Conversion Calculator / Conversion Calculator Conversion Calculator Use this conversion calculator to convert between the most common units. A full list of unit converters is available at unitconverters.net . conversion calculator To: Measuring Weight and Distance Why do countries use different systems of measuring weight and distance? The reason is because, historically, a variety of systems for measure and weight evolved in different geographical regions. The use of pounds and ounces in England and the U.S. to measure weight goes back a long way in history. Systems of Measuring Weight In the eighth and ninth centuries of the Common Era, Arab civilization flourished in the Middle East and Spain. The Arabs were skilled mathematicians, and they used coins as units of weight – a minted coin could not easily be cut or shaved to reduce its weight. The Arabs used a coin called a silver Dirhem as the basic measure of weight – it was roughly equivalent to 45 grains of barley. Ten dirhems made a "wukryeh," and this was translated into Latin – the language used in most of Europe – as an "uncia." That's where we get the word for "ounce." The Arabs traded with all the countries of Europe.

In the "Hansa" cities of northern Germany, a region of great shipbuilding and trading, a pound was established as equal to sixteen ounces, or 7200 grains of silver. This was the standard adopted in Great Britain in the eight century, but King Offa, who ruled the country at the time, ran out of silver! So he reduced the pound to 5400 grains of silver, and it stayed that way until the Norman King William came from France and conquered England. King William set up samples of the pound and the ounce in the Tower of London, where he could be sure they wouldn't be tampered with. Anglo-Saxon countries have used pounds and ounces ever since to measure weight. The British pound sterling, or GBP, was equal to one pound weight of silver in King Offa's time. But, when Queen Elizabeth I ruled England in the 16th century, the Avoirdupois weight system was adopted. This was a form of measure traditonally based on the weight of coal. The name derives ultimately from French avoir de pois ("goods of weight" or "property").

The avoirdupois pound contains 7,000 grains, or 256 drams of 27.344 grains each, or 16 ounces of 437 1/2 grains each. It is used for all products not subject to apothecaries' weight (for pharmaceutical items) or troy weight (for precious metals). Since 1959 the avoirdupois pound has been officially defined in most English-speaking countries as 0.45359237 kilograms. In Asia, very different systems of measuring weight evolved. In Ancient India, a measure of weight called the "Satamana" was equal to the weight of 100 Gunja berries. In China, the first emperor Shi Huang Di created a system of weights and measures in the third century Before the Common Era. The basic weight was called the shi, and was fixed at about 60 kilograms (132 pounds); the two basic measurements, the Chi and the Zhang, were set at about 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) and 3 metres (9.8 feet), respectively. And the Chinese came up with a special way to ensure accuracy.

A special size of bowl was used for measurements, and it not only had to be of a certain size, but, when you struck it, it had to make a specific sound. If it didn't hit the right pitch, the measurement was off. The Metric System – Weight and Distance Together In Europe, the modern metric system was developed first in France by two astronomers, Jean-Baptiste Delambre, and Pierre Mechain, at the end of the 17th century. Based on their labors, in 1790, the Prince de Talleyrand proposed a bill to the French Assembly to establish the metric system as the unified system of measurement for the country. The French National Academy of Sciences was tasked with its definition. The Academy created a system that was, at once, simple and scientific. The unit of length was to be a portion of the Earth's circumference. Measures for volume were to be derived from the unit of length, thus relating the basic units of the system to each other and to nature. What made the system particularly attractive was that larger and smaller multiples of each unit were to be created by multiplying or dividing by 10 and its powers. This made it very easy to use.

The Commission assigned the name meter to the unit of length. This name was derived from the Greek word metron, meaning "a measure." The physical standard representing the meter was to be constructed so that it would equal one ten-millionth of the distance from the North Pole to the equator along the meridian running near Dunkirk in France and Barcelona in Spain. The initial metric unit of weight, the "gram," was defined as the mass of one cubic centimeter (a cube that is 0.01 meter on each side) of water at its temperature of maximum density. A kilogram is a thousand grams. The cubic decimeter (a cube 0. 1 meter on each side) was chosen as the unit for capacity. The fluid volume measurement for the cubic decimeter was given the name "liter." By 1900, a total of 35 nations -- including the major nations of continental Europe and most of South America -- had officially accepted the metric system. The U.S. is one notable exception. Systems of Measuring Distance The same is true of the U.S. in its use of the "mile," as opposed to the kilometer (a thousand meters). The U.K.

officially recognizes the kilometer, but if you buy a car there, the spedometer will give the speed in miles per hour. The mile and the foot all come to us from ancient Rome, where measurements were based on the number 12. For example, the 12 divisions of the Roman "pes," or foot were called unciae. Our words "inch" and, as we have seen, "ounce" are both derived from that Latin word. The Latin word "mila," on the other hand, was based on the measure of one thousand paces by a Roman legion. The mile today is equal to 1,760 yards (approximately 1.609 kilometers). It was adopted in England by Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century. The "yard" as a measure of length can be traced back to early kings of England. They wore a piece of clothing around the waist that could be removed and used as a convenient measuring device. The word "yard" comes from the Saxon word "gird" meaning the circumference of a person's waist. Using the Calculator Choose on the left side the unit you wish for conversion, and on the right side, the unit you wish to convert to.

