WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

THE METRIC SYSTEM

Multiples which are used equally with all the principal units
- M (myria = 10000)
- K (kilo = 1000)
- H (hekto = 100)
- D (deka = 10)

(NOTE. These are Greek numerals)

Divisions which are used equally with all the principle units
- d (deci = .1)
- c (centi = .01)
- m (milli = .001)

(NOTE. These are Latin numerals)

Kinds of Quantities Measured	Principal Units	Definitions
Length	m (meter)
Area	sq. m (square meter)
Area	a (Ar)	1 sq. Dm.
Volume	cu m (cubic meter)
	s (ster)	1 cu. m.
	l (liter)	1 cu. d m
Weight	g (gram)	Weight of 1 cu. cm. of pure water at 4° centigrade

NOTE. 1000 kg. is called t. (a metric ton.)

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LINEAR MEASURE

12 in. = 1 foot
3 ft. = 1 yd.
5 ¹⁄₂ yds. = 1 rod
320 rds. = 1 mile
5280 ft. = 1 mile
3 miles = 1 league

The hand (4 in.) is used to measure the height of horses. The nautical mile is 6086.44 ft. 1 knot is 1.1528 statute miles. 1 degree is 67.168 statute miles.

SQUARE MEASURE

144 sq. in. = 1 sq. ft.
9 sq. ft. = 1 sq. yd.
30 ¹⁄₄ sq. yds. = 1 sq. rod
160 sq. rods = 1 acre
640 acres = 1 sq. mile

The side of a square having an area of an acre is approximately 208 ³⁄₄ feet.

DRY MEASURE

2 pints = 1 quart
8 quarts = 1 peck
4 pecks = 1 bushel

LIQUID MEASURE

4 gills = 1 pt.
2 pts. = 1 qt.
4 qts. = 1 gall.
31 ¹⁄₂ gall. = 1 barrel
2 barrels = 1 hogshead

APOTHECARIES’ WEIGHT

20 grains = 1 scruple
3 scruples = 1 dram
8 drams = 1 ounce
12 ounces = 1 pound

AVOIRDUPOIS WEIGHT

16 drams = 1 ounce
16 ounces = 1 pound
100 pounds = 1 hundredweight
20 hundredweights = 1 ton
Long ton = 2240 pounds, used mostly in Great Britain.

TROY WEIGHT

24 grains = 1 pennyweight
20 pennyweights = 1 ounce
12 ounces = 1 pound
1 carat in diamond, measure = 3.2 Troy grains.

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PAPER MEASURE

24 sheets = 1 quire
20 quires = 1 ream
2 reams = 1 bundle
5 bundles = 1 bale

TIME MEASURE

60 seconds = 1 minute
60 minutes = 1 hour
24 hours = 1 day
7 days = 1 week
28, 29, 30, or 31 days = 1 calendar month
(30 days = 1 month in computing interest)
365 days = 1 year
366 days = 1 leap year

CIRCULAR MEASURE

60 seconds = 1 minute
60 minutes = 1 degree
30 degrees = 1 sign
90 degrees = 1 quadrant
4 quadrants = 12 signs, or 360 degrees = 1 circle

CLOTH MEASURE

2 ¹⁄₄ inches = 1 nail
4 nails = 1 quarter
4 quarters = 1 yard

MARINERS’ MEASURE

6 feet = 1 fathom
120 fathoms = 1 cab. le’th.
7 ¹⁄₂ cable lengths = 1 mile
5280 feet = 1 stat. mile
6085 feet = 1 naut. mile

MISCELLANEOUS

3 inches = 1 palm
4 inches = 1 hand
6 inches = 1 span
18 inches = 1 cubit
21.8 in. = 1 Bible cubit
2 ¹⁄₂ ft. = 1 military pace

SURVEYORS’ MEASURE

7.92 inches = 1 link
25 links = 1 rod
4 rods = 1 chain
10 square chains or 160 square rods = 1 acre
640 acres = 1 sq. mile
36 sq. miles (6 miles sq.) = 1 township

