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| The Differences |
Weights and Measures: What are
the differences?
U. S. Customary System: The most
commonly used units of weight in the U.S. Customary System are ounce, pound and ton.
Ounce (oz) = about the weight of a slice of bread
Pound (lb) = 16 ounces, about the weight of a hammer
Ton (t) = 2,000 pounds, about the weight of a small carMetric Weight
(Mass): The most commonly used units for measuring mass* in the metric system are
the gram, milligram and kilogram.
Gram (g) = about the weight of a paper clip
Milligram (mg) = 1/1000 gram, about the weight of a wing of a housefly
Kilogram (kg) = 1,000 grams, about the weight of a large can of tomatoes
*Measuring mass is not the same as measuring weight. Mass refers to the
quantity of an object. Weight refers to the force of gravity exerted on the object. |
Weight
U.S Customary System vs. Metric
|
| Volume is the capacity of a container, the number of
cubic inches it takes to fill a space. Volume may refer to liquids or solids. U.
S. Customary System: The most commonly used units of volume in the U.S.
Customary System include:
Liquid:
Cup (c) = 8 fluid ounces
Pint (pt) = 2 cups or 16 fluid ounces
Quart (qt) = 2 pints or 32 fluid ounces
Gallon (gal) = 4 quarts or 128 fluid ounces
Dry:
Dry pint = 33.6 cubic inches
Dry quart = 2 dry pints
Peck = 16 dry pints or 8 dry quarts
Bushel = 32 dry quarts or 4 pecks
Metric Volume: The most commonly used units for measuring volume are milliliter,
liter and kiloliter.
Milliliter (mL) = 1/1000 liter, about what an eye dropper holds
Liter (L) = a large plastic soda bottle holds 2 liters
Kiloliter (kL) = 1,000 liters, about the amount that a large backyard wading pool
holds |
Volume
U.S Customary System vs. Metric
|
U. S. Customary System:
Fahrenheit (F):
32 degrees - water freezes
72 degrees - normal room temperature
98.6 degrees - normal body temperature
212 degrees - water boilsMetric System:
Celsius (C):
0 degrees - water freezes
20 degrees - normal room temperature
37 degrees - normal body temperature
100 degrees - water boils |
Temperature
U.S Customary System vs. Metric
|
U. S. Customary System:
Inch (in) = about the diameter of a quarter
Foot (ft) = 12 inches
Yard (yd) = 36 inches, 3 feet
Mile (mi) = 5,280 feet, about 10 city blocksMetric System:
Meter (m) = about the length from the left shoulder to the longest right
fingertip (adult)
Millimeter (mm) = 1/1000 meter, the head of a straight pin is about 1 millimeter
Centimeter (cm) = 1/100 meter, width of your little fingernail
Kilometer (km) = 1000 meters, about 6 city blocks |
Length
U.S Customary System vs. Metric
|
U. S. Customary System and Metric:
60 seconds = 1 minute
60 minutes = 1 hour
24 hours = 1 day
7 days = 1 week
52 weeks = 1 year
12 months = 1 year
365 1/4 days = 1 year |
Time
U.S Customary System and Metric
are the Same
|
U. S. Customary System:
100 cents = 10 dimes = 1 dollar
10 ten dollar bills = 100 dollars
10 hundred dollar bills = 1,000 dollars
Metric System: Each country has its own currency, different from American
dollars and cents but they are all based on a decimal system.
A decimal system is based on the number 10. You multiply and divide by ten to change
to a larger or smaller unit.**Divide***when converting a smaller unit to a larger unit.
Example: To convert 32 ounces to pounds, divide: 32/16 = 2
lbs.
**Multiply***when converting a larger unit to a smaller unit. Example:
To convert 2 pounds to ounces, multiply: 2 x 16 = 32. |
Money
The currencies are different but both systems use a decimal system
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