• What can be cooked from squid: quick and tasty

    Despite the invention of the decimal system, which is now used by the whole world, American and English measures of length are often found in everyday life. Let's take the diagonal of the TV. In the technical passports, warranty coupons, the size is indicated everywhere in inches. The same applies to the diameter of pipes, sizes of tools, bolts, nuts. In order not to look stupid in situations with unfamiliar quantities, you need to have an idea of ​​the main ones.

    Measures of length

    Our ancestors did not have digital and magnetic devices capable of measuring the required value. Therefore, for convenience, they used the yardstick of their own body, that is, what is always with them. They were feet, fingers, elbows, steps, palms.

    • Mile as the most popular value, adopted throughout the world to indicate the distance of air and land routes.

    1 mile (mil) = 1609 m

    1 nautical mile = 1852 m

    • The main size of the American system is considered to be a foot.

    1 foot (ft) = 30.48 cm

    The foot value is native to England. This value measured a distance equal to 16 feet and it was called a stock (stock).

    • Size inch was popular in all European countries before the introduction of the SI system. It was calculated by the length of the joint of the thumb or by its width at the base.

    1 inch (in) = 25.4 mm

    It is believed that the size of an inch was determined by three grains of barley, laid along one after the other. According to another version, the component of an inch was 1/36 of a yard, which was established by King Henry I in 1101. Its length was equal to the distance from the middle finger of his right hand to the tip of his nose.

    1 yard (yd) = 0.9144 m

    • Line - used in military science to indicate the caliber of a weapon.

    1 line (ln) = 2.12 mm

    • League... The meaning of the league has long been used in naval battles to determine the distance of a cannon shot. Later it began to be used for land and postal affairs.

    1 league = 4.83 km

    Measures rarely used in daily life

    1 mil = 0.025 mm

    1 hand = 10.16 cm

    1 genus = 5.029 m

    1 chain = 20.12 m (for surveyors) and 30.48 m (for builders)

    1 furlong = 201.17 m

    1 faton = 1.83 m

    1 ale = 1.14 m

    1 pace = 0.76 m

    1 qubit = 46-56 cm

    1 bed = 22.86 cm

    1 link = 20.12 cm (for surveyors) and 30.48 cm (for builders)

    1 wing = 11.43 cm

    1 nail = 5.71 cm

    1 barleycorn = 8.47 mm

    1 point = 0.353 mm

    1 cable = 219.5 m (in England it is 183 m)

    Most popular units

    The United States is the only developed country that has abandoned the metric system. In addition to the States, 2 more countries do not use the SI system, these are Liberia and Myanmar.

    Once in this country, do not be surprised if, in cold, damp weather, you ask how many degrees outside, and you will be told that plus 32. Just 0 degrees Celsius, this is the American 32 Fahrenheit. When driving to a gas station, remember to convert liters to gallons. Our 3.78 liters are equivalent to a gallon unit.

    • Barrel Is a measure of volume for bulk materials and liquids.

    Translated from English means barrel. In the world, calculating oil in barrels is recognized as the most convenient, therefore oil companies set prices in dollars per barrel.

    1 barrel (bbl) = 158.9 liters

    1 dry barrel = 115.6 liters

    Especially for calculating the volume of beer in the UK, the concept of a beer barrel was introduced. Its value changed over time and depended on the type of drink (ale or beer). The value has finally been established since 1824 and amounted to 163.66 liters per 1 barrel.

    • Bushel- a measure of volume for dry matter in agriculture (measured the volume of grain, vegetables, fruits). In international trade, a bushel is taken for a container weighing 18 kg.

    1 bushel (bu) = 35.24 liters

    • Gallon- the same as the barrel. The gallon, in turn, is subdivided into a pint and an ounce.

    1 gallon for liquid (gl) = 3.79 dm 3

    1 gallon for bulk solids (gl) = 4.4 dm 3

    1 pint = 1/8 gallon = 0.47 dm 3

    1 oz = 1/16 pint = 29.57 ml

    An ounce has retained its value since ancient times and was approximately equal to 30 g. In the American system, the concept of an ounce is widely used in the pharmaceutical and jewelry business.

