Units of measurement

Units of measurement

Measures of Length

  • The base unit of length in the Metric system is the metre (m).
  • Other common units include centimetre (cm), millimetre (mm), and kilometre (km).
  • The conversion amongst metric units is based on powers of 10:
    • 1m = 100cm,
    • 1m = 1000mm,
    • 1km = 1000m.
  • In the Imperial system, the base unit of length is the foot (ft).
  • Other Imperial length units include inch (in), yard (yd), and mile (mi).
  • Key Imperial conversions include:
    • 1ft = 12in,
    • 1yd = 3ft,
    • 1mi = 1760yd.

Measures of Mass

  • The base unit of mass in the Metric system is the kilogram (kg).
  • Other common metric mass units include gram (g) and tonne (t).
  • Key Metric conversions include:
    • 1kg = 1000g,
    • 1t = 1000kg.
  • In the Imperial system, the base unit of mass is the pound (lb).
  • Other Imperial mass units include ounce (oz) and stone (st).
  • Key Imperial conversions include:
    • 1lb = 16oz,
    • 1st = 14lb.

Measures of Volume

  • The base unit of volume in the Metric system is the litre (L).

  • Other common Metric volume units are millilitre (ml) and cubic centimetre (cm³), with 1L = 1000ml and 1ml = 1cm³.

  • In the Imperial system, the base unit of volume is the gallon (gal).
  • Other Imperial volume units include pint (pt) and fluid ounce (fl oz).
  • Key Imperial conversions include:
    • 1gal = 8pt,
    • 1pt = 20fl oz.

Conversion between Metric and Imperial Units

  • It’s essential to know these conversions for instance, knowing there are approximately
    • 2.54cm in an inch,
    • 0.4536kg in a pound,
    • 4.546L in a gallon,
    • 1 mile is approximately 1.609 km.