Brown Pre-Med Jeopardy Template 200 What is diffusion? The process by which oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged in the lungs and through all cell membranes. 200 What is the the hyoid bone? the only bone in the human body that is not connected to another bone. 200 the progressive destruction of the adrenal cortex. 200 medical doctors who treat diseases or disorders of the eyes, and perform eye surgery. 200 Who are the San Francisco Giants? The winners of the 2012 world series. 300 What is receptor-mediated endocytosis? A failure in this process results in an inability of certain body cells to uptake LDL cholesterol. 300 Anatomical term for the back of the elbow. 300 What is Cushing Sydnrome? Prolonged exposure to excess levels of cortisol (hydrocortisone) or other glucocorticoids from endogenous or exogenous sources 300 What is an otolaryngolgist? the medical specialty which focuses on the treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the ears, nose, and throat. 300 The first planet to be discovered using the telescope.

400 The neurotransmitter that is primarily responsible for natural pain relief in the body. 400 What is the foramen magnum? The passageway through which the spinal cord leaves the skull. 400 Abnormal development of cartilage and bone 400 These doctors are into the study of ancient diseases. 400 What is the inch? This unit of measure was once defined as the length of three grains of barley laid end to end. 500 What is secondary indirect active symport? The process of the reabsorption (transport) of both Na+ and glucose together from the renal lumen. 500 Anatomic name for the great toe. 500 What is Moyamoya Disease? A chronic cerebral vasculopathy primarily occurring in childhood and characterized by slowly progressive carotid artery narrowing and occlusion at the base of the brain 500 What are endovascular surgical neuroradiologists. These specialists focus on less invasive, catheter-based techniques to treat patients who are unable to undergo conventional surgery or in situations where no conventional surgery options exist.

inch | unit of measurement | Britannica.com unit of measurement mina Inch, unit of British Imperial and United States Customary measure equal to 1/36 of a yard . The unit derives from the Old English ince, or ynce, which in turn came from the Latin unit uncia, which was “one-twelfth” of a Roman foot , or pes. (The Latin word uncia was the source of the name of another English unit, the ounce.) The old English ynce was defined by King David I of Scotland about 1150 as the breadth of a man’s thumb at the base of the nail. To help maintain consistency of the unit, the measure was usually achieved by adding the thumb breadth of three men—one small, one medium, and one large—and then dividing the figure by three. During the reign of King Edward II , in the early 14th century, the inch was defined as “three grains of barley , dry and round, placed end to end lengthwise.” At various times the inch has also been defined as the combined lengths of 12 poppyseeds. Since 1959 the inch has been defined officially as 2.54 cm .

Learn More in these related articles: British Imperial System traditional system of weights and measures used officially in Great Britain from 1824 until the adoption of the metric system beginning in 1965. The United States Customary System of weights and measures is derived from it. British Imperial units are now legally defined in metric terms. David I c. 1082 May 24, 1153 Carlisle, Cumberland, Eng. one of the most powerful Scottish kings (reigned from 1124). He admitted into Scotland an Anglo-French (Norman) aristocracy that played a major part in the later history of the kingdom. He also reorganized Scottish Christianity to conform with... 2 References found in Britannica Articles Assorted Reference Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience.

You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: April 29, 2004 URL: Access Date: January 20, 2017 Share English weights and measures: Quick reference Unit of area, equal to 4840 square yards. Still very much in use. Bag Obscure unit of volume, equal to 24 gallons.

Barleycorn Unit of length. Three to the inch. A very old measure, not used for centuries. Barrel (beer) Unit of volume, equal to 36 gallons, or 4 firkins. Still in use. Barrel (wine) Unit of volume, equal to 31.5 gallons. No longer in use Barrel (oil) A US measure, not English. Equals 42 US gallons. British Thermal Unit, or Btu. Unit of energy or work Bucket Obscure unit of volume, equal to 4 gallons. Bushel Unit of volume, equal to 8 gallons, or 4 pecks. Not in use much at all these days, but beware that the US bushel is different. Butt Unit of volume, usually for wine or beer. Can be 108 or 126 gallons, depending. No longer used. Cable Unit of length, at sea. Defined as 1 tenth of a nautical mile. Chain Unit of length, equal to 22 yards, which is the length of a cricket pitch. When I was at school, we were given such chains to measure things with - each chain made up of 100 links.

There are 10 chains to the furlong. Not seen much these days, but still seen on not-so-old maps etc. Clove Obscure unit of weight, equal to 7 pounds (av.) Drachm (fluid) Unit of volume, equal to 60 minims. 8 fluid drachms to the fluid ounce. Dram [also spelled as Drachm] (avoirdupois) Unit of weight. 16 drams to the (av.) ounce. Dram [also spelled as Drachm] (troy) Unit of weight. Equal to 60 grains. 8 drams to the (troy) ounce. Ell Unit of length. Very, very old. The English ell should be taken as 45 inches, or a yard and a quarter, and the Scots ell is 37 Scots inches, or 72.2 English inches. Very much not used. Fathom Unit of length, or rather depth, equal to 6 feet. Still encountered. Firkin Unit of volume, especially beer. Equals 9 gallons. Extremely popular in pub names! Foot Unit of length. 12 inches, 3 feet to the yard. Very, very common.

Furlong Unit of length, equal to 220 yards, or 10 chains. There are 8 furlongs to the mile. The name seems to derive from the length of a furrow, somehow. This unit is still used, especially so in horse-racing. Gallon Unit of volume. Equal to 8 pints. The Imperial gallon was defined in the act of 1824 as the volume of 10lb of water at 62°F. Before this, the gallon was redefined over the years (especially around the time of the American revolution) with consequent problems for our colonial cousins, which is why we have 8 of our gallons to one of our bushels, but the Americans have 9.309177 of their gallons (or 7.751512 of ours) to one of their bushels. To get around this, they have a dry gallon and a liquid gallon, which are different. To summarise: Imperial gallon 231 cubic inches Gill Unit of volume. Normally taken as a quarter of a pint, it can also be a third or a half pint, especially in conversation.

