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    United States customary units 1

    United States customary units

    A table of weights from the secretaries of states, showing the

    number of pounds that their laws recognize as a bushel of

    different commodities. c. 1854

    The U.S. Standard Meter, in use until 1960: many U.S.

    customary units are defined in terms of the SI meter.

    The United States customary system (also called

    American system and sometimes "English units"). The U.S.

    customary units have common roots with the imperial units,

    which were used in the British Empire. Many U.S. units are

    virtually identical to their imperial counterparts, but the U.S.

    customary system developed from English units in use

    before the imperial system was standardized in 1824, and

    there are several numerical differences from the imperial

    system.

    The vast majority of U.S. customary units have been defined

    in terms of the meter and the kilogram since the Mendenhall

    Order of 1893 (and, in practice, for many years before that

    date).[1]

    These definitions were refined in 1959.[2]

    The U.S. is the only industrialized nation that does not

    mainly use the metric system in its commercial and standards

    activities,[3]

    although the International System of Units (SI,

    often referred to as "metric") is commonly used in both the

    US Armed Forces and in fields relating to science, and

    increasingly in medicine, aviation, government as well as

    various sectors of industry.

    HistoryThe U.S. system of units is similar to the British imperial

    system.[4]

    Both systems derive from the evolution of local

    units over the centuries, as a result of standardization efforts

    in the United Kingdom; the local units themselves mostly trace back to Roman and Anglo-Saxon units. Today, these

    units are defined in terms of SI units.

    In the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, the United States government designated the metric system

    of measurement as "the preferred system of weights and measures for U.S. trade and commerce". The legislation

    states that the federal government has a responsibility to assist industry, especially small business, as it voluntarily

    converts to the metric system of measurement. This process of legislation and conversion is known as metrication,and in the U.S. is most evident in labeling requirements on food products, where SI units are almost always

    presented alongside customary units.

    However, metrication in the United States has been less forcefully imposed than in other countries,[5]

    and has

    encountered more resistance from industrial and consumer market forces, so customary units are still widely used on

    consumer products and in industrial manufacturing; only in military, medical, and scientific contexts are SI units

    generally the norm.

    There are anecdotal objections to the use of metric units in carpentry and the building trades, on the basis that it is

    easier to remember an integer number of inches plus a fraction than a measurement in millimeters,[6]

    or that inch

    measurements are more suitable when distances are frequently divided by two.[5]

    Other countries had (or still have, unofficially) customary units of their own, sometimes very similar in name and

    measure to U.S. customary units, since they often share the same Germanic or Roman origins. Frequently, however,

    http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Metrication_in_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Metricationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_unitshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_unitshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sciencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=US_Armed_Forceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_System_of_Unitshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Metric_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mendenhall_Orderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mendenhall_Orderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kilogramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Comparison_of_the_imperial_and_US_customary_measurement_systemshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Comparison_of_the_imperial_and_US_customary_measurement_systemshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=English_unithttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_unitshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Platinum-Iridium_meter_bar.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Metrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bushel_Table_of_States.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bushelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Secretary_of_state_%28U.S._state_government%29
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    United States customary units 2

    these units designate quite different sizes. For example, the mile ranged by country from one half to five U.S. miles;

    even foot and pound had varying definitions. Until the twentieth century the customary units of measure in the

    United States were sometimes just as variable. Historically, a wide range of non-SI units were used in the United

    States and in Britain, but many have fallen into disuse. This article deals only with the units commonly used or

    officially defined in the United States.

    Units of length

    Unit Divisions SI Equivalent

    Exact relationships shown in boldface

    International

    1 inch (in) 2.54 cm

    1foot (ft) 12 in 0.3048 m

    1yard (yd) 3 ft 0.9144 m

    1 mile (mi) 1760 yd 1.609344 km

    Survey

    1 link (li) 33

    50ft or 7.92 in

    0.2011684 m

    1 (survey) foot (ft) 1200

    3937m

    0.3048006 m

    1 rod (rd) 25 li or 16.5 ft 5.029210 m

    1 chain (ch) 4 rd 20.11684 m

    1 furlong (fur) 10 ch 201.1684 m

    1 survey (or statute) mile[7]

    (mi)8 fur 1.609347 km

    1 league (lea) 3 mi 4.828042 km

    Nautical

    1 fathom (ftm) 2 yd 1.8288 m

    1 cable (cb) 120 ftm or 1.091 fur 219.456 m

    1 nautical mile (NM or nmi) 8.439 cb or 1.151 mi 1.852 km

    The system for measuring length in the United States customary system is based on the inch, foot, yard, and mile,

    which are the only four customary length measurements in everyday use. Since July 1, 1959, these have been defined

    on the basis of 1 yard = 0.9144 meters except for some applications in surveying.[2]

    This definition was agreed with

    the UK and other Commonwealth countries, and so is often termed international measure.

