U.S. Department of Commerce
National Bureau of Standards
Washington 25, c.
Miseellaneous Publication 234*
(Supersedes Misc. Pub. 39)
Prepared by National Bureau of Standards
in cooperation with National Conference
on Weights and Measures
Issued November 15, 1960
HOUSEHOLD WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Scaitis
iubit
JAN 1961
0
The purpose of this card is to present in convenient form the weights and measures tables most useful for household purposes,
together with associated weights and measures information of general household interest.
ADVICE TO THE HOUSEWIFE
Buy solid commodities by weight whenever possible.
In any event, buy by definite quantity whenever practicable, and not by money's
worth.
Learn the price per pound, per quart, etc., of what you buy.
Learn to read the scale indications, and observe the weighing of your purchases.
Check your purchases for price extension and quantity received.
Mere package size may be deceptive. Read and compare labeled quantities in
relation to price.
Demand accurate weight and measure in your purchases just as you demand
accurate change from the cashier.
Some stores provide scales on which you can check the weights of your pur-
chases. Use them!
Become acquainted with your local or State weights and measures official, and
consult him if in doubt on any weights and measures matter,
Report suspected inaccuracies or violations of the weights and measures laws
and regulations to your weights and measures official.
CALORIES
The "calorie" is basically a unit of measure of heat. The large, or great,
calorie is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of
one kilogram of water one degree centigrade. This calorie is used as the unit
for expressing the heat-producing or energy-producing value of food. When
it is said that a certain amount of a particular food contains so many calories,
this statement means that the specified amount of that food is capable of
releasing to the body the specified amount of energy, through oxidation in the
tissues of the digested protein, fat, and carbohydrate constituents of the food.
Energy values in excess of those expended for bodily activities are stored in the
body as fat.
A 30-page pamphlet published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
entitled "Nutritive Value of Foods," presents tabular information on the nutri-
tive value of a large number of foods, including calorie values. Copies of this
publication, which is designated by the number H & G Bulletin 72, may be
purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington 26, D.C., at 20 cents a copy.
EQUIVALENTS OF THE COMMON CAPACITY UNITS USED IN THE KITCHEN
Units
Tea- Table-
Fluid
drams spoon- spoon-
fuls fuls
Fluid
ounces
4 Gills
cup- (12 cup- fuis
Cup- Liquid Liquid Milli-
fuls fuls)
pints quarts liters*
Liters
Units
1 fluid dram equals.---
1 teaspoonful equals.
1 tablespoonful equals..
34
1
113
A familia
1
3
14
163
1
1/8
1%
12
116
112
14
132
1/24
118
164
148
116
1/128
1/96
1/32
1256
1102
164
1/32
1 fluid ounce equals
14 cupful equals.
16
1 gill ( 12 cupful) equals.. 32
000 000
6
12
24
AN
2
4
8
AN
2
4
142
2
4
1
2
14
12
1
18
14
12
1/16
1/8
14
1/16
18
3.7 0.004 Equals 1 fluid dram
4.9 0.005 Equals 1 teaspoonful
15 0.015 Equals 1 tablespoon-
ful
30 0.030 Equals 1 fluid ounce
59 0.059 Equals 14 cupful
118 0.118 Equals 1 gill (12 cup-
ful)
237 0.237 Equals 1 cupful
473
0.473 Equals 1 liquid pint
946 0.946 Equals 1 liquid quart
1 11000 Equals 1 milliliter*
1000 1
Equals 1 liter
2
N front
16
1 cupful equals.-
64 48 16 8
2
1
32 14
1 liquid pint equals.- 128 96 32 16
8 4
2
1
12
1 liquid quart equals. 256 192 64 32
8
4
2
1
1 milliliter* equals.
0.27 0.20 0.068 0.034 0.017 | 0.0084 0.0042 0.0021 0.0011
1 liter equals -
270 203 67.6 33.8 16.9 8.45 4.23 2.11 1.06
*For all household purposes 1 milliliter may be considered as equal to 1 cubic centimeter.
NOTE.—Values in italics are correct to the number of significant figures shown; all others are exact values.
APPROXIMATE WEIGHTS OF SOME COMMODITIES IN AVOIRDUPOIS OUNCES PER CUP
Beans (dry)---
672 Flour (cake, sifted)
314 Raisins (seedless)
5
Butter, margarine, cooking oils. 8 Milk (whole, fluid)
872 Rice...
7
Citrus fruit juice (fresh)
872 Milk (dry) --
4142 Shortening (vegetable)
7
Cornflakes
1 Oatmeal..
3 Sugar (brown, moist, firmly packed)- 712
Corn meal.
5 Pancake mix.
5 Sugar (granulated)
7
Eggs (whole)
812 Prunes (dried)
512 Water.
843
Flour (wheat, all-purpose, sifted) --- 4
The foregoing weights are approximate only, and should not be used for determining
whether or not correct weight is received when commodities are bought.
RULES FOR COMPUTING CIRCUMFERENCE, AREAS, AND VOLUMES
ICA DO
00 OTCO 00
NOTE.-Express all dimensions in terms of the same unit-for example, in terms of feet. A computed area will then be in terms
of the square of the dimensional unit used--for example, square feet-and a computed volume will be in terms of the cube of the dimen-
sional unit used for example, cubic feet.
Circumference of circle: 3.1416 x diameter.
Volume of cylinder: 0.7854 x diameter x diameter x height.
Area of circle: 0.7854 x diameter x diameter.
Approximate capacity of container having sloping sides:
Area of rectangle: Length x width.