The legal definition is a 1/4 of a pint. The word Gill is pronouced with a hard G (as Jill). Grain The basic unit of weight in the imperial system. There are 5760 grains to the Troy pound, and 7000 to the avoirdupois pound. Hand Unit of length, or normally height, equal to 4 inches. Still (almost) universally used in England to measure horses. Hogshead Unit of volume (wine only). 52.5 gallons. Until 1824 it was 63 gallons, a figure still used by the Americans. Horsepower (common) A unit of power. Equal to 33000 foot-pound-force per minute. Very much in use today. Horsepower (RAC) A strange unit, used only to tax cars in the first decades to the 20th century. It was based on the cylinder diameter, not the swept volume or power, which seems to have inspired W O Bentley at least to design long-stroke engines to get them into a lower taxation class.

Horsepower (misc.) There are all sorts of other horsepowers (boiler, metric, electric, metric etc.) - beware! Hundredweight Unit of weight, equal to 8 stones. 20 hundredweight to a ton. This unit is commonly abbreviated to 'cwt'. Hundredweight (short) Unit of weight, not much used in England, but apparently used still in the US. Equals 100 pounds, 20 to the Short ton. Inch Very basic unit of length. 12 to the foot. Very much in use. Kilderkin Obscure unit of volume, equal to 18 gallons. Kip Obscure unit of force - equal to 1000 pound-force. Knot Unit of speed or velocity, equal to 1 nautical mile per hour. Universally used to control the speed of ships and aircraft. Last Very obscure unit of volume - equal to 640 gallons. League Unit of length. Equal to 3 miles, so a league at sea is different to a league on land. Much used by poets, but nobody else. Lb The abbreviation used for 'pound'. It comes from the Latin word Libra which translates to 'pound'.

This is where the fancy 'L' comes from when talking about the pound sterling (i.e. the unit of currency in the UK). Line Unit of length. Some authorities (generally American) say 10 lines to the inch, and some say 12. This seems to be a printing term. Link Unit of length, there being 100 links to a chain. Virtually never seen these days. Mil Unit of length. Shown as 1/1000 of an inch in some books, I have never known anyone use this in England, as a millimetre (an obscure French measure) is known colloquially as a 'mill'. See thou . However, many friends from across the Atlantic have pointed out that the mill is very much in use in the US, for measuring paper, plastic (rubbish bags/garbage sacks etc.) and wire. Mile (statute) Unit of length, equal to 1760 yards, or 8 furlongs.

This unit is universal in England for measuring distances between places etc., and is always used on road-signs (eg LONDON 180 miles) and speedometers (as in miles per hour), and consequently is always quoted by drivers when talking about fuel consumption (as in miles per gallon). Mile (nautical) Unit of length, normally at sea or in the air. Originally, the Admiralty fixed it at 6080 feet. This unit is universally used by international law by ships and aircraft, as is the derived unit of the knot . In the 20th century, an international nautical mile was defined as 1852 metres, and so you will sometimes see the 6080ft nautical mile called the British nautical mile. Minim Unit of volume. 60 minims to the fluid ounce. Nail Obscure unit of length, equal to 2 and a quarter inches. Noggin Unit of volume - maybe a colloquism. Same as the gill . This word is quite often used in pubs etc. in certain parts of England, but not in a technical sense!

Ounce - avoirdupois Unit of weigh, equal to 437.5 grains. 16 drams to the ounce, 16 ounces to the pound. This unit is still very much used in England. Ounce - fluid Unit of volume, equal to 8 fluid drachms. 20 fluid ounces = 1 pint. This unit is still used, especially in recipes. Ounce - troy Unit of weight, equal to 480 grains, or 24 scruples. or 20 pennyweights or 8 drams. 12 ounces to the pound.Used for weighing bullion, and as an apocatheries measure. Pace Obscure unit of length. Equal to 2.5 feet. Palm Obscure unit of length. Equal to 3 inches. Peck Unit of volume, equal to 2 gallons. Not much in use these days. Pennyweight Unit of weight, equal to 24 grains. There are 20 to the Troy ounce. Perch Old unit of length - same as rod and pole. 16.5 feet. Pint Unit of volume. The universal measure for beer.

There are 20 fluid ounces to the pint, and 8 pints to the gallon. Different to US pints - beware! Pole Old unit of length - same as rod and perch. 16.5 feet. Pound - avoirdupois Unit of weight, equal to 7000 grains, or 16 avoirdupois ounces. 14 pounds = 1 stone. This unit is still very much used in England. Pound - troy Unit of weight, equal to 5760 grains, or 12 troy ounces. Used for weighing bullion, and as an apocatheries measure. The troy pound was outlawed in 1878. Poundal Unit of force. There are 32.174 to the pound-force (acceleration to to gravity being 32.174 feet per second per second). Pound-force Unit of pressure - an abbreviation for pounds per square inch. Puncheon Obscure unit of volume - equal to 70 gallons. Quart Unit of volume, equal to 2 pints. 4 quarts = 1 gallon.

The use of this unit has declined sharply over the last 20 years. Quarter Unit of weight, equal to 2 stones. 4 quarters = 1 hundredweight. General use of this unit seems to have died out around the time of WWII. Quarter Unit of volume, equal to 64 gallons. Rod Unit of length; It is 16.5 feet, which is strange even by English standards. It is better to define it in terms of the rood . Rope Obscure unit of length - equal to 20 feet. Rood Unit of area; an area of 1 furlong long by 1 rod wide, or 1210 square yards. There are 4 roods to the acre. Rope Obscure unit of length - equal to 20 feet. Sack Obscure unit of weight, equal to 26 stones. Scruple Unit of weight. Equals 20 grains. 3 to the Troy dram. Scruple (fluid). Unit of volume. Equals 20 minims. Seam Obscure unit of volume, equal to 64 gallons.