    When international measure was introduced in the English-speaking countries, the basic geodetic datum in North

    America was the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD27), which had been constructed by triangulation based on

    the definition of the foot in the Mendenhall Order of 1893, that is 1 foot =1200

    3937

    meters: this definition was

    retained for data derived from NAD27, but renamed the U.S. survey foot to distinguish it from the international

    foot.[2]

    For most applications, the difference between the two definitions is insignificant one international foot is

    exactly 0.999998 of a U.S. survey foot, for a difference of about1

    8 inch (3 mm) per mile but it affects the

    definition of the State Plane Coordinate Systems (SPCSs), which can stretch over hundreds of miles.[8]

    The NAD27 was replaced in the 1980s by the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83), which is defined in meters.

    The SPCSs were also updated, but the National Geodetic Survey left the decision of which (if any) definition of the

    foot to use to the individual states. All SPCSs are defined in meters, but seven states also have SPCSs defined in U.S.

    survey feet and an eighth state in international feet: the other 42 states use only meter-based SPCSs.[8]

    http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Geodetic_Surveyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=State_Plane_Coordinate_Systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mendenhall_Orderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Triangulationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=North_American_Datumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geodetic_datumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commonwealth_of_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foot_%28length%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Inchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nautical_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cable_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fathomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=League_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Furlonghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chain_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rod_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foot_%28length%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Link_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foot_%28length%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Inchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pound_%28mass%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foot_%28length%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mile
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    United States customary units 3

    State legislation is also important for determining the conversion factor to be used for everyday land surveying and

    real estate transactions, although the difference (2 ppm) is of no practical significance given the precision of normal

    surveying measurements over short distances (usually much less than a mile). Twenty-four states have legislated that

    surveying measures should be based on the U.S. survey foot, eight have legislated that they be made on the basis of

    the international foot, and eighteen have not specified the conversion factor from metric units.[8]

    Units of area

    Unit Divisions SI Equivalent

    Exact relationships shown in boldface

    1 square survey foot (sq ft or ft2)

    144 square inches0.09290341 m

    2

    1 square chain (sq ch) or (ch2) 4356 feet

    2(survey) or 16 sq rods 404.6873 m

    2

    1 acre 43560 sq ft (survey) or 10 sq ch4046.873 m

    2

    1 section 640 acres or 1 sq mi (survey)2.589998 km

    2

    1 survey township (twp) 36 sections or 4 sq leagues93.23993 km

    2

    The most widely used area unit with a name unrelated to any length unit is the acre. The National Institute of

    Standards and Technology contends that customary area units are defined in terms of the square survey foot, not the

    square international foot.[7]

    Conversion factors are based on Astin (July 27, 1968)[9]

    and National Institute of

    Standards and Technology (2008).[10]

    Units of capacity and volume

    Volume in general

    Unit Divisions SI Equivalent

    1 cubic inch (cu in) or (in3) 16.387064mL

    [11]

    1 cubic foot (cu ft) or (ft3)

    1728 cu in 28.31685 L

    1 cubic yard (cu yd) or (yd3)

    27 cu ft764.559 L

    0.7645549 m3

    1 acre foot (acre ft) 43560 cu ft

    1613.333 cu yd1.233482 ML

    1233.482 m3

    The cubic inch, cubic foot and cubic yard are commonly used for measuring volume. In addition, there is one group

    of units for measuring volumes of liquids, and one for measuring volumes of dry material.