    • Quart- unit of measure for the volume of a container, equal to ¼ gallons

    1 quart for liquid = 0.946 liters

    1 quart for solids = 1.1 liters

    Area measures


    The greatest distribution in world literature is found by a square acre    .

    Its original designation was used to calculate the area of ​​land that one peasant with one ox could cultivate.

    Converting an acre to SI is easy. If we divide the number by 10, we get the result in meters. And if divided by 2 - in hectares.

    1 inch (sq. In) = 6.45 cm 2

    1 foot (sq. Ft) = 929 cm 2

    1 yard (sq.yd) = 0.836 m 2

    1 mile (sq.mi) = 2.59 km 2

    1 acre (a) = 4046.86 m 2

    Volume measures

    What is the volume for?

    • to describe the capacity of household appliances
    • for shipping containers
    • to determine the amount of gas
    • to describe the capacity of commercial warehouses

    Most often, the foot is used as a measure of three-dimensional space. A cubic foot is defined as the volume of a cube, with an edge of 1 foot. Less commonly used values ​​are yard and inch.

    To get a cubic volume, you need to multiply the length, height and width.

    1 ton (register) = 2.83 m 3

    1 yard = 0.76 m 3

    1 foot = 28.32 dm 3

    1inch = 16.39cm 3

    Weights

    • Pound - Used as a measure of weight and to describe mass.

    In the United States, pounds are used to express pressure per square inch. The pound is also used to describe the weight of ammunition (shells, shells, bullets).

    To convert pounds to kilograms, you need to divide the number of pounds by 2.2

    1 lb (lb) = 453.59 g

    • An ounce is a measure of weight that has found application in jewelry, banking, for determining the weight of precious metals and stones, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry.

    To convert an ounce to kilograms, you need to divide its quantity by 35.2

    1 ounce (oz) = 28.35 g

    • Stone is a unit of measurement used to describe the weight of the human body..

    1 stone (st) = 6.35 kg

    • Short Ton - A measure of weight equivalent to 2,000 pounds... In the USA it is also known, but practically not used, a long ton, which is equal to 2,240 trading pounds.

    1 short ton = 907.18 kg

    1 long ton = 1016 kg

    If you are traveling to America, check out the local standard of measure. Thus, you will avoid embarrassing situations and choose the right question that interests you. You don't have to memorize numbers to do this. It is enough to download a simple converter to your phone.

    In order not to miss new useful materials,

    Study any foreign language impossible without research cultural characteristics of the given country. To better understand the language itself, it is necessary to pay attention to the realities, traditions, linguistic and cultural differences of the nation. In our case it comes about the English-speaking population (as usual, we take the UK and the USA). English (American) units (units of measurement) just refer to those features that it is desirable to understand in order to fully understand their written and oral speech.

    You have probably come across English (American) units of measurement more than once. For example, I often met them in English-language literature, news, TV shows, movies, etc. How to cook an interesting dish according to an English or American recipe? All ingredients are also listed in ounces and pounds. Sometimes you read a book in English, come to it and stop, trying to figure out how tall he is. After all, it is measured in feet and inches, which is unusual for us, because many do not know the meaning of these values. We have a metric system, give us meters and centimeters. Or you listen to world news in English: again, discussing oil prices. And one barrel costs so much and so much. How much is in this barrel? For us, liters are more familiar. And they measure liquids in gallons, and weigh everything in pounds and ounces.

    If you have already encountered similar situations, then, obviously, looked into the table of English (American) units of measurement in order to roughly estimate what values ​​are in question. If you haven't tried it yet, let's figure it out.