Slug Strange unit of weight - equal to 32.174 pounds (av.) - see poundal . Span Obscure unit of length - equal to 9 inches. Stone Unit of weight, equal to 14 pounds (av.). Often used in England for weighing people. 8 stones = 1 hundredweight. Still quite common in England, although its use seems to be declining. Thou An unofficial unit of length - one thousandth of an inch. Tod An obscure unit of weight - same as the quarter . Ton Unit of weight, sometimes (especially in the US) known as a long ton. Equals 20 hundredweight, or 2240 pounds. Still very much in use. Ton (register). Unit of capacity - for measuring ships. 100 cubic feet. Ton (short). Measurement in the Middle Ages Measurement in the Middle Ages Originally, the Imperial system of Measurement was based on that used in the Roman Empire, and during that time, all were standardized. After the collapse of the Empire, the definitions of the measurements began to wander a bit until by the 18th C, they were completely different in different countrys and often different in separate regions of the same country.

Such was the situation in France at the time of the Revolution, and it was the need for a new standard that brought about the introduction of the Metric System. Eventually other countries adopted this new standard as well. It should be noted that in the century since its adoption, the length of the meter has been redefined a number of times until a standard that was based on a real figure could be rationalized (I believe it's currently something like "the distance that light travels in 1.2 x 10^-9 seconds"). I'll define the major units first: Foot The length of a man's foot. A measure of length. From town to town, country to country, this measurement could differ, but as a rule a French Pied was equal to 12.8 English inches, while a Spanish Pie was 10.96 English inches Gallon An English measure of capacity. The imperial gallon contains 27714 cubic inches: the winegallon of 231 cubic inches is the standard in the United States.

Pound A measure of weight and mass derived from the ancient Roman libra (which is equal to 327.25 grams), but this ancient standard has been modified variously over the course of time, and in different countries. The pound consisted originally of 12 ounces, corresponding more or less to that of troy weight. This is still used by goldsmiths and jewellers in stating the weight of gold, silver, and precious stones; but as early as the thirteenth or fourteenth century a pound of sixteen ounces was used for more bulky commodities. This was made a standard for general purposes of trade by Edward III, and known as the pound aveir de peis, i.e. of merchandise of weight, now called avoirdupois, q.v. At other times the pound has varied locally from 12 to 27 ounces, according to the commodity, pounds of different weight being often used in the same place for different articles, as bread, butter, cheese, meat, malt, hay, wool, etc.

Cup A measure of capacity for liquids (also for corn and other dry substances of powdery or granular nature), equal to half a quart or 1/8 of a gallon; of varying content at different times and places. A vessel holding a definite quantity (usually four ounces), used to receive the blood in blood-letting. Dram A weight, orig. the ancient Greek drachma; hence, in Apothecaries' weight, a weight of 60 grains = 1/8 of an ounce; in Avoirdupois weight, of 27.13 grains = 1/16 of an ounce; = drachm Ell From the Latin "Ulna". A unit of linear measure equal to 45 inches. The word ell seems to have been variously taken to represent the distance from the elbow or from the shoulder to the wrist or to the finger-tips, while in some cases a "double ell" has superseded the original measure, and has taken its name. English ell = 45 in. Scots = 37.2 in. Flemish = 27 in.

Finger (UK and historically) A unit of linear measure equal to the breadth of a finger, or about 3/4 inch. (US) A unit of linear measure equal to the length of a finger, or about 4 1/2 inches. Furlong Originally the distance an Ox could pull a plow before needing to rest, ie., "a furrow long". As early as the 9th c. it was regarded as the equivalent of the Roman stadium, which was 18 of a Roman mile; and hence furlong has always been used as a name for the eighth part of an English mile, whether this coincided with the agricultural measure so called or not. The present statute furlong is 220 yards, and is equal both to the eighth part of a statute mile, and to the side of a square of 10 statute acres. Gill A measure for liquids, containing one fourth of a standard pint. In many districts the gill is equivalent to a half-pint, the quarter-pint being called a jack.

Grain The weight of 1 Barleycorn (or one grain of Barley) Hand A unit of linear measure, formerly taken as equal to three inches, but now to four; a palm, a hand-breadth. Now used only in giving the height of horses and the like. Inch From the Latin "Uncia" (or a twelfth part), an inch is 1/12 Foot. A measure of length. In French, the unit of 1/12 a "foot" is the Pounce. In Spanish, Pulgadas. nb. A 12th of a Pounce is a Ligne, and a 12th of a Pulgadas is a Lignas. English inches are traditionally divided into 12 Lines. English inches are also defined as being the length of "Three good sized barleycorns placed end to end". League An itinerary measure of distance, varying in different countries, but usually estimated roughly at about 3 miles; app. never in regular use in England, but often occurring in poetical or rhetorical statements of distance.

Although the league appears never to have been an English measure, leuca occurs somewhat frequently in Anglo-Latin law-books (Bracton, Fleta, etc.); it is disputed whether in these works it means one mile or two. Mark A denomination of weight formerly employed (chiefly for gold and silver) throughout western Europe; its actual weight varied considerably, but it was usually regarded as equivalent to 8 ounces (= either 23 or 12 of a pound, according to the meaning given to the latter term). Mile Originally, the Roman lineal measure of 1,000 paces (mille passus or passuum), computed to have been about 1,618 yards. Hence, the unit of measure derived from this, used in the British Isles and in other English-speaking countries. Its length has varied considerably at different periods and in different localities, chiefly owing to the influence of the agricultural system of measures with which the mile has been brought into relation (see furlong). The legal mile in Britain and the U.S. is now 1,760 yards (5280 feet). The Irish mile of 2,240 yards is still in rustic use.