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CUBIC MEASURE

1728 cubic in. = 1 cub. ft.
27 cubic ft. = 1 cubic yd.
128 c. ft. = 1 cord (wood)
40 cub. ft. = 1 ton (shpg.)
2150.42 cubic inches = 1 standard bushel
268.8 cubic inches = 1 standard gallon
1 cubic foot = about four-fifths of a bushel

METRIC EQUIVALENTS

1 centimeter = 0.3937 in.	1 in. = 2.54 centimeters
1 decimeter = 3.937 in. = 0.328 feet	1 ft. = 3.048 decimeters
1 meter = 39.37 in. = 1.0936 yards	1 yard = 0.9144 meter
1 dekameter = 1.9884 rods	1 rod= 0.5029 dekameter
1 kilometer = 0.62137 mile	1 mile = 1.6093 kilometers

1 sq. centimeter = 0.1550 sq. in.	1 sq. inch = 6452 square centimeters
1 sq. decimeter = 0.1076 sq. ft.	1 sq. foot = 9.2903 square decimeters
1 sq. meter = 1.196 sq. yd.	1 sq. yd. = 0.8361 sq. m’r.
1 are = 3.954 sq. rd.	1 sq. rd. = 0.2529 are
1 hektar = 2.47 acres	1 acre= 0.4047 hektar
1 sq. kilometer = 0.386 sq. m.	1 sq. m. = 2.59 sq. kilometers

*Measure of Volume*
1 cu. centimeter = 0.061 cu. in.	1 cu. in. = 16.39 cu. centimeters
1 cu. decimeter= 0.0353 cu. ft.	1 cu. ft. = 28.317 cu. decimeters
1 cu. mr.= 1.308 cu. yd.	1 cu. yd. = 0.7646 cu. mr.
1 cu. mr.= 0.2759 cd.	1 cu. yd. = 0.7646 cu. mr.
1 stere= 1.308 cu. yd.	1 cord = 3.624 steres
1 stere= 0.2759 cd.	1 cord = 3.624 steres
1 liter= 0.908 qt. dry	1 qt. dry = 1.101 liters
1 liter= 1.0567 qt. liq.	1 qt. liq. = 0.9463 liter
1 dekaliter= 2.6417 gal.	1 gal. = 0.3785 dekaliter
1 dekaliter= .135 pks.	1 peck = 0.881 dekaliter
1 hektoliter= 2.8375 bush.	1 bus. = 0.3524 hektoliter

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1 gram. = 0.03527 ounce	1 ounce = 28.85 grams.
1 kilogram = 2.2046 lbs.	1 lb. = 0.4536 kilogram
1 metric ton = 1.1023 English ton	1 English ton = 0.9072 metric ton

British Weights and Measures

The British Weights and Measures Act of 1878, which superseded all previous laws upon the subject, enacts the measures which may legally be used in the United Kingdom. These are based upon the Standard Yard and the Standard Pound.

Further Acts of Parliament were passed in 1889 and 1904 dealing with the question of verification of weights and measures, and regulations were issued by the Board of Trade in 1907 respecting the inspection and stamping of weights and measures.

The Yard and the Pound are the only two independent standards for weights and measures, as the Gallon, the standard of capacity, both for dry and liquid measure, is not independent, but is based upon the Pound. The Gallon is defined in the Act of 1878 as the volume of ten Imperial Standard Pounds weight of distilled water weighed in air against brass weights, with the water and air at the temperature of 62° Fahrenheit and the barometer at 30 inches.

The multiples and subdivisions of the Standard Yard, Pound, and Gallon, as laid {154} down in the Act of 1878, are as follows; the legal abbreviations are given in brackets:

1. MEASURES OF LENGTH

12 inches (in.) = 1 foot (ft.)
3 feet = 1 YARD (yd.)
5 ¹⁄₂ yards = 1 rod, pole, or perch
4 poles = 1 chain or 100 links
10 chains = 1 furlong
8 furlongs = 1 mile

2. MEASURES OF WEIGHT

7000 grains (gr.) = 1 POUND (lb.)