    English (American) linear measures

    According to the English system of units of measure ( British Imperial System of measurement), which is used in Great Britain, the United States of America and other states, the main linear measures ( linear measure) are the following values:

    1. Inch ( inch) = 25.4 mm (2.54 cm)
    2. Foot ( foot) = 0.3048 m (or 12 inches)
    3. Yard ( yard) = 0.9144 m (or 3 feet)
    4. Mile ( mile) = 1.609 km (or 1.760 yards)
    5. Hand ( hand) = 10.16 cm (or 4 inches)

    Note that the nautical mile ( nautical mile) is somewhat different - 1.8532 (England) and 1.852 (USA). If you need to convert the footage as quickly as possible, divide the footage by three. And if you want to quickly transform the length in miles into kilometers, multiply the number by 1.5 (or divide the number of miles by 5 and multiply by 8). Get a rough estimate in each case. By the way, a yard is almost a meter (91.44 cm), you can safely round it off.

    The common narwhal or sea unicorn often attains a length of sixty feet. - The common narwhal whale is often 60 feet (20 meters) long.

    She wears classic 5 inch high heels. - She wears classic shoes with 5 inches (12-13 cm) heels.

    English (American) area measures

    Under the area units ( square measure) we understand any values ​​in the "square", namely:

    1. Square inch ( square inch) = 6.45 cm²
    2. Square foot ( square foot) = 929 cm²
    3. Square yard ( square yard) = 0.836 m2
    4. Square mile ( square mile) = 2.59 km²
    5. Acre ( acre) = 0.405 ha = 4046.86 m2

    The new value is acre. To quickly convert acres to hectares, multiply the value by 0.4. Even faster is to divide by two. The approximate area in hectares will become known. The easier thing with square feet is to divide the number by 10 and you have the value in meters.

    We bought an old house on five acres. - We bought new house on five acres of land (2 ha).

    How many square yards are there in a square meter? - How many square yards per square meter?

    English (American) measures of weight

    In what units are the British or Americans used to measure the weight of some substance ( weight measure), product, etc.?

    1. Ounce ( ounce, oz) = 28.35 g
    2. Pound ( pound) = 453.59 g (or 16 oz)
    3. Stone ( stone) = 6.35 kg (or 14 lb) - used primarily in the United States
    4. Short ton ( short ton) = 907.18 kg
    5. Long ton ( long ton) = 1016 kg

    You've probably already noticed that the basic unit of measurement, the pound, is almost half a kilogram. Therefore, it will not be difficult to convert the number you need to pounds and vice versa. To indicate, for example, your weight in pounds, simply double it.

    Baby Brianna weighed 13 ounces at birth. - Little Brianna weighed 13 ounces (370 g) at birth.

    How to lose 20 pounds forever in exercise and diet? - How to get rid of 20 pounds (9 kg) permanently through exercise and diet?

    English (American) measures of volume

    Among the main English (American) units of measurement of volume ( cubic measure) should be called:

    1. Cubic inch = 16.39 cm³
    2. Cubic foot = 0.028 m³
    3. Cubic yard = 0.76 m³

    How many cubic yards does this dump truck hold? - How many cubic yards does this dump truck hold?

    The USA has more than 2200 trillion cubic feet of gas waiting to be pumped, enough to satisfy nearly 100 years of current US natural-gas demand. - The US has more than 22 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, which is enough to provide the US for the next hundred years at current consumption levels.

    English (American) measures of liquids and bulk solids

    What do they measure liquid substances (liquid measure)?

    1. Butt ( butt) = 490.97 l
    2. Barrel ( barrel) = 163.65 l ( GB) / 119.2 l ( US)
    3. Barrel (oil) = 158.988 L ( GB) / 158.97 l ( US)
    4. Gallon ( gallon) = 4.546 l ( GB) / 3,784 l ( US)
    5. Pint ( pint) = 0.57 l ( GB) / 0.473 l ( US)
    6. Fluid ounce ( fluid ounce) = 28.4 ml

    How many ounces of water should I drink every day? - How many ounces of water should I drink per day?

    How many gallons of gasoline are consumed in the USA? - How many gallons of fuel does the US population consume?