Vertical height x one-half the sum of top area and bottom
Capacity of rectangular bin: Length x width x depth.
[OVER)
.
area.
GPO
16-76089-2
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D.C. Price 5 cents.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
***WEIGHTS AND MEASURES TABLES
(Including some metric equivalents, to second decimal place)
1 dram
1 ounce
AVOIRDUPOIS WEIGHT
271482 grains
16 drams
28.35 grams
43742 grains)
16
458.59 grams
7000 grains) 0.45 kilogram
100 pounds
{
={70
TROY WEIGHT
(Used for precious metals)
1 pennyweight
24 grains
20 pennyweights
1 ounce
31.10 grams
480 grains
12 ounces
1 pound
-373.24 grams
5760 grains
1 scruple
1 dram
1 ounce
APOTHECARIES WEIGHT
20 grains
3 scruples
8 drams
31.10 grams
480 grains
12 ounces
-373.24 grams
5760 grains
ounces)
1 pound
={
1 pound
={E
1 hundred
weight
i ton
1 long or
2000
2240
pounds={907.18 kilograms
metric ton
pounds)
gross ton
NOTE....The "grain" is the same in avoirdupois, troy, and apothecaries weight.
CUBIC MEASURE
1 cubic foot =1728 cubic inches=28.32 cubic deci-
meters
1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet 0.76 cubic meter
LINEAR MEASURE
1 inch
2.54 centimeters
1 foot
12 inches 30.48 centimeters
1 yard
3 feet
0.91 meter
1 rod
572 yards
1612 feet
1 statute
820 rods
mile
1760 yards 1609.34 meters
5280 feet
(1 furlong=16 statute mile),
1 international nautical mile=1852 meters
6076.11549 feet).
(The "knot" is a unit of speed, equal to 1 nauti-
cal mile per hour).
AREA MEASURE
1 square foot= 144 square inches
1 square yard=
9 square feet
1 square rod
3074 square
yards
160 square rods
1 acre
4840 square yards 0.40
43560 square feet hectare
1 square miler
640 acres
=259.00
hectares
1 section
of land 1 mile square
LIQUID MEASURE
DRY MEASURE
= 29.57 milliliterg
1 fluid
ounce
1 gill
1 pint
1 quart
1 peck
2 pints
8 quarts
-1.10 liters
8.81 liters
3.52 dekaliters
473.16 milliliters
1 bushel={ 2160.12 cubic inches
8 fluid drams
4. fluid ounces
4 gills
16 fluid ounces
2 pints
32 fluid ounces
4 quarts
231 cubic inches
}=3.
1 quart
0.95 liter
1 gallon
3.79 liters
MISCELLANEOUS EQUIVALENTS
(To second decimal place)
1 pound avoirdupois
2150.42 cubic inches
1.24 cubic feet
200 milligrams
1624 part
1 gallon, British Imperial
{
1 bushel, U.S.
1 carat (precious stones):
1 carat (fineness of gold
alloy)
1 cord (firewood)
1 cubic foot
1 pound, troy or apothe-
caries
1 gallon, U.S.
1.20 gallons, U.S.
160 fluid ounces,
British
0.13 cubic foot
0.83 gallon, British
Imperial
4 inches
0.96 fluid ounce,
U.S.
1.04 fluid ounces,
,
British
128 cubic feet
7.48 gallons
0.80 bushel
220 yards
18 mile
6 feet
1 quart, dry, U.S.
1.22 pounds, troy or
apothecaries
0,82 pound
avoirdupois
67.20 cubic inches
1.16 quarts, liquid,
U.S.
57.75 cubic inches
0.83 quart, British
1.20 quarts, liquid,
U.S.
1 hand
1 fluid ounce, British
{
1 furlong
1 fathom
1 quart, liquid, U.S.
1 quart, British
1 fluid ounce, U.S.
a
METRIC SYSTEM
The principal units of the metric system are the meter, which meaning one hundred times; and "kilo-," meaning one thousand
is the unit of length, the gram, which is the unit of mass times. Not all of these prefixes are in general use; those most
(weight), and the liter, which is the unit of capacity. (There is commonly employed are "centi-," "milli-,' and "kilo-." Thus, for
also a unit of area, the are, which is equal to 100 square meters.) example, “milliliter" means the one thousandth part of a liter,
Other units in the metric system are the decimal subdivisions "centimeter" means the one-hundredth part of a meter, and "kilo-
and multiples of the basic units, named by combining the proper gram" means 1000 grams.
prefix with the name of the basic unit to form selfdefining terms. A very small metric weight subdivision frequently used is the
The recognized prefixes are "milli-," meaning the one thousandth microgram, equal to 1 thousandth of a milligram. In formulas
part; "centi-," meaning the one-hundredth part; "deci-," mean- for pharmaceuticals, the abbreviation "mcg" is often used for
ing the one-tenth part; "deka-," meaning ten times; "hecto-," microgram; in scientific work the recognized abbreviation is ug.
a
CENTIMETERS
7 8 9
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18
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INCHES
i
METRIC--U.S. EQUIVALENTS
(To second decimal place)
LENGTH
0.04 inch
0.99 inch
39.37 inches
1.09 yards
0.62 statute mile
1 cubic centimeter
1 liter
CAPACITY
0.27 fluid dram
1.06 liquid quarts
1 millimeter
1 centimeter
1 meter
1 kilometer
1 gram
1 kilogram
WEIGHT
0.04 ounce avoirdupois
2.20 pounds avoirdupois
1000 kilograms
=2204.62 pounds avoirdupois
1,10 tons
1 metric ton
M
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