Basic Math & Pre-Algebra For Dummies
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The English system of measurements is most commonly used in the United States. In contrast, the metric system is used throughout most of the rest of the world. Converting measurements between the English and metric systems is a common everyday reason to know math. This article gives you some precise metric-to-English conversions, as well as some easy-to-remember conversions that are good enough for most situations.

Metric-to-English Conversion Table
Metric-to-English ConversionsMetric Units in Plain English
1 meter ≈ 3.28 feet A meter is about 3 feet (1 yard).
1 kilometer ≈ 0.62 miles A kilometer is about 1/2 mile.
1 liter ≈ 0.26 gallons A liter is about 1 quart (1/4 gallon).
1 kilogram ≈ 2.20 pounds A kilo is about 2 pounds.
0°C = 32°F 0°C is cold.
10°C = 50°F 10°C is cool.
20°C = 68°F 20°C is warm.
30°C = 86° 30°C is hot.

Here's an easy temperature conversion to remember: 16°C = 61°F.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Mark Zegarelli is a professional writer with degrees in both English and Math from Rutgers University. He has earned his living for many years writing vast quantities of logic puzzles, a hefty chunk of software documentation, and the occasional book or film review. Along the way, he’s also paid a few bills doing housecleaning, decorative painting, and (for ten hours) retail sales. He likes writing best, though.

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