Most countries in the world now use the metric system. Almost the only holdouts still using the old British Imperial system of weights and measures are the [[USA]] and [[Liberia]] (and [[Burma]] which uses yet another system). The [[United Kingdom]] and [[Canada]] (except the already fully metrified francophone [[Quebec]]) are in a curious state halfway between metric and Imperial units, and while many things are measured in metric, you will still often encounter miles, pints, feet and stone during your visit. The only units the two systems have in common are time units from second to century.
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Most countries in the world now use the metric system.
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Almost the only holdouts are the [[USA]] and [[Liberia]] (using a version of the old British Imperial system of weights and measures with peculiarly shrunken measures) and [[Burma]] (which uses yet another system).
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However, in June 2011, the Burmese government's Ministry of Commerce began discussing proposals to reform the measurement system in Burma and adopt the metric system used by most of its trading partners.
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The [[United Kingdom]] and [[Canada]] (except the already fully metricated and francophone [[Quebec]]) are in a curious state halfway between metric and Imperial units and, while many things are measured in metric, you will still often encounter miles, pints, feet and stones during your visit. The only units the different systems have in common are time units from the second, through minutes, hours and days to centuries.
We use "=" signs below, but all are approximate.
We use "=" signs below, but all are approximate.
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== Volume ==
== Volume ==
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The standard metric unit of volume is the litre.
The standard metric unit of volume is the litre.
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Many things, however, are measured in ml (millilitres) or equivalently in cc (cubic centimetres). Roughly, a teaspoon is 5 cc and a fluid ounce is 30 cc.
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Many things, however, are measured in mL (millilitres, also abbreviated outside of Wikitravel as ml) or equivalently in cc (cubic centimetres). Roughly, a teaspoon is 5 cc and a fluid ounce is 30 cc.
In both the US and Imperial systems, 4 quarts = 1 gallon and 2 pints = 1 quart. However, the US units are smaller than Imperial counterparts. A US quart is 32 fluid ounces while Imperial is 40; a litre is in between at 35. A US gallon is 128 ounces or 3.78 litres, while an Imperial gallon is 160 ounces or 4.54 litres.
In both the US and Imperial systems, 4 quarts = 1 gallon and 2 pints = 1 quart. However, the US units are smaller than Imperial counterparts. A US quart is 32 fluid ounces while Imperial is 40; a litre is in between at 35. A US gallon is 128 ounces or 3.78 litres, while an Imperial gallon is 160 ounces or 4.54 litres.
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=== Comparisons ===
=== Comparisons ===
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* 1 L of water weighs 1 kg. Since many liquids (milk, orange juice) are sold in litre containers it is easy to judge 1 L or 1 kg.
* 1 L of water weighs 1 kg. Since many liquids (milk, orange juice) are sold in litre containers it is easy to judge 1 L or 1 kg.
Most countries in the world now use the metric system.
Almost the only holdouts are the USA and Liberia (using a version of the old British Imperial system of weights and measures with peculiarly shrunken measures) and Burma (which uses yet another system).
However, in June 2011, the Burmese government's Ministry of Commerce began discussing proposals to reform the measurement system in Burma and adopt the metric system used by most of its trading partners.
The United Kingdom and Canada (except the already fully metricated and francophone Quebec) are in a curious state halfway between metric and Imperial units and, while many things are measured in metric, you will still often encounter miles, pints, feet and stones during your visit. The only units the different systems have in common are time units from the second, through minutes, hours and days to centuries.
58 °C — 136 °F — Highest temperature recorded on Earth
37 °C — 98.6 °F — Human body temperature
20 °C — 68 °F — Room temperature
0 °C — 32 °F — Water freezes
-18 °C — 0 °F — Ouch. Finnish people start to wear jackets.
-40 °C — -40 °F — Forty below zero!
-89 °C — -129 °F — Lowest temperature recorded on earth
-273.15 °C — -459.67 °F — Absolute zero
For those who are not used to Metric thermometers, there are a few ways to think about it...
Option 1: From Metric (Celsius) to Fahrenheit, double the number and add 30. From Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 30 and divide in half. This is not exact and it won't work for much higher or lower temperatures, but it will be close enough to understand what the temperature is.
Option 2: A nice little poem to remember for Celsius...
Zero is freezing.
10 is not.
20 is warm.
and 30 is hot!
Option 3: For the mathematically inclined or those with a calculator: Fahrenheit=(C*1.8)+32. Celsius=(F-32)/1.8
Many things, however, are measured in mL (millilitres, also abbreviated outside of Wikitravel as ml) or equivalently in cc (cubic centimetres). Roughly, a teaspoon is 5 cc and a fluid ounce is 30 cc.
In both the US and Imperial systems, 4 quarts = 1 gallon and 2 pints = 1 quart. However, the US units are smaller than Imperial counterparts. A US quart is 32 fluid ounces while Imperial is 40; a litre is in between at 35. A US gallon is 128 ounces or 3.78 litres, while an Imperial gallon is 160 ounces or 4.54 litres.
For car and motorcycle engines, displacement might be given in cc or litres or cubic inches. 1000 cc or one litre is 61 cubic inches.
This is a usable article. It touches on all the major areas of the topic. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!