The obsolete Scottish mile was longer than the English, and probably varied according to time and place; one of the values given for it is 1,976 yards. Nail A measure of weight for wool, beef, etc., usually equal to eight pounds =clove A measure of land. A measure of length for cloth; 2.14 inches, or the 1/16th part of a yard. "The precise origin of this sense is not clear. The use of the nail in early examples suggests that one sixteenth from the end of the yard-stick may have been marked by a nail." (OED) Ounce From the Latin "Uncia" (or a twelfth part), an ounce is 1/12 Pound (or was originally, and is still in "troy" weight). A measurement of weight. Pace A vague measure of distance with two widely differing definitions: Historically, the distance between successive stationary positions of the same foot or two "Steps", or about 5 feet (60 inches). The distance from where one foot is set down to where the other is set down, or about 2 1/2 feet (30 inches).

Pint A measure of capacity for liquids (also for corn and other dry substances of powdery or granular nature), equal to 1/2 a quart or 1/8 of a gallon; of varying content at different times and places. Pint English. The pint is equal to 34.66 cubic inches. (US) The standard pint is that of the old wine measure, equal to 28.78 cubic inches. The old Scotch pint was equal to about 3 imperial pints (104.2 cubic inches). In local use also a weight, e.g. of butter in East Anglia = 1 1/4lb. Pound, Merchantile (16 "Tower" oz.) is different from the Avoirdepois Pound (of 16 Avoirdepois oz), being a ratio of 36 Mercantile Pounds to 35 Avoirdepois Pounds Pound, Tower (12 "tower" oz.) used as a standard from Ethelred until Henry VIII abolished it in favor of the Troy Pound.

Quart 1 Pound (determined from the weight of the Anglo-Saxon penny) =312 grams 1 Pound (Italian - low end) = 300 grams 1 Roman Libre (12 Unciae) = 326 grams 1 Pound (12 Tower Ounces) = 349.9 grams 1 Pound (Italian - high end) = 350 grams 1 "Livre de Charlemagne" (12 Onces) = 367.5 grams 1 Pound (12 Troy Ounces) = 373.25 grams 1 Pound (16 Avoirdupois Ounces) = 453.6 grams 1 Pound (Hapsburg? low end) = 459 grams 1 Pound (Mercantile; 16 Tower Oz.) = 466.6 grams 1 Pound (Hapsburg?

high end) = 469 grams 1 Livre (French; 16 Onces) = 490 grams 1 Pound ("Scotch"; 16 "Troy Oz") = 493.1 grams 1 Pound ("Dutch"; 16 Troy Ounces) = 497.6 grams [USMA:46311] Re: YouTube metric [USMA:46311] Re: YouTube metric John M. Steele Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:21:02 -0800 Dear Pat, Interesting summary. I'd like to challenge one fact, comment on another, and finally add some facts from a US perspective that reinforce several of the points you made. *I find it very difficult to believe in 1814, the inch was legally defined as three grains of barley. I suspect that was more in the spirit of "Hey, kids, make your own standards at home" much like the equivalence of 1 L of water and 1 kg -- a useful approximation, but not entirely accurate.

*Your numericana reference has a link to the text of the 1819 Commission whose report eventually became the Imperial system. It makes two points: -The relative multiples and submultiples of each unit of measure were well established and recommended to continue, therefore 36" = 3' = 1 yd was already established; none were changed in 1824, or first defined. -It refers to a brass standard yard made in 1760 by Bird, it also refers vaguely to a second standard, and I am not sure which was chosen. However, they clearly related their recommended standard yard to a seconds pendulum, measured to be 39.1372" by this scale, and to the metre, 39.3694". I believe whichever of the two existing standards so measured became the 1824 Imperial yard, later destroyed by fire. The comparison to the metre gives 1 yd = 0.914 415 76 m. Note that the seconds pendulum definition differs from the 1855 value.

However, the length of the day changes over time, and I am not sure how well the concept of "mean sun" was defined in this time period. The actual time of the sun crossing the meredian varies seasonally throughout the year (equation of time). The US info is all from NIST SP447. Our early weights and measures history reads like a third world nation's. Congress did little to assert its authority over weights and measures until 1827 when a standard troy pound was obtained. Individual states had their own standards and NIST charitably describes them as " more or less authentic copies of the English standards." In 1832, it declared the span between the 27th and 63rd inch markings of the Troughton bar as the US standard yard (this 82" bar had been brought to the US in 1815 following the War of 1812.). I assume this relatively central section was the best fit to the British yard of the time. The US also had an early iron meter bar brought to the US by Hassler in 1805.

It was used for all Coast Survey work until 1890, but apparently never compared to the yard. It was one of several prototypes made by the Archive of the Metre (referred to as Committee Meter in the US) . The second US standard yard was the bronze #11 yard obtained in 1855. It apparently measured well against the Imperial yard at the time. The Troughton bar was measured against it and the Troughton yard determined to be 0.00087" long relative to the new standard. Bronze #11 was compared to the Imperial yard in 1876 and 1888. Discrepancies were noted, and the US felt they were not entirely due to #11. This fits with the "shrinking Imperial yard" you noted. Bronze #11 was measured in 1893, just before the Mendenhall order at 0.914 399 80 m against the US's prototype meter received via the Treaty of the Meter.

