the United States. Most appliance or hardware stores in metropolitan areas carry current conversion kits that will work on appliances. Or you could just go to any store that carries appliances and buy new ones.

Volume/Capacity

1 cubic cm(cm3) = 0.0610 in3
1 cubic decimeter (dm3 = 1,000cm3
= 0.0353ft3
1 cubic meter (m3) = 1,000dm3 = 1.3080yd3
1 liter (l) = 1dm3 = 0.2642 US gal
1 liter = 1.057qt = 0.2200Imp gal
1 hectoliter (h) = 100l = 2.8378 Us bu
1 cubic inch (in3) = 16.387cm3
1 cubic foot (ft3) = 0.0283m3
1 cubic yard (yd3) = 27ft3 = 0.7646m3
1 US dry pint = 0.5506l
1 US bushel = 64 US dry pt = 35.239l
1 US liquid pint = 0.47321 = 2cups = 16oz = 450cc
1 US liquid qt = 4cups = 0.946l
1 US gallon = 2 half gallons = 4 qts
= 8pts = 16cups = 128 fl oz. = 3.7854l
1 cup(cu) = 8oz = 16 Tb
1 Tablespoon (Tb) = 3 tsp. = 15 cc
1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5ml = 5cc
1 ounce (oz) = 30cc = 28.3g = 30ml

Mass

1 gram (g) = 1,000mg = 0.0353oz
1 kilogram (kg) = 1,000g = 2.2046lb
1 tonne (t) = 1,000kg = 1.1023 short tons
1 tonne = 0.9842 long tons
1 ounce (oz) = 437.5 gr = 28.350g
1 pound (lb) = 2 cups = 16oz = 454g = 0.4536kg
1 short cwt = 100 lb = 45.359kg
1 long cwt = 112 lb = 50.802kg
1 short ton = 2,000lb = 0.9072t
1 long ton = 2.240lb = 1.0161t

Temperature

Cooking, air and body temperature are measured in degrees Fahrenheit (F) in the United States. Centigrade (C) is used more commonly around the world. Thermometers in scientific labs are also marked in Celsius or Centigrade.
Centrigrade
(C) -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40

Water freezes at 0C, milk scalds at 51C, and water boils at 100C.

Fahrenheit
(F) -40 -22 -4 -14 32 50 68 86 140

Water freezes at 32F, milk scalds at 150F, and water boils at 212F.

To convert F to C:
Subtract 32 from the FahreNheit. Divide by 1.8
EX: 80F
80 - 32 = 48. 48 / 1.8 = 26.66 C

To convert C to F:
Multiply by 1.8. Add 32.
EX. 27C
27 x 1.8 = 48.6 48.6 + 32 = 80.6F

Body Temperature

Normal body temperature (by mouth or Oral thermometer) is 98.6 F or 37.0 C. It can vary within 1F above or below 98.6F.
Low fever 37.8-38.3 C 100-101 F
High fever 38.9-40.6C 102-104 F

 

Oven Temperatures

250F or 120C = very low
300F or 150C = low
325F or 165C = moderately low
350F or 180C = moderate
375F or 190C = moderately hot
400F or 205C = hot
450-500F or 230-260C = very hot


DID YOU KNOW…
  • Big Ben is not a clock? It is a bell located in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament in London. It weighs 13.5 tons and is 9ft. in diameter. It stands more than 7.5 feet high. The bell, installed in 1859, is not an "ancient" English landmark.
  • The highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis in western Scotland, is 4,406 feet high? In many countries a "mountain" of this size is considered a large hill.
  • The base of the Great Pyramid in Egypt is large enough to cover ten football fields? According to Herodotus, the Greek Historian, it took 400,000 men twenty years to construct this monument.
  • Measurements in the U.S. use the English System, though the English now use the Metric System?
  • If you add the numbers of letters in the names of playing cards (ace-3, two-3, three-5, four-4, jack-4, queen-4, etc.,) the total will be 52, the number of cards in the deck?
  • The City of Los Angeles (455 square miles) is more than the size of the entire state of Rhode Island (1,214 square miles)?
  • If the Nile River were stretched across the U.S., it would almost run from New York to Los Angeles?
  • The West Quoddy Head in Maine is the easternmost piece of land in the contiguous U.S.
  • 28% of the Nation's fresh blueberries are produced in Georgia? The best way to store them is in the carton in which your purchase them. They last up to ten days in the refrigerator, or they may be frozen.
  • Celery has negative calories? It takes more calories to eat than it contains?
  • One 75 watt light bulb gives off more light than three 25 watt light bulbs?

 

Weights & Measures  

CONVERSION TABLE

 

Symbol

When you know

Multiply by

to find

symbol

 

 

 

 

 

LENGTH

in

inches

2.5

centimeters

cm

ft

feet

30

centimeters

cm

yd

yard

0.9

meters

m

mi

miles

1.6

kilometers

km

mm

millimeters

0.04

inches

in

cm

centimeters

0.4

inches

in

m

meters

3.3

feet

ft

m

meters

1.1

yards

yd

km

kilometers

0.6

miles

mi

 

 

 

 

 

AREA

 

 

 

 

in2

square inches

6.5

sq. centimeters

cm2

ft2

square feet

0.09

square meters

m2

yd2

square yards

0.8

square meters

m2

mi2

square miles

2.6

square kilometers

km2

 

acres

0.4

hectares

ha

cm2

square centimeters

0.16

square inches

in2

m2

square meters

1.2

square yards

yd2

km2

square kilometers

0.4

square miles

mi2

ha

hectares
(10,000 m2)

2.5

acres

 

 

 

 

 

MASS (WEIGHT)

oz

ounces

28

grams

g

lb

pounds

0.45

kilograms

kg

 

Short tons (2000 lbs)

0.9

tons

t

g

grams

0.035

ounces

oz

kg

kilograms

2.2

pounds

lb

t

tonnes (1,000 kg)

1.1

short tons

 

 

 

 

 

VOLUME

 

 

 

 

tsp

teaspoons

5

milliliters

ml

tbsp

tablespoons

15

milliliters

ml

fl oz

fluid ounces

30

milliliters

ml

c

cups

0.24

liters

l

pt

pints

0.47

liters

l

qt

quarts

0.95

liters

l

gal

gallons

3.8

liters

l

ft3

cubic feet

0.03

cubic meters

m3

yd3

cubic yards

0.76

cubic meters

m3

mi

milliliters

0.03

fluid ounces

fl oz

l

liters

2.1

pints

pt

l

liters

1.06

quarts

qt

l

liters

0.26

gallons

gal

m3

cubic meters

35

cubic feet

ft3

m3

cubic meters

1.3

cubic yards

yd3

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