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DICTIONARY OF UNITS / MEASUREMENTS

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US System of Measurements

Most of the US system of measurements is the same as that for the UK. The biggest differences to be noted are in Capacity which has both liquid and dry measures as well as being based on a different standard - the US liquid gallon is smaller than the UK gallon. There is also a measurement known at the US survey foot. It is gradually being phased out as the maps and land plans are re-drawn under metrication. (The changeover is being made by putting 39.37 US survey feet = 12 metres)

         Length                                Area

  12 inches   = 1 foot                 144 sq. inches = 1 square foot

   3 feet     = 1 yard                   9 sq. feet   = 1 square yard

 220 yards    = 1 furlong             4840 sq. yards  = 1 acre

   8 furlongs = 1 mile                   640 acres      = 1 square mile

5280 feet     = 1 mile                  1 sq.mile    = 1 section

1760 yards    = 1 mile                  36 sections   = 1 township

 

          Volume

1728 cu. inches = 1 cubic foot

  27 cu. feet   = 1 cubic yard

 

      Capacity (Dry)                       Capacity (Liquid)

                                             16 fluid ounces = 1 pint

   2 pints   = 1 quart                  4 gills        = 1 pint

   8 quarts  = 1 peck                  2 pints        = 1 quart

   4 pecks   = 1 bushel                4 quarts       = 1 gallon (8 pints)

 

         Mass

437.5 grains = 1 ounce                             Troy Weights

16 ounces   = 1 pound (7000 grains)     24 grains        = 1 pennyweight

14 pounds   = 1 stone                      20 pennyweights  = 1 ounce (480 grains)

100 pounds   = 1 hundredweight [cwt]  12 ounces        = 1 pound (5760 grains)

20 cwt      = 1 ton (2000 pounds)

 

   Apothecaries' Measures                Apothecaries' Weights

 60 minims    = 1 fl.dram             20 grains   = 1 scruple

  8 fl.drams  = 1 fl.ounce            3 scruples = 1 dram

 16 fl.ounces = 1 pint                 8 drams    = 1 ounce (480 grains)

                                      12 ounces   = 1 pound (5760 grains)

As with the UK system these measures were originally defined by physical standard measures - the yard, the pound, the gallon and the bushel.They are now all defined by reference to the S I measures of the metre, the kilogram and the litre. These equivalent measures are exact.

1 yard = 0.9144 metres - same as UK
1 pound = 0.453 592 37 kilograms - same as UK
1 gallon (liquid) = 3.785 411 784 litres
1 bushel = 35.239 070 166 88 litres

Note particularly that the US gallon is a different size to the UK gallon so that NO liquid measures of the same name are the same size in the US and UK systems.

Also that the ton(US) is 2000 pounds while a ton(UK) is 2240 pounds. These are also referred to as a short ton and long ton respectively.

Note than in matters concerned with land measurements, for the most accurate work, it is necessary to establish whether the US survey measures are being used or not.

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