This section is from the book "Manual Of Useful Information", by J. C Thomas. Also available from Amazon: Manual of useful Information.
The following tables give the equivalents of both the metric and common systems, and will be found convenient for reference:
Approximate Equivalent. | Accurate Equivalent. | ||
1 inch................[length] | 2 1/2 cubic centimeters........... | 2.539 | |
1 centimeter,........................ | 0.4 inch............... | 0.393 | |
1 yard........................... | 1 meter................ | 0.914 | |
1 meter (39.37 inches)...................... | 1 yard................. | 1.093 | |
1 foot.................. | 30 centimeters | 30.479 | |
1 kilometer (1,000 meters).................. | 5/8 mile................... | 0.621 | |
1 mile.................. | 1 1/2 kilometers.............. | 1.600 | |
1 gramme.................[weight] | 15 1/2 grains.................. | 15.432 | |
1 grain.................. | 0.064 gramme............. | 0.064 | |
1 kilogramme (1,000 grammes).............. | 2.2 pounds avaoirdupos............. | 2.204 | |
1 pound avoirdupois.................... | 1/2 kilogramme............. | 0.453 | |
1 ounce avoirdupois (437 1/2 grains)....... | 28 1/3 grammes.................. | 28.349 | |
1 ounce troy, or apothecary (480 grains)..... | 31 grammes................ | 31.103 | |
1 cubic centimeter..........[bulk] | 1.06 cubic inch | 0.060 | |
1 cubic inch | 16 1/3 cubic centimeters | 16.386 | |
1 liter (1,000 cubic centimeters)............. | 1 United States standard quart | 0.946 | |
1 united states quart........................ | 1 liter...................... | 1.057 | |
1 fluid ounce | 29 1/2 cubic centimeters........ | 29.570 | |
1 hectare (10,000 square meters) [surface]. | 2 1/2 acres.................. | 2.471 | |
1 acre ........................................................ | 0.4 hectare............... | 0.40 | |
It may not be generally known that we have in the nickel five-cent piece of our coinage a key to the tables of linear measures and weights. The diameter of this coin is two centimeters, and its weight is five grammes. Five of them placed in a row will, of course, give the length of the decimeter; and two of them will weigh a decagram. As the kiloliter is a cubic meter, the key to the measure of length is also the key to the measure of capacity. Any person, therefore, who is fortunate enough to own a five-cent nickle, may carry in his pocket the entire metric system of weights and measures.
 
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