    The text of the work is placed without images and formulas.
    Full version work is available in the tab "Files of work" in PDF format

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    Introduction …………………………………………………………………… .3

    Chapter 1. What is a measure of length? .......................................... ..............................4

    Chapter 2. Measures of length in the old days different countries………...………………..5

    Chapter 3. Ancient Russian measures of length …………………………………… 7

    Chapter 4. Modern measures of length… ... …………………………………… .11

    Conclusion ……………………………. …………………………………… .13

    List of used literature…. …………………………………… 14

    INTRODUCTION

    It is impossible to imagine the life of a person who does not make measurements: these are tailors, mechanics, and ordinary schoolchildren. What existed before the ruler, meter, was invented? How did the measures of length appear? What measures of length are used in European countries? I answered these questions in my design work.

    purpose of work - list and analyze the measures of length that existed in Russia and in European countries.

    Tasks:

      Find and analyze scientific and methodological literature on the topic of work.

      Find out what measures of length were used by our ancestors in Russia and in other countries.

      List modern measures of length.

      Make a conclusion.

    CHAPTER 1. WHAT IS A LENGTH MEASURE?

    Measure - a way of determining the quantity by the adopted unit. A linear, linear measure is used to indicate distances or the size of lines. (V. Dahl)

    Measures of length - used to reproduce lengths of a given size. Measures of length are subdivided into dashed, end and bar-end measures. (Physical encyclopedia).

    Measures of length — used to reproduce lengths of a given size; are subdivided into dashed, end and bar-end. The dimensions of the line measures of length (rods, tapes, wires, etc.) are determined by the distance between the lines applied to them. (Big Encyclopedic Dictionary).

    Measures of length - Egyptian system The most ancient: Fur (elbow) = 7 shespam = 52.3 cm. Shesp (palm) = 4 tebam = 7.47 cm. You (finger) = 1.87 cm. Egyptian system (from 5 to 1 centuries BC inclusive): Atur ordinary = 3 miles = 5.235 km. Atur royal = 1 1/2 parasangam. (Encyclopedia of Mythology)

    CHAPTER 2. OLD LENGTH MEASURES IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

    Have ancient Egyptians the main measure of length was elbow (the distance from the end of the fingers to the bent elbow). It was divided into seven palms, and the palm into four fingers. The number of elbows was different.

    In ancient Egypt, exemplary measures were invented: elbow, palm, finger. Now it did not matter how long a person's elbow or palm was, he measured not with his own, but with his common elbow, i.e. conditional stick.

    Ancient arabs the standard of length was considered hair from a donkey's muzzle.

    V England there were also units of length associated with parts of the human body:

    inch (2.5cm) translated from Dutch means "thumb";

    foot (30cm or 12 inches) from the English "leg";

    yard is the distance from the nose of King Henry I to the end of the middle

    finger of his outstretched hand.

    The British still use royal foot equal to the length of the king's foot, by the yard - its length is 0, 9144 m.To measure small lengths, the length of the thumb joint was used - inch. In England, the meaning of an inch is legalized as the length of three grains of barley. In English everyday life, the measure is still used barley grain ... In English practice, there was also such a measure as plowman's good stick .

    V Rome in use was a measure equal to a thousand double steps, which received the name mile .

    Many peoples measured the length with steps, double steps, and canes.

    Very long distances were measured by transitions, halts and even days.

    V Of Japan there was a measure called horse shoe ... It was equal to the distance during which the straw sole tied to the horse's hooves would wear out.

    For many peoples, the distance was determined by the duration of the flight of an arrow or cannonball. In the old days, many units of length were associated with weapons. Nautical league - a measure equal to the range of a cannon shot with which the ship can be fired (1 naval league = 5560 m). V Indidhanush - a measure equal to the distance between the ends of the bow (1 dhanush = 183 cm). V Persinease - a measure equal to the distance that the spear thrown by the warrior flies (1 neise = 4 - 5 m).

