METRIC CONVERSIONS. The following table contains the most common conversions from/to the metric system. What makes this table unique is the rightmost column which contains the formula for deriving the conversion factors. Before embarking on conversions, there are 11 constants, which I have called Basic Constants, which most everyone knows, or should know, such as: 1 foot = 12 inches 1 yard = 3 feet 1 mile = 5,280 feet 1 meter = 100 centimeters 1 kilometer = 1,000 meters 1 acre = 43,560 sq. ft. 1 hectare = 10,000 square meters 16 ounces = 1 pound 2000 pounds = 1 ton (short) 1 quart = 2 pints 1 gallon = 4 quarts The conversion table covers measurements of Length, Area, Volume, Liquid Capacity, and Weight. To compute all these measurements, in addition to the above-mentioned Basic Constants, only the following 3 factors are required: 1 inch = 2.5400 centimeters 1 pound = 0.4536 kilos 1 gallon = 3.7854 liters The whole point is that the conversion factors in this table were not transcribed from another publication, but were derived using the above factors, as indicated by the formulas in the rightmost column. To eliminate possible computation errors, the results were also verified against standard metric conversion tables. I'm sure you can see the value of this technique if you were writing a program to generate these conversions. CONVERSION TABLE FOR METRIC AND IMPERIAL-US SYSTEMS =================================================== ABBREVIATIONS ============= cm2 = square centimeters m2 = square meters km2 = square kilometers cm3 = cubic centimeters m3 = cubic meters (X)^2= X squared (X)^3= X cubed LENGTH MEASUREMENTS =================== BASIC CONSTANTS --------------- 1 foot = 12 inches 1 yard = 3 feet 1 mile = 5,280 feet 1 meter = 100 centimeters 1 kilometer = 1,000 meters IMPERIAL-US TO METRIC --------------------- 1 inch = 2.5400 centimeters 2.54 1 inch = 0.0254 meters 2.54/100 1 foot = 30.4800 centimeters 2.54*12 1 foot = 0.3048 meters 2.54*12/100 1 yard = 91.4400 centimeters 2.54*12*3 1 yard = 0.9144 meters 2.54*12*3/100 1 mile = 1609.3440 meters 2.54*12*5280/100 1 mile = 1.6093 kilometers 2.54*12*5280/100/1000 METRIC TO IMPERIAL-US --------------------- 1 centimeter = 0.3937 inches 1/2.54 1 meter = 39.3700 inches 1/2.54*100 1 meter = 3.2808 feet 1/2.54*100/12 1 meter = 1.0936 yards 1/2.54*100/12/3 1 kilometer = 0.6214 miles 1/2.54*100/12*1000/5280 AREA MEASUREMENTS ================= BASIC CONSTANTS --------------- 1 acre = 43,560 sq. ft. 1 hectare = 10,000 square meters IMPERIAL-US TO METRIC --------------------- 1 sq. in. = 6.4516 cm2 (2.54)^2 1 sq. ft. = 929.0304 cm2 (2.54*12)^2 1 sq. ft. = 0.0929 m2 (2.54*12/100)^2 1 sq. yd. = 0.8361 m2 (2.54*12*3/100)^2 1 acre = 4,046.8564 m2 (2.54*12/100)^2 * 43560 1 acre = 0.4047 hectare (2.54*12/100)^2 * 43560/10000 1 sq. mi. = 2.5900 km2 (2.54*12/100)^2 * (5280/1000)^2 METRIC TO IMPERIAL-US --------------------- 1 cm2 = 0.1550 sq. in. (1/2.54)^2 1 m2 = 1,550.0031 sq. in. (1/2.54*100)^2 1 m2 = 10.7639 sq. ft. (1/2.54*100/12)^2 1 m2 = 1.1959 sq. yd. (1/2.54*100/12/3)^2 1 km2 = 0.3861 sq. mi. (1/2.54*100/12*1000/5280)^2 1 hectare = 2.4711 acres (1/2.54*100/12)^2 * 10000/43560 VOLUME MEASUREMENTS =================== IMPERIAL-US TO METRIC --------------------- 1 cu. in. = 16.3871 cm3 (2.54)^3 1 cu. ft. = 28,316.8466 cm3 (2.54*12)^3 1 cu. ft. = 0.0283 m3 (2.54*12/100)^3 1 cu. yd. = 0.7646 m3 (2.54*12*3/100)^3 METRIC TO IMPERIAL-US --------------------- 1 cm3 = 0.0610 cu. in. (1/2.54)^3 1 m3 = 61,023.7441 cu. in. (1/2.54*100)^3 1 m3 = 35.3147 cu. ft. (1/2.54*100/12)^3 1 m3 = 1.3080 cu. yd. (1/2.54*100/12/3)^3 LIQUID CAPACITY MEASUREMENTS ============================ BASIC CONSTANTS --------------- 1 quart = 2 pints 1 gallon = 4 quarts IMPERIAL-US TO METRIC --------------------- 1 gallon = 3.7854 liters 1 quart = 0.9464 liters 3.7854/4 1 pint = 0.4732 liters 3.7854/4/2 METRIC TO IMPERIAL-US --------------------- 1 liter = 0.2642 gallons 1/3.7854 1 liter = 1.0567 quarts 1/3.7854*4 1 liter = 2.1134 pints 1/3.7854*4*2 WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS =================== BASIC CONSTANTS --------------- 16 ounces = 1 pound 2000 pounds = 1 ton (short) IMPERIAL-US TO METRIC --------------------- 1 pound = 0.4536 kilos 1 ounce = 0.0284 kilos .4536/16 1 ton (short) = 907.2000 kilos .4536*2000 METRIC TO IMPERIAL-US --------------------- 1 kilo = 2.2046 pounds 1/.4536 1 kilo = 35.2734 ounces 1/.4536*16 1 metric ton = 2,204.5855 pounds 1/.4536*1000 1 metric ton = 1.1023 tons (short) 1/.4536*1000/2000