Assuming no aging of either the Troughton bar or bronze #11, this would place the Troughton yard at 0.914 421 90 m, using mixed 1855 and 1893 data. This is close to the length used by the 1819 Commission. In spite of the measurement above, the Mendenhall order made a statutory declaration that the meter was equivalent to 39.37" (1 yd = 0.914 401 83 m). This was known to be wrong, but thought to be sufficiently accurate and easy to remember. It was used until 1959 (and still used for Survey foot). I think it is obvious that had they chosen the reciprocal relationship with the same considerations, they would have used 1 yd = 0.9144 m. Note: I followed the lead of these articles and use 8 figures in the values of the yard. However, I doubt they could measure to 10 nm at the time, and some decimal dust is involved.

With interferometry, they would be hard pressed to measure 1/10 wavelength or around 50 nm. ________________________________ From: Pat Naughtin <pat.naugh...@metricationmatters.com> To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu> Sent: Mon, December 28, 2009 12:41:02 AM Subject: [USMA:46309] Re: YouTube metric On 2009/12/28, at 01:04 , John Frewen-Lord wrote: > >Well, it was a bit interesting, if somewhat childlike in its presentation. >> >>Pity that in the last segment, when explaining that there are 1000 m in 1 km, >>they sort of treated the m and the km as two discrete units, rather than >>simply one unit with a prefix. >> >>Still, progress of sorts! Interesting that NASA seems to be promoting this, >>when we all know that they are as much the villain as anyone in resisting the >>US's conversion to the metric system.

Dear John, I agree with you about the distinction between metres and kilometres. I am also intrigued by the NASA sponsorship. I also had a concern about the underlying assumption that 'there are two systems of measurement' as I don't think that this is true. There is certainly a metric system but to my way of thinking there never was a single previous system of measuring units. My analysis of the old pre-metric situation is that they were more or less randomly generated collections of measuring words that were more or less associated with measuring activities. As an example, consider the inch. Prior to the defining of the metric inch, in 1959, as exactly 25.4 millimetres, the inch had many different definitions that included the width of a thumb, the length of three grains of barley, dry and round, placed end to end, lengthwise, 1/3 of a palm, 1/4 of a hand, 1/12 of the foot of St Paul's, and 1/36 of the distance between King Henry I of England's nose and his thumb.

More formally, legal definitions of the UK inch have included: 1814 three grains of sound ripe barley being taken out the middle of the ear, well dried, and laid end to end in a row 1819 A preliminary yard was made in anticipation of the Imperial yard in 1824. This yard has been precisely measured as 39.3694 inches to a metre which means that each inch was about 25.4004379 mm. 1824 1/36 of an Imperial yard. This yard was precisely measured as 914.398416 metres giving an inch of 25.399956 mm. Note this was the first Imperial measure; earlier measures were not legally 'Imperial'. 1834 The British Standard yard was destroyed in a fire when the British Houses of Parliament burnt down. The inch was destroyed along with the yard. 1841 New standard yards were made. Unfortunately, as a standard, the metal chosen for these standard yards (Baily's metal) began to shrink.

In: * 1895 the inch was 25.399978 mm * 1922 the inch was 25.399956 mm * 1932 the inch was 25.399950 mm * 1947 the inch was 25.399931 mm (See ~numericana/answer/units.htm and search for nara) 1842 a standard inch measure was kept in the Exchequer chamber, Guildhall, and that was the legal definition of the inch. 1855 1/36 of a standard yard defined as the length of a 36 inch yard derived from a seconds pendulum beating 86 400 times between two meridians of the Sun. The pendulum was held in a vacuum in a temperature controlled chamber at sea level in Greenwich, London. The length of this pendulum was 39.1392 inches (about 994.1357 mm). 1878 A new physical standard yard was made and this remained the UK Imperial standard until 1964.

1964 The Uk legally adopted the metric inch, of exactly 25.4 mm, as the Imperial standard inch. During this time, while the length of the metre and hence the millimetre remained constant, there has been a wide range of changing values for the different UK inches – hardly a system! Note that I have not included all of the other inches that each have multiple definitions hence multiple different lengths. Here are some of their names: angulam, anguli, duim, hüvelyk, palec, polegada, polegartum, police, pouce, pulgada, pulgar, thumb, tome, tommel, and tumme. And I have not referred to the changing definitions of the legal inch in the USA at all. This is too complex for me. Please note that the inch is only one example of old pre-metric measuring words. Every old pre-metric measuring word can be similarly analysed. You could begin with: foot, pound, bushel, barrel, ton, etc. etc. To conclude, I find no evidence for any system before the metric system formulation as the Système Internationale d'Unités.

I have not ignored fps, cgs, mksA, foot-slug-second, etc. I simply regard them as being attempts to form a system that failed because they were incomplete and not coherent. Cheers, Pat Naughtin Author of the ebook, Metrication Leaders Guide, that you can obtain from PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, Geelong, Australia Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See to subscribe. ----- Original Message ----- >>From: Pat Naughtin >>To: U.S.

Metric Association >>Sent: Sunday, December 27, 2009 5:36 AM >>Subject: [USMA:46304] YouTube metric >> >>You might find this interesting: >> >> >> >> >> >>Cheers, >>Pat Naughtin >>Author of the ebook, Metrication Leaders Guide, that you can obtain >>from >>PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, >>Geelong, Australia >>Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 >> >> >>Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped >>thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric >>system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands >>each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat >>provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and >>professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in >>Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian >>Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the >>UK, and the USA.