    V Chinain , among the ancient Slavs shootout - a measure equal to the distance traveled by an arrow fired from a bow (1 yin = 32 m).

    Measure equal to the length of the foot

    The smallest ancient measure in Europe An inch is a measure equal to the length of the upper phalanx of the thumb. 1inch = 2.54cm The largest ancient measure in Europe A mile (from the Latin word mille - thousand) is a measure equal to a thousand double steps (1 mile = 1478.7 m). In the Anglo-American system of measures, Land mile = 1609 m. Sea mile = 1852 m.

    CHAPTER 3. OLD RUSSIAN LENGTH MEASURES

    In the old days, Russian measures of length were based on the sizes of different parts of the human body.

    Fly fathom - 1.76 m - the distance between arms outstretched to the sides.

    Oblique fathom - 2.48 m - the distance from the heel of the right leg to the toes of the extended left hand.

    Arshin - the measure of length in a number of countries, in Russia since the 16th century, is equal to 16 vershoks (71cm).

    Elbow - the distance from the end of the fingers to the bent elbow.

    Span - an old measure of length, equal to the distance between the stretched thumb and forefinger.

    Inch - Russian pre-metric unit of length (1 inch = 2cm54mm).

    Foot is a unit of length in the Russian system of measures (1ft = 1 / 7th of the back = 12 inches).

    Vershok - originally equal to the length of the phalanx of the index finger.

    Long distances on land used to be measured in Russia in versts .

    1 verst is equal to 1 km 67m.

    Mile - a unit of length that was widespread in national non-metric systems of units and is now used mainly in maritime affairs. 1 mile (sea) = 1.852 km; in the UK, 1 mile (sea) = 1.853 km, 1 mile overland (charter) = 1.609 km (also currently used in the USA). Old Russian mile = 7.468 km.

    The system of uniform measures in the Russian state basically took shape by the end of the 17th century.

    CHAPTER 4. MODERN LENGTH MEASURES

    Nowadays, to measure length, we use a measure called a meter. The meter is the basic unit of the metric system. The metric system was adopted in France at the end of the 18th century. Then the meter was defined as one ten-millionth part of the area of ​​the earth's meridian from North Pole to the equator. The metric system gradually replaced local and national systems in other countries and in 1875 was legally recognized in 17 countries, including Russia. The International Commission on the meter in 1872 decided to take the "archival" meter, stored in Paris, "as it is" as the standard of length. But it is very inconvenient to constantly go to Paris to check with the reference meter. Therefore, since 1983, a meter is equal to the distance that light travels in a vacuum in 1/299792458 of a second.

    Long distances are usually measured in kilometers. In the word kilometer Kilo means thousand meters. When writing, this unit is designated as follows: km. 1 km = 1000 m.

    Meter is a unit of length that is larger than a centimeter or even a decimeter. In meters, you can measure the length and width of a room, the distance between houses, the amount of fabric purchased, the length of a piece of wallpaper. In this case, for example, a tape measure is used to measure the length of a room. The meter is designated as follows: m. Roulettes are of different lengths. The seller uses a wooden ruler called a tailor's meter.

    The lengths of the segments and the distance between two points can be measured using a regular ruler, giving results in dm and cm.

    Decimeter - tenth of a meter.

    Centimeter - one hundredth of a meter.

    1 dm = 10 cm

    1 cm = 10 mm

    Sections 1 cm long are divided on a ruler by small strokes. Each of the segments is divided into 10 equal parts. The length of each such part is equal to one millimeter.

    Millimeter is a unit of length. It is designated as follows: mm.

    CONCLUSION

    In our work, we have listed and analyzed the measures of length that existed in Russia and European countries. They gave examples and illustrated some of the ancient measures of length.

    In the course of our work, we studied such ancient measures of length as:

      Fly fathom

      Oblique fathom

    Now we will know more about old measures of length in Russia and other countries, which will be useful to us in the future in various lessons at school.

    The goal of the work has been achieved.