    Other than the cubic foot, cubic inch and cubic yard, these units are differently sized from the units in the imperial

    system, although the names of the units are similar. Also, while the U.S. has separate systems for measuring the

    volumes of liquids and dry material, the imperial system has one set of units for both.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cubic_yardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cubic_foothttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cubic_inchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Acre_foothttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cubic_yardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Litrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cubic_foothttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Millilitrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cubic_inchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Survey_townshiphttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Acrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Parts_per_million
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    United States customary units 4

    Fluid volume

    Liquid volume

    Most common measures shown in italic font

    Exact conversions in bold font

    Unit Divisions SI Equivalent

    1 minim (min) ~ 1 drop or 0.95 grain of water 61.61152 L

    1 US fluid dram (fl dr) 60 min 3.696691 mL

    1 teaspoon (tsp) 80 min 4.928921 mL

    1 tablespoon (Tbsp) 3 tsp or 4 fl dr 14.78676 mL

    1 US fluid ounce (fl oz) 2 Tbsp or 1.041 oz av of water 29.57353 mL

    1 jigger (jig) 3 Tbsp 44.36028 mL

    1 US gill (gi) 4 fl oz 118.2941 mL

    1 US cup (cp) 2 gi or 8 fl oz 236.5882 mL

    1 (liquid) US pint (pt) 2 cp or 16.65 oz av of water 473.1765 mL

    1 (liquid) US quart (qt) 2 pt 0.9463529 L

    1 (liquid) US gallon (gal) 4 qt or 231 cu in 3.785412 L

    1 (liquid) barrel (bbl)31.5 gal or

    1

    2hogshead

    119.2405 L

    1 oil barrel (bbl)42 gal or

    2

    3hogshead

    158.9873 L

    1 hogshead 63 gal or 8.421875 cu ft

    or 524.7 lb of water

    238.4810 L

    One fluid ounce is

    1

    16 of a U.S. pint,

    1

    32 of a U.S. quart, and

    1

    128 of a U.S. gallon. The fluid ounce derives its nameoriginally from being the volume of one ounce avoirdupois of water, but in the U.S. it is defined as

    1

    128of a U.S.

    gallon. Consequently, a fluid ounce of water weighs about 1.041 ounces avoirdupois.

    The saying "a pint's a pound the world around" refers to 16 US fluid ounces of water weighing approximately (about

    4% more than) one pound avoirdupois. An imperial pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter.

    A 20 US fl oz (591 mL) bottle displaying both

    US and Metric units.

    There are varying standards for barrel for some specific commodities,

    including 31 gal for beer, 40 gal for whiskey or kerosene, and 42 gal for

    petroleum. The general standard for liquids is 31.5 gal or half a

    hogshead. The common 55 gallon size of drum for storing and

    transporting various products and wastes is sometimes confused with a

    barrel, though it is not a standard measure.

    In the United States, single servings of beverages are usually measured

    in fluid ounces. Milk is usually sold in half pints (8 fluid ounces), pints,

    quarts, half gallons, and gallons. Water volume for sinks, bathtubs,

    ponds, swimming pools, etc., is usually stated in gallons or cubic feet.

    Quantities of gases are usually given in cubic feet (at one atmosphere).

    Minims, drams and gill are rarely used currently.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drum_%28container%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barrel_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:20floz_oz591ml.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avoirdupoishttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hogsheadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barrel_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gallonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quarthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pinthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cup_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gill_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jigger_%28bartending%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fluid_ouncehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tablespoonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Teaspoonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fluid_dramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drop_%28volume%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minim_%28unit%29
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    United States customary units 5

    Dry volume

    Dry volume

    Unit Divisions SI Equivalent

    1 (dry) pint (pt) 33.60 cu in 0.5506105 L

    1 (dry) quart (qt) 2 pt 1.101221 L

    1 (dry) gallon (gal) 4 qt or 268.8025 cu in 4.404884 L

    1 peck (pk) 2 gal 8.809768 L

    1 bushel (bu) 4 pk or 1.244 cu ft 35.23907 L

    1 (dry) barrel (bbl) 7056 cu in or 3.281 bu 115.6271 L

    Small fruits and vegetables are often sold in dry pints and dry quarts. The U.S. dry gallon is less commonly used, and

    was not included in the handbook that many states recognize as the authority on measurement law.[12]

    [13]

    However

    pecks, or bushels are sometimes usedparticularly for grapes, apples and similar fruits in agricultural regions.