See for more metrication >>information, contact Pat at pat.naugh...@metricationmatters.com or to get the >>free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go >>to: to subscribe. >> > January | 2016 | Thread Forward Thread Forward one woman's adventures with knitting and history Menu ~ Thread Forward ~ 4 Comments Today I am sharing an update on my progress with my MKB Project No. 15, A Bonnet Cap, from Miss Lambert’s 1843 knitting manual, My Knitting Book (First Series). I cast on and merrily knit along following Miss Lambert’s brief and succinct directions, thinking to myself that it is a pretty design, such elegant simplicity! Then, I reached the directions to cast off the first section of the cap and realize I was supposed to have created a “band of about four inches wide.” Well, I only have 2.5 inches! First I needed to double check my work, did I do everything properly? German wool = fingering wool. Am I using the right yarn? Check. No. 16 needles = 2.25-2.75mm needles. Am I using the right needles? Check. Did I follow the pattern properly?

I think so! I should have 36 rows, and I do. This is the first time in the book that Miss Lambert mentions inches as a unit of measure and that got me wondering. Were inches standardized in 1843? Were they the same size as they are today? Is there any way that my 2.5 inches is equivalent to Miss Lambert’s 4 inches? I took a brief look around the internet and discovered some interesting facts about the inch : In England, the Anglo-Saxons used a unit of measure called a barleycorn. From 1066 until 1843, one inch was equal to three barleycorns. This was considered to be a legal definition for centuries. The English and Irish still use the unit of barleycorn today when measuring shoe sizes.

In 1324, King Edward II of England defined the inch in a statute as being “”three grains of barley, dry and round, placed end to end, lengthwise.” In 1814, the inch was further defined as “three grains of sound ripe barley being taken out the middle of the ear, well dried, and laid end to end in a row.” I suppose this more specific definition was intended to ensure greater uniformity of the grains and a more consistent unit of measure. These definitions would be rather inaccurate, as “modern studies show, the actual length of a kernel of barley varies from as short as 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) to as long as 12–15 mm (0.47–0.59 in) depending on the cultivar” ( Wikipedia ). This would mean that an inch according to the barleycorn definition could range from 0.48 inches to 1.77 inches! But, unless Miss Lambert was basing her inches on barleycorns from the short or long end of things, my guess is that an inch really was similar to today.

When Miss Lambert said four inches, she may not have meant it as a precise measurement but more of an estimate as there was no standard measure. And certainly, no one was going to lay out 12 barley grains end to end to see whether they had four inches when they reached this point in the knitting, were they? Ultimately, I think the issue here is one of needle size. The fabric is quite tight with this needle size; I will cast on another sample, using a larger needle size than Miss Lambert calls for and see if that brings the cap closer to the required width. Wish me luck! Share this post: ~ Thread Forward 2016 has started with a very busy time including school, work and family life and I have had a difficult time finding the time to knit and blog. Hopefully, now that I have become more settled into these changes and work on developing a new routine, I will be able to make more time for these two things I enjoy doing so much. I will most definitely continue with my MKB project in 2016! The fifteenth pattern in Miss Lambert’s 1843 knitting manual, My Knitting Book (First Series) is for A Bonnet Cap.

To be honest, I initially considered skipping this pattern, as it is not something that a modern-day woman would wear other than in costume; however, I was soon plagued with my usual curiosity and decided to give it a try. The pattern calls for “hair brown” German wool and No. 16 needles. These are equivalent to fingering weight yarn and 2.25-2.75mm needles, respectively. Regarding colours, Miss Lambert recommends using a “hair brown” colour for the border and white for the remainder. The term “hair brown” piqued my interest. Does Miss Lambert mean that a natural or undyed colour (i.e. the brown hair colour of sheep?) or does she mean a to choose a colour similar to that of the hair of the person who will wear the bonnet cap? Brown may not always be the right option. For example, my hair is red (and grey … but we don’t need to mention that, do we?) What is a bonnet cap anyway? Is the intent to have the cap blend in with the hair so the it is subtle and modest? Is it supposed to be worn under a bonnet or have the general shape of a bonnet but be worn alone?

Perhaps indoors for warmth? Outdoors for informal occasions? To get started, I took a look through some fashion plates from the 1840s to see what I could find regarding the styles of bonnets and caps of the time. Of the many fashion plates available online, I have shared a few of my favourites below (click on the images to see a larger version). 1843: Fashions, Winter 1843 (Source: Claremont Colleges Digital Library) 1840: Fashions, Winter 1840 (Source: Claremont Colleges Digital Library) From my highly unscientific review, there seem to be many different styles of head coverings that it makes it difficult to anticipate what Miss Lamberts A Bonnet Cap will look like when it has been knitted up (knit up?). My curiosity has been sufficiently piqued and I am eager to cast on and solve the mystery of this 1843 unillustrated knitting pattern!

Share this post: inched : definition of inched and synonyms of inched (English) 8 References Usage The inch is a commonly used customary unit of length in the United States , [1] Canada , [2] [3] and the United Kingdom . [4] For the United Kingdom , guidance on public sector use states that since 1 October 1995, without time limit, that the inch (along with the mile, yard and foot) is to be used as a primary unit for road signs and related measurements of distance and speed and may continue to be used as a secondary or supplementary indication following a metric measurement for other purposes. [4] Measuring tape calibrated in 32nds of an inch International inch From July 1, 1959, the United States and countries of the British Commonwealth defined the length of the international yard to be exactly 0.9144 metres . [5] [6] Consequently, the international inch is defined as exactly 25.4 millimetres . This creates a slight difference between the international units and American surveyor's units which are described in the article on the foot .

The international standard symbol for inch is in (see ISO 31-1 , Annex A). In some cases, the inch is denoted by a double prime , which is often approximated by double quotes , and the foot by a prime , which is often approximated by an apostrophe . For example three feet two inches can be written as 3′ 2″. Equivalence to other units of length Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch 1 international inch is equal to: 100 points ((1 point = 0.01 inches), as used by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology for measuring rainfall before 1974.