    LIST OF USED LITERATURE

      N. Ya Vilenkin "Behind the Pages of a Mathematics Textbook". Publishing house "Education", 1989

      N. Ya. Vilenkin "Mathematics" grade 5, textbook for educational institutions. 21st ed., Erased. - M .: Mnemosina, 2007.

      Magazine " Primary School", 2004 # 6

      http://slovorus.ru

      http://www.iro.yar.ru/resource/distant/math/metrol_3.htm

    Everyone knows that things are not the same in America as in other countries. And the point is not even that there are different laws and customs, but that there are completely different units of measurement. All these feet, inches, Fahrenheits and miles ... How not to break your head in all this and figure out what's what?

    So, we will not scare you with "sea leagues" or "long tons", but consider only those units of measurement that are used by Americans in everyday speech.

    Length measurements used in miles, yards, feet and inches

    Mile = mile = 1609 meters
    In general, there are many different types“Miles,” but when an American simply says “mile,” he means the ordinary “charter mile”. It is in it that the distance from New York to Los Angeles is measured (directly, by the way, it is 2,448 miles), it is written on traffic signs and determines the speed of your car. By the way, the expression “to go the extra mile” will mean “do your best”, not “walk another 1609 meters”. You can also say that the person is visible “from a mile away” or that you are “miles from nowhere”.

    Yard = yard = 0.9144 meters
    There are many variations on the origin of the yard. Some believe that this is the length from the tip of the king's nose to the tip of the middle finger of an outstretched hand. There are also options that the yard went from the waist size or the length of the king's sword. In any case, a yard is now a little less than a meter and is equal to 3 feet. By the way, the expression "whole nine yards" does not always mean that something is as much as nine yards. Usually this phrase means that something is a "complete set" or " full set". Example: "I bought the TV, the home theater system ... The whole nine yards" - "I bought a TV, home theater ... Complete set."

    Foot = foot = 0.3048 meters
    Feet are used as often as our meters. They also measure height. By the way, the person's height and weight are always written on American license and identity cards. As you probably already guessed, the word “foot” itself traces its history from the word “foot”. Since everyone's feet are different, then in 1958 at the conference of English-speaking countries it was decided that now the standard "foot", that is, "foot" is equal to 0.3048 meters. And one mile now contains "only" 5280 feet. Isn't it "logical"?

    Inch = inch = 2.54cm
    It is believed that, historically, an inch was equal to the length of an adult male's thumb. The caliber of the weapon is also measured in inches. One foot contains 12 inches. This value is one of the smallest, which is actively used in Everyday life... Maybe that's why our Russian expression "step by step" in English can sound "inch by inch". Although the “step by step” option is also actively used.
    There is a very good expression “Give an inch and take a mile”. Usually it sounds something like this: “He is very greedy. Give him an inch and he will take a mile. " Well, or if you translate it literary, then "Give him a finger, he will grab the whole hand."

    The US uses pounds (not to be confused with feet) and ounces to measure weight in everyday life in the United States.

    Pound = pound = 0.45kg
    In the United States, the pound is often reduced to lb. (from Latin libra - scales). Historically, this unit of measurement of mass was actively used in Europe and the value was set by each feudal lord. Now the pound continues its life in the United States. One pound is divided into 16 ounces.
    Please note that in the United States, pounds are used as a measure of weight, and in the United Kingdom, the currency is also called a pound. Be careful when translating proverbs. For example, in the saying “be penny-wise and pound-foolish” (“economical in small things and wasteful in large”) we are talking about British pounds, and in the phrase “pounding head” we are already talking about measure weight.

    Ounce = ounce = 28, 35 gr
    The ounce is abbreviated to oz. Since the weight of an ounce is very small, we use it when we talk about the weight of jewelry. It is unlikely that anyone will measure the weight of a potato in this unit.
    There is a good expression - “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Literally translated, we get something like "An ounce of protection weighs a pound of cure." Well, in a beautiful translation it will sound "The best tactic is prevention."