    Units of mass

    Unit Divisions SI Equivalent

    Most common measures shown in italic font

    Exact conversions shown in bold font

    Avoirdupois

    1 grain (gr) 1

    7000lb

    64.79891 mg

    1 dram (dr)27

    11

    32gr

    1.771845 g

    1 ounce (oz) 16 dr 28.34952 g

    1 pound (lb) 16 oz 453.59237 g

    1 US hundredweight (cwt) 100 lb 45.359237 kg

    1 (short) ton 20 cwtor 2000 lb 907.18474 kg

    Troy

    1 grain (gr) 1

    7000lb av or

    1

    5760lb t

    64.79891 mg

    1 pennyweight (dwt) 24 gr or 7.777 carats 1.555174 g

    1 troy ounce (oz t) 20 dwt 31.10348 g

    1 troy pound (lb t) 12 oz t or 13.17 oz av 373.2417 g

    There have historically been five different English systems of mass: tower, apothecaries', troy, avoirdupois, and

    metric. Of these, it is the avoirdupois system, which is the most common system of weights in the U.S., although

    Troy weight is still used to weigh precious metals. Apothecaries weightonce used by pharmacieshas been

    largely replaced by metric measurements. Tower weight fell out of use in England (due to legal prohibition in 1527)

    centuries ago, and was never used in the United States. The imperial system, which is still used for some measures in

    the U.K. and commonwealth countries, is based on avoirdupois, with variations from U.S. customary units larger

    than a pound.

    The pound avoirdupois, which forms the basis of the U.S. customary system of mass, is defined as exactly

    453.59237 grams by agreement between the U.S., the U.K. and other English-speaking countries in 1959. Other units

    of mass are defined in terms of it.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_unitshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Metric_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avoirdupois_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Troy_weighthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apothecaries%27_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Troy_poundhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Troy_ouncehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carat_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pennyweighthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grain_%28measure%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Short_tonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hundredweighthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pound_%28mass%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ouncehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dram_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grain_%28measure%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fruithttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Applehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grapehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bushelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peckhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barrelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bushelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peckhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gallonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quarthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pint
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    United States customary units 6

    The avoirdupois pound is legally defined as a measure of mass, but the name pound is also applied to measures of

    force. For instance, in many contexts, the pound avoirdupois is used as a unit of mass, but in some contexts, the term

    "pound" is used to refer to "pound-force". The slug is another unit of mass derived from pound-force.

    Troy weight, avoirdupois weight, and apothecaries' weight are all built from the same basic unit, the grain, which is

    the same in all three systems. However, while each system has some overlap in the names of their units of measure

    (all have ounces and pounds), the relationship between the grain and these other units within each system varies. Forexample, in apothecary and troy weight, the pound and ounce are the same, but are different from the pound and

    ounce in avoirdupois in terms of their relationships to grains and to each other. The systems also have different units

    between the grain and ounce (apothecaries' has scruple and dram, troy has pennyweight, and avoirdupois has just

    dram, sometimes spelled drachm). The dram in avoirdupois weighs just under half of the dram in apothecaries'. The

    fluid dram unit of volume is based on the weight of 1 dram of water in the apothecaries' system.

    To alleviate confusion, it is typical when publishing non-avoirdupois weights to mention the name of the system

    along with the unit. Precious metals, for example, are often weighed in "troy ounces", because just "ounce" would be

    more likely to be assumed to mean an ounce avoirdupois.

    For the pound and smaller units, the U.S. customary system and the British imperial system are identical. However,

    they differ when dealing with units larger than the pound. The definition of the pound avoirdupois in the imperial

    system is identical to that in the U.S. customary system.

    In the United States, only the ounce, pound and short tonknown in the country simply as the tonare commonly

    used, though the hundredweight is still used in agriculture and shipping. The grain is used to describe the mass of

    propellant and projectiles in small arms ammunition. It was also used to measure medicine and other very small

    masses.

    Grain measures

    In agricultural practice, a bushel is a fixed mass of grain, nominally based on dry volume units.