Also

16 drams (dr.) = 1 ounce (oz.)
16 ounces = 1 POUND (lb.)
14 pounds = 1 stone
8 stone = 1 hundredweight (cwt.)
20 hundredweights = 1 ton

3. MEASURES OF CAPACITY

4 gills = 1 pint
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 GALLON
2 gallons = 1 peck
4 pecks = 1 bushel
8 bushels = 1 quarter
36 bushels = 1 chaldron

4. MEASURES OF LAND

40 square perches = 1 rood
4 roods = 1 acre

For certain special purposes, the following are also authorized by the Act of 1878 or by Order in Council under the Act:

1. For weighing gold and silver and precious stones: {155}

The Troy ounce, equal in weight to 480 grains. In dealing with quantities less than an ounce, the ounce is divided decimally, not into grains. Larger quantities than an ounce are stated in ounces. There is no Troy pound.

2. For the use of apothecaries and for selling drugs retail:

(a) MEASURES OF WEIGHT

20 grains = 1 scruple (
)
3 scruples = 1 drachm (
)
8 drachms = 1 Apothecaries’ ounce (oz. Apoth.)

(b) MEASURES OF CAPACITY

60 minims (min.) = 1 fluid drachm (fl. dr.)
8 fluid drachms = 1 fluid ounce (fl. oz.)

Of the Apothecaries’ measure of weight, the grain is the same as the Imperial grain; and the Apothecaries’ ounce contains 480 grains, like the Troy ounce. But, of the measures of capacity, the Apothecaries’ drachm is not the same as the Imperial dram, and the two words are spelt differently. A fluid ounce of distilled water at a temperature of 62° Fahrenheit is equal in weight to the Imperial ounce (437.5 grains), and the fluid drachm (54.6875 grains) is equal in weight to two Imperial drams.

ELECTRICAL MEASURES

It is customary to express electrical measures in terms of the centimeter, the gramme, and the second, and the value of the units {156} has been fixed by international agreement. The principal units, as described in the Order in Council of January 10, 1910, are as follows:

The OHM, the unit of resistance, is the resistance offered to an unvarying electric current by a column of mercury, at the temperature of melting ice, 14.4521 grammes in mass, of a constant cross-sectional area, and of a length of 106.3 centimeters.

The AMPERE, the unit of current, is the unvarying electric current which, when passed through a solution of nitrate of silver in water, deposits silver at the rate of 0.001118 of a gramme per second.

The VOLT, the unit of pressure, is the pressure which, when steadily applied to a conductor whose resistance is one ohm, will produce a current of one ampere.

The WATT, the unit of power, is ¹⁄₇₄₆ of one horse-power, the horse-power being 33,000 lb. raised one foot in one minute. The Board of Trade unit is 1000 Watt-hours.

In carbon lamps of 16-candle power (nominal) about four watts are required per candle power to give good economical results for domestic purposes. One Board of Trade unit will keep a 16-candle carbon lamp alight for about 16 hours; metallic filament lamps require considerably less. {157}

MEASURES FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES

Stock or kiln bricks	8 ³⁄₄ inches × 4 ¹⁄₄ × 2 ³⁄₄
Welsh fire-bricks	9 inches × 4 ¹⁄₂ × 2 ³⁄₄
Paving bricks	9 inches × 4 ¹⁄₂ × 1 ³⁄₄
Square tiles	9 ³⁄₄ inches × 9 ³⁄₄ × 1
Square tiles	6 inches × 6 × 1
Dutch clinker bricks	9 ¹⁄₄ inches × 3 × 1 ¹⁄₂

A Rod of Brickwork 16 ¹⁄₂ feet × 16 ¹⁄₂ feet × 1 ¹⁄₂ brick thick = 306 cubic feet, or 11 ¹⁄₃ cubic yards, and contains about 4500 bricks with about 75 cubic feet of mortar.

Ordinary bricks weigh about 7 lb. each; a load of 500 weighs about 1 ton 11 cwt. 1 qr.

A Piece of Wall Paper is 12 yd. long × 21 in. wide (English), and 9 yd. × 18 in. (French).