    These are the main measures of length and weight used by Americans and British in everyday speech. Thanks to its proximity to Europe, the British, perhaps, are still quite good at orienting themselves in our meters and kilograms. The Americans, however, do not understand anything about this and ask to transfer everything to their "native" pounds and miles.

    Anna Shutikova


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    A Few Facts About British Imperial and American Weights and Measures

    Many have heard that there are British imperial and American systems of measures and weights. Do you know how they differ? These two systems are closely related, they both originated from the English system, which, in turn, is also based on the system of measures of Ancient Rome. American and British system measures are so close that they are often confused. And it is not surprising, given that often in these systems the names of the units coincide, although their meanings may differ.

    Unit history

    The units of measurement that are used today in the United States and partly in Great Britain became widespread during the Norman conquests. The yard is the only unit that has remained virtually unchanged from those times. The yard replaced the previously used elbow (ell). Chain is another measure that came from old Angia that has hardly changed. On the other hand, the foot in use today has changed from the original foot. Today the rod is 16.5 feet, but originally there were exactly 15. Furlong and acre have not changed much in the last thousand years. They were originally a measure of the value of land, but later became simply units of area.

    Confusion with British pounds

    Differences between the British and American systems

    Probably the most unusual are the units of volume. A US liquid gallon is 0.83 British gallons and a US dry gallon is 0.97 British gallons. In the UK, the gallon is the same for liquid and bulk solids.

    Independence of the USA

    After the US Declaration of Independence, America seceded and developed its own system of weights and measures. That is why today the values ​​of American and British gallons, pounds, yards differ. Ultimately, the two governments decided to work together and introduce precise definitions of yard and foot, based on copies of the official standards that the British Parliament adopted in 1850. True, I had to admit that these "official" standards were not of very high quality and could not provide the accuracy required in the modern world. Therefore, in 1960, the two governments officially redefined pounds and yards based on metric standards. And although the changes in 1960 were very small in magnitude, their consequence was the emergence of two parallel standards for measures of length in the United States - land surveying measures (old standard) and international measures (new, tied to metric units).

    Differences between US and UK units are often the subject of discussion and jokes among tourists. For example, in England beer is sold in pints, while a British pint is larger than an American pint. This spawns endless jokes about Americans who can't figure out their drink and Britons who always have too much high prices per gallon of gasoline.

    What are the other differences in units?

    Until 1960, the British yard and pound did not differ significantly from their American counterparts, at least for everyday use - measuring small distances or selling, for example, products. But there were some differences, even in this common use. For example, in the United States, short distances are usually denoted in feet, and in England, in yards.

    It's hard to believe, but people are still alive who grew up among a different system of measurement and other units. In the old imperial system, there was a stone unit equal to 14 pounds. Eight stones were a hundredweight, and a ton was equal to 20 centners or 2240 pounds. There are no stones in the American system, and the centner in it is equal to 100 pounds. Accordingly, a ton is obtained equal to 2000 pounds. The round value of 2000 is easier to remember than 2240, but the existence of two different options tons and centners leads to confusion, especially in international trade. To make it easier for people in different countries to understand the difference when talking about a ton, the British ton is often called long ton, and the American ton is called short ton. And then there's the metric tonne!

    If it seems to you that modern system too confusing, think of those who lived in the 19th century. Thomas Jefferson, in his Plan to establish uniform standards coins, weights and measures "noted that only in the United States there were 14 different definitions of a gallon. The smallest of the gallons contained 224 cubic inches, and the largest - 282 cubic inches. The difference is more than a quarter! queen anne gallon.

    To facilitate international oil trade, the unit of measurement was chosen - the barrel. One barrel equals 159 liters or 42 US gallons. Precious metals are traded in troy ounces, one troy ounce equals 31.10 grams.

    Ultimately, the whole world will probably come to a single system of measurements. Most likely, it will be the metric system. But so far we still live in a world where a wild mixture of systems and units coexists, including units that have the same name, but with different meanings. Isn't our world a little crazy?

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