Measurements
Metric System vs. Imperial Units
In most European countries, people use the Metric System. That means, they measure length in metres and centimetres and so on. In the former British Empire, which today is divided into lots of independent countries such as the UK, parts of the US, India and more, people use Imperial Units.
The system of imperial units or the imperial system (also known as British Imperial) is the system of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824, which was later refined and reduced. The system came into official use across the British Empire. By the late 20th century, most nations of the former empire had officially adopted the metric system as their main system of measurement, although as of 2011 the United Kingdom had only partially adopted it.
The British Way
What you can see below is a collection of the most common Imperial Units as they are used in the UK. This should help you to survive on a trip to, let's say, England. If you want more, go to Wikipedia!Length
Imperial Unit
| Short Form
| Size
| Metric System
|
inch | in. | - | 2.54 cm |
foot | ft. | 12 inch | 30.48 cm |
yard | yd. | 3 feet | 91.44 cm |
mile | mi./m. | 1750 yard | 1.61 km |
Cooking
Some units that you will encounter in cooking recipes are:
- teaspoon
- tablespoon
- cup
They are quite self-explanatory.
Weight
Imperial Unit
| Short Form
| Size
| Metric System
|
pound | lb. pd. | - | 370 g |
stone | st. | 14 pound | 6.35 kg |
Liquids
Imperial Unit
| Short Form
| Size
| Metric System
|
fluid ounce | lf. oz. | 1/20 pint | ~ 28.5 ml |
pint | pt. | 20 ounce | ~ 568 ml |