Description
This article is from the Nordic countries
FAQ, by Antti Lahelma and Johan Olofsson, with numerous
contributions by others.
1.9.1 Why is it advisable to use the metric system in s.c.n?
Because you'll get flamed if you don't, that's why. :-> The obscure
Anglo-Saxon units of measurement are a pet peeve of certain s.c.n
regulars, known as net.metric-cops, who are very much committed to the
cause of converting Yanks to the SI units. But it's really just a
question of common courtesy. This is Nordic territory; we might be
speaking English most of the time, but there's a limit to the extent
we're willing to accommodate the American netters. :-) And seriously,
many Nordics simply won't have an idea of what you're talking about if
you use feet, yards, fahrenheits, inches, gallons, pounds or miles. If
you don't know how to convert these to the metric system, it's about
time to wake up to the 20th century and learn. Here are the tables:
Linear measure
--------------
Primitive system Metric system
**************** *************
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters (cm) 1 cm = 0.3937 inch
1 foot = 30.48 centimeters 1 m = 39.37 inches, or
1 yard = 0.9144 meter (m) 3.2808 feet, or
1 mile = 1.6093 kilometers (km) 1.0936 yards.
1 km = 3280.8 feet, or
1093.6 yards, or 0.62137 miles.
Liquid measure
--------------
1 U.S fluid ounce = 29.573 milliliters (ml) 1 ml = 0.033814 fl.oz.
1 U.S quart = 9.4635 deciliters (dl), or 1 dl = 3.3814 fl.oz.
0.94635 liters (l) 1 l = 33.814 fl oz., or
1 U.S gallon = 3.7854 liters 1.0567 quarts, or
1 U.S pint = 0.4732 liters 0.26417 gallons
1 U.S pint = 0.4732 liters 1 l = 2.1134 U.S pints
Area
----
1 sq foot = 0.0929 sq meters (m²) 1 m² = 10.764 sq feet
1 sq yard = 0.83613 sq meters (m²) 1 m² = 1.1960 sq yards
1 acre = 0.4046 hectare (ha) 1 ha = 2.471 acres
1 sq mile = 2.5900 sq kilometers (km²) 1 km² = 0.38610 sq miles
Mass
----
1 ounce = 28.350 grams (g) 1 g = 0.03527 ounces
1 pound = 0.45359 kilograms (kg) 1 kg = 2.2046 pounds
1 short ton = 0.90718 metric ton 1 metric ton = 0.98421 long tons, or
1 long ton = 1.0160 metric tons 1.1023 short tons, or
1,000 kg
Temperature
-----------
The Celsius ("centigrade") scale, named after the Swedish astronomer
Anders Celsius (1701-44), is based on the freezing and boiling points
of water -- 0°C and 100°C, respectively. The Fahrenheit scale, on the
other hand, is based on what Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit (1686-1736)
considered to be the temperature of the human body (100°F; in reality
it should be around 98.6°F) and the lowest temperature he could
achieve (0°F) by mixing salt, water and ice. Converting between the
two can be done by the following formulas:
°C = (°F-32)/1.8
°F = 32+(1.8*°C)
Or, for practical purposes, a bit simplified formulas can be used:
To get Fahrenheit out of Celsius: double the Celsius, subtract 10%,
and add thirty-two.
To get Celsius out of Fahrenheit: subtract thirty-two, add 10%, and
divide by two.
Or if this is still too complicated, you could learn by heart parts of
the following tables:
Fahrenheit --> Celsius Celsius --> Fahrenheit
-40°F = -40°C
/ \
_________/ \_________
| |
v v
-10°F = -23°C -10°C = 14°F
0°F = -18°C 0°C = 32°F
10°F = -12°C 10°C = 50°F
20°F = -7°C 20°C = 68°F
30°F = -1°C 30°C = 86°F
40°F = 4°C 40°C = 104°F
50°F = 10°C 50°C = 122°F
60°F = 16°C 60°C = 140°F
70°F = 21°C 70°C = 158°F
80°F = 27°C 80°C = 176°F
90°F = 32°C 90°C = 194°F
100°F = 38°C 100°C = 212°F
In the scales, 1 degree C corresponds to 1.8 degrees F,
1 degree F corresponds to 0.56 degrees C.
You'd better learn all this now, because later on there might be a
quiz. :->
Continue to:
Share and Enjoy
Bookmark this story so others can enjoy it:
Tags
travel, vacation, nordic, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, tourism, history, books, language