    1 bushel (maize) = 56 lb 25.401 kg 1 bushel (wheat) = 60 lb 27.216 kg

    Cooking measures

    Measure Australia Canada UK USAFDA

    [14]

    Teaspoon 5 mL 5 mL 4.74 mL 4.93 mL 5 mL

    Dessertspoon 9.47 mL

    Tablespoon 20 mL 15 mL 14.21 mL 14.79 mL 15 mL

    Fluid ounce 28.41 mL 29.57 mL 30 mL

    Cup 250 mL 250 mL 284.13 mL 236.59 mL 240 mL

    Pint 568.26 mL 473.18 mL

    Quart 1136.52 mL 946.35 mL

    Gallon 4546.09 mL 3785.41 mL

    The most common practical cooking measures for both liquid and dry ingredients in the United States (and many

    other countries) are the teaspoon, tablespoon and cup, along with halves, thirds, quarters and eighths of these.

    Pounds, ounces, fluid ounces, and common sizes are also used, such as can (presumed size varies depending on

    product), jar, square (e.g., 1 oz avdp. of chocolate), stick (e.g., 4 oz avdp. butter) or fruit/vegetable (e.g., a halflemon, two medium onions).

    http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gallonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quarthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pinthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cup_%28volume%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fluid_ouncehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tablespoonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dessertspoonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Teaspoonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Food_and_Drug_Administrationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=UKhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bushelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ammunitionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fluid_dramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pennyweighthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dram_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slug_%28mass%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pound-forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pound_%28mass%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Force_%28physics%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mass
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    United States customary units 7

    Some common volume measures in English-speaking countries are shown at right. The volumetric measures here are

    for comparison only.

    Units of temperature

    Degrees Fahrenheit are used in the United States to measure temperatures in most non-scientific contexts. The

    Rankine scale of absolute temperature also saw some use in thermodynamics. Scientists worldwide use the Kelvin

    and Celsius scales. Several technical standards are expressed in Fahrenheit temperatures and U.S. medical

    practitioners often use degrees Fahrenheit for body temperature.

    The relationship between the different temperature scales is linear, but the scales have different zero points so that

    conversion is not simply multiplication by a factor: pure water is defined to freeze at 32 F = 0 C and boil at 212 F

    = 100 C at 1 atm; the conversion formula is easily shown to be:

    or inversely as

    Other units 1 Board-foot = 2.360 dm

    1 British thermal unit (Btu) ~ 1055 J

    1 Calorie (cal) = 4.184 J

    1 Large calorie (kilocalorie, food calorie) (Cal, kcal) = 4.184 kJ

    1 Hand = 10.16 cm

    1 Horsepower ~ 746 W

    1R-value (ftFh/Btu) ~ 0.1761RSI

    (Km/W)

    1 Slug (mass) = 1 lbfs/ft

    Various combination units are in common use, including the foot-pound and the psi; these are straightforwardly

    defined based on the above basic units.

    Other names for U.S. customary units

    The United States Code refers to these units as "traditional systems of weights and measures".[15]

    A pejorative name used by advocates of metrication is FFU forFred Flintstone Units.[16]

    References

    [1] T. C. Mendenhall, Superintendent of Standard Weights and Measures, Order of April 5, 1893 (http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP447/app3.

    pdf), published as Appendix 6 to the Report for 1893 of the Coast and Geodetic Survey.

    [2] Astin, A.V., Karo, H. A. and Mueller, F. H. (June 25, 1959). Doc 59-5442, " Refinement of Values for the Yard and the Pound (http:/

    /

    www.ngs.noaa. gov/PUBS_LIB/FedRegister/FRdoc59-5442. pdf)."Federal Register. When reading the document it helps to bear in mind that

    999,998 = 3937 254.

    [3] "Appendix G - Weights and Measures" (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/appendix/appendix-g. html), The

    World Factbook, Washington: Central Intelligence Agency, January 17, 2007, , retrieved February 4, 2007

    [4] "English units of measurement". The Columbia Encyclopedia 6th ed. 2001-2007. archived copy (http://web.archive. org/web/

    20080714214207/http://www.bartleby. com/65/en/Englsh-u. html).

    [5] Ed Tenner, (May 2005), "The Trouble with the Meter" (http://www.technologyreview. com/Infotech/14422/)

    [6] Robyn Williams (February 8, 1998) "Trouble with the Metric System" (http://www.abc. net. au/rn/science/ockham/stories/s11563. htm).

    AustralianRadio National, Ockham's Razor.

