Conversions between Customary and Metric Units
Number one: We will be taking a look at three different types of PHDVXUHPHQW
length, weight and capacity. We will then look at converting each RIWKHVH
measurements from customary to metric and metric to customary. The ILUVW
measurement we will study is length. Some examples of customary units of
length are the inch, foot, yard and mile.
Stick out your index finger as shown in the diagram. The distance between your
knuckles on your finger is about one inch. Twelve inches is one foot, which is
about the length of a notebook. The next customary unit is a yard. A yard is equal
to thirty-six inches and a yard is also equal to three feet. A baseball bat is about
the length of one yard. Longer distances are measured in miles. One mile is
equal to five thousand two hundred eighty feet and one mile is also equal to one
thousand seven hundred sixty yards. A school bus travels several miles each day
taking kids to school.
Number two: The first metric measurement of length that we will consider is the
centimeter. We know from the diagram in previous lessons, that one centimeter
is equal to ten millimeters. For example, a paper clip is about one centimeter
wide. Larger things are measured in meters. One meter is equal to one thousand
millimeters and one meter is equal to one hundred centimeters. Take a look at
the door in the room you are currently in. The distance from the doorknob to the
floor is about one meter. Similar to customary units, distances in the metric form
are measured in a longer form of unit called kilometers. One kilometer is equal to
one million millimeters. One kilometer equals one hundred thousand centimeters.
And one kilometer is equal to one thousand meters.
One: Now we have a basic understanding of the units of length in both FXVWRPDU\
and metric. We will now look at converting between the two: customary to
metric and metric to customary.
Two: The top of the chart shows the conversions from customary to metric. For
example, if you are to convert yards into meters, then you multiply by zero point
nine one four.
Three: The bottom portion of the chart shows conversions from metric to
customary. For example, if you are to convert kilometers into miles, multiply by
zero point six two one.
One: The next type of measurement is weight. The customary units are RXQFHV
pounds or tons. An ounce is the smallest or lightest measurement. A VOLFH
of bread weighs about one ounce. Sixteen ounces equals one pound. An
entire loaf of bread weighs about one pound. Also, people in the United States
© K12 Inc. weight themselves on a scale in pounds. Very large things are measured in tons.
A ton is equal to two thousand pounds. A ton is also equal to thirty-two thousand
ounces. A car weighs about one ton.
The metric units of weight are grams and kilograms. One gram is best described
as the weight of a packet of sugar. A kilogram is equal to one thousand grams. A
book weighs about one kilogram. Also, a car weighs about a thousand kilograms.
One: Now we have a basic understanding of the units of weight in both customary
and metric. We will now look at converting between the two: customary to
metric and metric to customary.
Two: The top of the chart shows the conversions from customary to metric. For
example, if you are to convert ounces into kilograms, then you multiply by zero
point zero two nine.
Three: The bottom portion of the chart shows conversions from metric to
customary. For example, if you are to find how many grams are in ten pounds,
you multiply by zero point zero zero two.
One: the last type of measurement is capacity. Capacity is the amount or
volume of liquid something can hold. A fe w customary units of capacity are a cup,
pint, quart, and gallon. A cup is the smallest and is best compared to the amount
of liquid in a small mug of coffee. Two cups equal a pint. A tall glass of lemonade
or a bowl of soup holds about one pint. Next, a quart can hold exactly two pints.
One quart is also equal to four cups. Car oil usually comes in a quart-sized bottle.
The largest form of capacity for customary is a gallon. One gall is equal to four
quarts. It is also equal to eight pints and sixteen cups, respectively. A large
container of milk comes in a one gallon container.
Two: There are only two forms of capacity in the metric system we will consider.
The smallest is a milliliter. A milliliter is best described as about ten drops from a
medicine dropper. The largest form of capacity is a liter. A liter equals 1000
milliliters. An example of a liter is a bottle of cola. Cola also comes in two-liter
bottles and the largest bottles are three liters.
One: Now we have a basic understanding of the units of capacity in both
customary and metric. We will now look at converting between the two:
customary to metric and metric to customary.
Two: The top of the chart shows the conversions from customary to metric. For
example, if you are to convert quarts into liters, then you multiply by zero point
nine four six.
© K12 Inc. Three: The bottom portion of the chart shows conversions from metric to
customary. For example, if you wanted to convert liters back into quarts, you
would multiply by one point zero five seven.
© K12 Inc.