The US Customary and Metric systems are two major measurement systems used worldwide. Understanding how to convert between units within each system and between the two systems is crucial for practical applications in everyday life and various fields.
Mastering these conversions allows for seamless communication across different measurement standards. From cooking to construction, knowing how to switch between inches and centimeters or and can make a big difference in accurately interpreting and applying measurements.
US Customary System
Conversions within US customary system
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Length
12 inches (in) equal 1 (ft) basic unit of length in
3 feet equal 1 (yd) commonly used for measuring fabric or distances in sports (football field)
5280 feet equal 1 (mi) used for longer distances like travel
Weight
16 ounces (oz) equal 1 (lb) basic unit of weight often used for measuring food ingredients (flour, sugar)
2000 pounds equal 1 (t) used for measuring very heavy objects (vehicles, large quantities of materials)
Volume
8 fluid ounces (fl oz) equal 1 (c) commonly used in cooking and baking recipes
2 cups equal 1 (pt)
2 pints equal 1 (qt) often used for larger liquid volumes (milk)
4 quarts equal 1 (gal) used for even larger volumes like fuel or paint
Calculations with mixed US units
Add or subtract mixed units by converting to the smallest common unit first
Convert each measurement to the smallest unit (inches for length)
Add or subtract the converted values
Convert the result back to mixed units if needed
Example: 2 ft 5 in + 3 ft 8 in
Convert to inches: (2 ft × 12 in/ft + 5 in) + (3 ft × 12 in/ft + 8 in)
Add: 24 in + 5 in + 36 in + 8 in = 73 in
Convert back: 73 in = 6 ft 1 in
Multiply or divide mixed units by converting to a single unit first
Convert the mixed unit measurement to a single unit (feet for length)
Perform the multiplication or division
Convert the result back to mixed units if needed
Example: 2 yd 1 ft × 4
Convert to feet: (2 yd × 3 ft/yd + 1 ft) = 6 ft + 1 ft = 7 ft
Multiply: 7 ft × 4 = 28 ft
Convert back: 28 ft = 9 yd 1 ft
Metric System
Conversions within metric system
Metric prefixes: (k), (h), (da), base unit, (d), (c), (m)
Each prefix represents a power of 10 (kilo = 1000, centi = 1/100)
are the fundamental units of measurement in the (e.g., for length, gram for mass)
Move the decimal point to the right when converting from larger to smaller units
Divide by powers of 10 to go from larger to smaller (km to m, divide by 1000)
Example: 3.5 kilometers (km) = 3500 meters (m)
Move the decimal point to the left when converting from smaller to larger units
Multiply by powers of 10 to go from smaller to larger (mL to L, multiply by 1/1000)
Example: 450 milliliters (mL) = 0.45 liters (L)
Problems with mixed metric units
Convert mixed units to a single unit before performing calculations
Choose the most appropriate unit for the situation (meters for length)
Convert each measurement to the chosen unit
Perform the calculation
Example: 2.3 m + 45 cm
Convert to meters: 2.3 m + 0.45 m
Add: 2.3 m + 0.45 m = 2.75 m
Converting Between Systems
US customary vs metric translations
Length
1 ≈ 2.54 centimeters
1 foot ≈ 0.3048 meters
1 mile ≈ 1.609 kilometers
Volume
1 quart ≈ 0.946 liters
1 gallon ≈ 3.785 liters
Use approximate conversion factors to translate between systems
Multiply US customary unit by conversion factor to get metric equivalent
Divide metric unit by conversion factor to get US customary equivalent
involves changing from one unit of measurement to another while maintaining the same quantity
Fahrenheit vs Celsius conversions
Fahrenheit to Celsius: °C=(°F−32)×95
Subtract 32 from Fahrenheit temperature
Multiply the result by 95
Example: 77°F = (77−32)×95 = 25°C
Celsius to Fahrenheit: °F=°C×59+32
Multiply Celsius temperature by 59
Add 32 to the result
Example: 30°C = 30×59+32 = 86°F
Measurement Precision and Accuracy
refers to the level of detail in a measurement, often indicated by the number of decimal places
is how close a measurement is to the true value
are the meaningful digits in a measurement that contribute to its precision