[7] 1,000 thou (also known as mil) (1 mil = 1 thou = 0.001 inches) 1,000,000 microinches (1 μin is one millionth of an inch.) ≈ 0.02778 yards (1 yard is equal to 36 inches.) 2.54 centimetres (1 centimetre ≈ 0.3937 international inches.) Historical origin The English word inch comes from Latin uncia meaning "one twelfth part" (in this case, one twelfth of a foot); the word ounce (one twelfth of a troy pound) has the same origin. The vowel change from u to i is umlaut ; the consonant change from c (pronounced as k) to ch is palatalization (see Old English phonology ).

In some other languages, the word for "inch" is similar to or the same as the word for "thumb"; for example, French : pouce inch/thumb; Italian : pollice inch/thumb; Spanish : pulgada inch, pulgar thumb; Portuguese : polegada inch, polegar thumb; Swedish : tum inch, tumme thumb; Dutch : duim inch/thumb; Sanskrit : angulam inch, anguli finger; Slovak : palec inch/thumb; Hungarian : hüvelyk inch/thumb, Danish and Norwegian : tomme / tommer inch/inches and tommel thumb. Given the etymology of the word "inch", it would seem that the inch is a unit derived from the Foot unit in Latin in Roman times. King David I of Scotland in his Assize of Weights and Measures (c. 1150) is said to have defined the Scottish inch as the width of an average man's thumb at the base of the nail, even including the requirement to calculate the average of a small, a medium, and a large man's measures. [8] However, the oldest surviving manuscripts date from the early 14 century and appear to have been altered with the inclusion of newer material.

[9] The earliest known reference to the inch in England is from the Laws of Æthelberht dating to the early 7th century, surviving in a single manuscript from 1120. [10] Paragraph LXVII sets out the fine for wounds of various depths: one inch, one shilling, two inches, two shillings, etc. "Gif man þeoh þurhstingð, stice ghwilve vi scillingas. Gife ofer ynce, scilling. æt twam yncum, twegen. ofer þry, iii scill." [11] [12] An Anglo-Saxon unit of length was the barleycorn . After 1066, 1 inch was equal to 3 barleycorn, which continued to be its legal definition for several centuries, with the barleycorn being the base unit. [13] One of the earliest such definitions is that of 1324, where the legal definition of the inch was set out in a statute of Edward II of England , defining it as "three grains of barley , dry and round, placed end to end, lengthwise".

[13] Similar definitions are recorded in both English and Welsh medieval law tracts. [14] One, dating from the first half of the 10th century, is contained in the Laws of Hywel Dda which superseded those of Dyvnwal , an even earlier definition of the inch in Wales. Both definitions, as recorded in Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales (vol i., pp. 184,187,189), are that "three lengths of a barleycorn is the inch". [15] Charles Butler, a mathematics teacher at Cheam School , in 1814 recorded the old legal definition of the inch to be "three grains of sound ripe barley being taken out the middle of the ear, well dried, and laid end to end in a row", and placed the barleycorn, not the inch, as the base unit of the English Long Measure system, from which all other units were derived. [16] John Bouvier similarly recorded in his 1843 law dictionary that the barleycorn was the fundamental measure.

[17] Butler observed, however, that "[a]s the length of the barley-corn cannot be fixed, so the inch according to this method will be uncertain", noting that a standard inch measure was now (by his time) kept in the Exchequer chamber, Guildhall, and that was the legal definition of the inch. [16] This was a point also made by George Long in his 1842 Penny Cyclopædia , observing that standard measures had since surpassed the barleycorn definition of the inch, and that to recover the inch measure from its original definition, in the event that the standard measure were destroyed, would involve the measurement of large numbers of barleycorns and taking their average lengths. He noted that this process would not perfectly recover the standard, since it might introduce errors of anywhere between one hundredth and one tenth of an inch in the definition of a yard. [18] Before the adoption of the international inch (see above), the United Kingdom and most countries of the British Commonwealth defined the inch in terms of the Imperial Standard Yard . But Canada had its own, different, definition of the inch, defined in terms of metric units .

The Canadian inch was defined to be equal to 25.4 millimetres , the amount later accepted as the international inch. Metric or decimal inch Further information: List of strange units of measurement#Metric inch and Metric foot A metric inch (25 mm instead of 25.4 mm) was the equivalent of an inch under a former proposal for the metrification and unification of the English system of measures. In Sweden , between 1855 to 1863, the existing Swedish "working inch" of ≈24.74 mm was replaced by a "decimal inch" of ≈29.69 mm which was one tenth of the Swedish foot. Proponents argued that a decimal system simplifies calculations. However, having two different Swedish inch measures (and the English inch on top of that) proved to be complicated. So in a transition period between 1878 and 1889 the metric units were introduced as the overall standard measures. However, the various inches survived some time in building and construction trades. Scottish inch A Scottish inch ( Scottish Gaelic : òirleach) was a Scottish measurement of length.

It equals 1/12 ft in Scottish measures , and 1.0016 inches in imperial units (about 2.5441 cm). [19] It was used in the popular expression Gie 'im an inch, an he'll tak an ell, in English "Give him an inch and he'll take an ell", first published as "For when I gave you an inch, you tooke an ell," by John Heywood in 1546. [20] (The ell , equal to 37 inches or about 94 cm, was in use in England until 1685.) [21] A Scottish square inch was equivalent to 1.0256 imperial square inches and 6.4516 square centimetres. See also

Question: What unit of measure was once defined as the length of three grains of barley laid end to end?
Answer: The inch