Timber and Wood

40 cubic feet rough, 50 cubic feet squared = 1 load
50 cubic feet of planks = 1 load
100 superficial feet = 1 square of flooring
120 Deals = 100

Width of Battens, 7 inches; Deals, 9 inches; Planks are 2 to 4 inches thick, and 10 or 11 inches wide. A Cord of Wood is 2 ¹⁄₂ tons, or 128 cubic feet.

Corn

Wheat and other cereals are commonly sold by weight, the bushel being thus reckoned:

Wheat,
- English, 60 lb.
- Foreign, 62 lb.
Barley,
- English, 50 lb.
- French, 52 ¹⁄₂ lb.
- Mediterranean, 50 lb. {158}
Oats,
- English, 39 lb.
- Foreign, 38 and 40 lb.
Rye and Maize, 60 lb.
Buckwheat, 52 lb.

Hay and Straw

Truss
- of Straw, 36 lb.
- of Old Hay, 56 lb.
- of New Hay (to September 1), 60 lb.
Load, 36 Trusses —
- Straw, 11 cwt. 2 qr. 8 lb.;
- Old Hay, 18 cwt.;
- New Hay, 19 cwt. 1 qr. 4 lb.

Yard Measures

Cotton and Spun Silk Count. — Thread = 1 ¹⁄₂ yards; Lea, or Skein, skn. = 120 yards; Hank, hk = 7 Skeins, or Leas = 840 yards; Spindle, spdl. = 18 Hanks; counts = the number of Hanks in 1 lb.; Bundle Hanks, either of 5 lb. or 10 lb.; Reels of Cotton vary from 30 to 1760 yards; they must be marked correctly. Bundles of Cotton are chiefly made up for export.

Worsted Count. — Wrap, 80 yards; Hank = 560 yards = 7 Wraps. Counts or Numbers are the number of hanks in a lb.

Linen Count. — The Hank or Lea is 300 yards, and the number of these in 1 lb. is the count of the yarn. A Spindle is 48 hanks; a Bundle is 200 hanks.

West of England Count. — The Hank is 320 yards, and the number of hanks in 1 lb. is the count of the yarn. {159}

Size of Barrel	Gals.
Firkin or Quarter Barrel	9
Anker (10 gallons)	10
Kilderkin, Rundlet, or ¹⁄₂ Barrel	18
Barrel	36
Tierce (42 gallons)	42
Hogshead of Ale (1 ¹⁄₂ barrels)	54
Puncheon	72
Butt of Ale	108

In the British Dependencies

The Imperial weights and measures are the legal standards in the British Dominions and in India. In some Colonies the Metric system may also be used. In certain Colonies and in India, the old local measures are still employed to a considerable extent. Among these are the following:

INDIAN WEIGHTS (Bengal)

Tola, unit of postage = 180 grains
Chittak = 5 Tolas;
Seer (16 Chittaks) = 2 ⁹⁄₃₅ lb.
Imperial or Indian Maund = 82 ²⁄₇ lb. = 40 seer

Madras

Viss = 3.09 lbs.,
Maund = 25 lb.,
Candy = 500 lb.

SOUTH AFRICAN LAND MEASURES

Cape Morgen = 2.11654 English Acres
Cape Feet = 1.033 English Feet
Cape Rood = 12.396 English Feet

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European Countries

The metric system of weights and measures has been adopted in the following countries:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Rumania, Servia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

In Russia the standard of length is the Sachine, which is equal to seven British feet; the standard of weight is the Pound, equal to nine-tenths of the British pound. The other measures are:

1. MEASURES OF LENGTH

16 vershok = 1 archine
3 archine = 1 sachine
500 sachine = 1 verst

2. MEASURES OF WEIGHT

3 zolotnik = 1 loth
32 loth = 1 pound
40 pounds = 1 pood
10 poods = 1 berkovatz

In Turkey the weights and measures differ considerably in different parts of the Empire, but the following are those used at Constantinople and the neighborhood:

1. MEASURES OF LENGTH

2 jeras = 1 rup
8 rups = 1 pek = 26.77 British inches

2. MEASURES OF WEIGHT

16 kirats = 1 dram
400 drams = 1 oke = 2.828 British pounds
44 okes = 1 kantar

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The usual measure of capacity in Turkey is the Kileh, which is slightly larger than the British bushel.