Chapter 40
METRIC CONVERSION
TABLES
Mexico uses the metric system of measurement. If you are not accustomed to using it, it
can be a little trying at times. If you have a hard time converting kilograms, kilometers and
kilopascals in your head, just refer to the following conversion tables. And remember, the
speed limits posted are in kilometers per hour, not miles per hour, and the traffic police
have already heard that excuse many times, so don’t try it!
Air pressure
Your automobile’s tire air pressure is expressed in kilopascals in Mexico. Multiply the pound
force per square inch (psi) by 6.89 to get kilopascals (kPa)
24 psi = 165 kPa
30 psi = 207 kPa
26 psi = 179 kPa
32 psi = 221 kPa
28 psi = 193 kPa
34 psi = 235 kPa
To find the US dollar cost per gallon of your car’s gas:
1. Multiply the number of liters pumped by 0.26, and that will give you the number of
gallons pumped.
2. Divide the total cost of the gas in pesos by your exchange rate (11.3, etc.), and that
will give you the total cost in US dollars.
3. Divide the total cost of the gas in US dollars by the number of gallons pumped and
that will give you the US dollar cost per gallon.
Weight measure
To get grams, multiply the number of ounces by 28.349
To get kilograms, multiply the number of pounds by 0.454
To get ounces, multiply grams by 0.035
To get pounds, multiply kilograms by 2.205
Liquid measure
1 fluid ounce (oz) = 29.57 milliliters (ml)
1 pint (pt) = 0.47 liters (lt)
1 quart (qt) = 0.946 liters (lt)
1 gallon (gl) = 3.785 liters (lt)
Gallons to Liters
1
3.78
2
7.57
3
11.35
4
15.14
5
18.92
6
22.71
7
26.49
8
30.28
9
34.06
10
37.85
15
56.78
20
75.70
25
94.63
30
113.56
Linear measure
1 inch = 2.54 centimetros (cm)
1 foot = 30.48 centimetros (cm)
1 yard = 0.91 metros(m)
1 mile = 1.61 kilometros(km)
1 milímetro =.03937 inches
1 centímetro = .3937 inches
1 metro= 39.37 inches
1 braza = 6 feet
1 vara = 16.5 feet
1 kilometer = .621 miles
1 legua = 3 miles
Liters to Gallons
1
0.26
2
0.53
3
0.79
4
1.06
5
1.32
6
1.59
7
1.85
8
2.11
9
2.38
10
2.64
15
3.96
20
5.28
25
6.60
30
7.93
Area measure
1 hectare = 2.471 acres
1 metro cuadrado = 10.764 sq. ft.
Volume
1 metro cubico (estério) = 1.3 cubic yds.
1 centímetro cubico = .061 cubic inches
Approximations
1 kilometer is about 5/8 of a mile, or about 0.62 miles.
To make a rough conversion of kilometers into miles,
multiply kilometers by 1.6
Kilometers to Miles
1 Kilometer (km) equals 0.62 Miles (mi)
1 Mile (mi) equals 1.6 Kilometers (km)
Miles to Kilometers
1 Mile (mi) equals 1.6 Kilometers (km)
1 Kilometer (km) equals 0.62 Miles (mi)
km = mi
1
0.62
2
1.24
3
1.86
4
2.48
5
3.10
6
3.72
7
4.34
8
4.97
9
5.59
10 6.21
11 6.83
12 7.45
13 8.07
14 8.69
15 9.32
16 9.94
17 10.56
18 11.18
19 11.80
20 12.42
km = mi
21 13.04
22 13.67
23 14.29
24 14.91
25 15.53
26 16.15
27 16.77
28 17.39
29 18.01
30 18.64
31 19.26
32 19.88
33 20.50
34 21.12
35 21.74
36 22.36
37 22.39
38 23.61
39 24.23
40 24.85
km = mi
41
25.47
42
26.09
43
26.71
44
27.34
45
27.96
46
28.58
47
29.20
48
29.82
49
30.44
50
31.06
60
37.28
70
43.49
80
49.70
90
55.92
100
62.10
200
124.2
300
186.4
400
248.5
500
310.6
1,000
621.3
mi = km
1
1.60
2
3.21
3
4.82
4
6.43
5
8.04
6
9.65
7 11.26
8 12.87
9 14.48
10 16.09
11 17.7
12 19.3
13 20.9
14 22.5
15 24.1
16 25.7
17 27.4
18 29.0
19 30.6
20 32.2
mi = km
21
33.8
22
35.4
23
37.0
24
38.6
25
40.2
26
41.8
27
43.5
28
45.1
29
46.7
30
48.3
31
49.9
32
51.5
33
53.1
34
54.7
35
56.3
36
57.9
37
59.5
38
61.2
39
62.8
40
64.4
Celsius and Fahrenheit
Degrees Celsius °C
-40
-20 0
mi = km
41
66.0
42
67.6
43
69.2
44
70.8
45
72.4
46
74.0
47
75.6
48
77.2
49
78.8
50
80.5
60
96.6
70 112.7
80 128.7
90 144.8
100 160.9
200 321.9
300 482.8
400 643.7
500 804.6
1,000 1,609.3
20
37
60
80
100
----------------------------------I-------I-I----I------I---I----I------I----I---I--------I-----Degrees Fahrenheit °F -40
0 32
80 98.6
160
water
body
freezes
temperature
212
water
boils
To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius
Subtract 32 from Fahrenheit temperature, multiply by 5, and divide by nine
To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit
Multiply the Celsius temperature by 9, divide by 5, and add 32
Cooking
1 taza (cup) = 8 fl ounces = 16 cucharadas (table spoons) = 48 cucharaditas (teaspoons)
Do not forget, the temperatures marked on ovens and stoves in Mexico a marked in Celsius,
and NOT Fahrenheit!