    [7] Roberts, R.W. (February 3, 1975).Federal Register republished in Barbrow, L.E. and Judson, L. V. (1976) Weights and Measures of the

    United States(http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP447/app9. pdf). National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 447. p. 36

    [8] National Geodetic Survey (undated), "What are the 'official' conversions that are used by NGS to convert 1) meters to inches, and 2) meters to

    feet?" (http://www.ngs. noaa. gov/faq.shtml#Feet),Frequently Asked Questions about the National Geodetic Survey, , retrieved May 16,

    2009

    http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/faq.shtml#Feethttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Geodetic_Surveyhttp://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP447/app9.pdfhttp://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ockham/stories/s11563.htmhttp://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/14422/http://web.archive.org/web/20080714214207/http://www.bartleby.com/65/en/Englsh-u.htmlhttp://web.archive.org/web/20080714214207/http://www.bartleby.com/65/en/Englsh-u.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Central_Intelligence_Agencyhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/appendix/appendix-g.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Federal_Registerhttp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/FedRegister/FRdoc59-5442.pdfhttp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/FedRegister/FRdoc59-5442.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Coast_and_Geodetic_Surveyhttp://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP447/app3.pdfhttp://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP447/app3.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Corwin_Mendenhallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fred_Flintstonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Metricationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pounds_per_square_inchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foot-poundhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pound-forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slug_%28mass%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R-value_%28insulation%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horsepowerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hand_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kilocaloriehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caloriehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_thermal_unithttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Board-foothttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atmosphere_%28unit%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Linear_functionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Celsiushttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kelvinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thermodynamicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Absolute_temperaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rankine_scalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Temperaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fahrenheit
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    United States customary units 8

    [9] Astin, A. V. (July 27, 1968).Federal Register(http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP447/sp447.pdf). Republished in Barbrow, L.E and Judson,

    L.V. Weights and Measures of the United States: A Brief History. National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 447. pp. 3435.

    [10] National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2008). Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI)(http://physics.nist.

    gov/cuu/pdf/sp811. pdf).

    [11] The recommended symbol for the liter in the United States is 'L' per National Institute of Standards and Technology. (1995.) Guide for the

    Use of the International System of Units (SI). Special Publication 811. http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP811/sec06.html#6. 1.2

    [12] 93rd Conference on Weights and Measures. (2009). Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and

    Measuring Devices(http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/Publications/upload/HB44-09-Combined. pdf) (NIST Handbook 44).

    National Institute of Standards and Technology.

    [13] Summary of State Laws and Regulations in Weights and Measures(http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/upload/stlaw.pdf). (2005)

    National Institute of Standards and Technology.

    [14] "Food and Drugs: FDA Food Labeling" (http://edocket. access.gpo. gov/cfr_2004/aprqtr/21cfr101. 9. htm). U.S. Government Printing

    Office. April 1, 2004. .

    For Nutrition facts labeling "a teaspoon means 5 milliliters (mL), a tablespoon means 15 mL, a cup means 240 mL, 1 fl oz means 30 mL, and

    1 oz in weight means 28 g."

    [15] 15 U.S.C. 205b (http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/15/205b. html)

    [16] Michael Milstein (March 2001). "Metric Mayhem" (http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/mayhem. html). Air & Space Magazine. .

    Retrieved March 2011.

    External links

    Jacques J. Proot's Anglo-Saxon weights & measures (http://users.aol.com/jackproot/met/spvolas.html) page.

    Wayback Machine Internet Archive (http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://users.aol.com/jackproot/met/

    spvolas.html)

    Rowlett's A Dictionary of Units of Measurement (http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/index.html)

    http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/index.htmlhttp://web.archive.org/web/*/http://users.aol.com/jackproot/met/spvolas.htmlhttp://web.archive.org/web/*/http://users.aol.com/jackproot/met/spvolas.htmlhttp://users.aol.com/jackproot/met/spvolas.htmlhttp://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/mayhem.htmlhttp://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/15/205b.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Title_15_of_the_United_States_Codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nutrition_facts_labelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Government_Printing_Officehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Government_Printing_Officehttp://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2004/aprqtr/21cfr101.9.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Institute_of_Standards_and_Technologyhttp://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/upload/stlaw.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Institute_of_Standards_and_Technologyhttp://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/Publications/upload/HB44-09-Combined.pdfhttp://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP811/sec06.html#6.1.2http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/pdf/sp811.pdfhttp://physics.nist.gov/cuu/pdf/sp811.pdfhttp://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP447/sp447.pdf
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    Article Sources and Contributors 9

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