The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Writer's Desk Book, by William Dana Orcutt

Multiples which are used equally with all the principal units
- M (myria = 10000)
- K (kilo = 1000)
- H (hekto = 100)
- D (deka = 10)

(NOTE. These are Greek numerals)

Divisions which are used equally with all the principle units
- d (deci = .1)
- c (centi = .01)
- m (milli = .001)

(NOTE. These are Latin numerals)

Kinds of Quantities Measured	Principal Units	Definitions
Length	m (meter)
Area	sq. m (square meter)
Area	a (Ar)	1 sq. Dm.
Volume	cu m (cubic meter)
	s (ster)	1 cu. m.
	l (liter)	1 cu. d m
Weight	g (gram)	Weight of 1 cu. cm. of pure water at 4° centigrade

NOTE. 1000 kg. is called t. (a metric ton.)

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LINEAR MEASURE

12 in. = 1 foot
3 ft. = 1 yd.
5 ¹⁄₂ yds. = 1 rod
320 rds. = 1 mile
5280 ft. = 1 mile
3 miles = 1 league

The hand (4 in.) is used to measure the height of horses. The nautical mile is 6086.44 ft. 1 knot is 1.1528 statute miles. 1 degree is 67.168 statute miles.

SQUARE MEASURE

144 sq. in. = 1 sq. ft.
9 sq. ft. = 1 sq. yd.
30 ¹⁄₄ sq. yds. = 1 sq. rod
160 sq. rods = 1 acre
640 acres = 1 sq. mile

The side of a square having an area of an acre is approximately 208 ³⁄₄ feet.

DRY MEASURE

2 pints = 1 quart
8 quarts = 1 peck
4 pecks = 1 bushel

LIQUID MEASURE

4 gills = 1 pt.
2 pts. = 1 qt.
4 qts. = 1 gall.
31 ¹⁄₂ gall. = 1 barrel
2 barrels = 1 hogshead

APOTHECARIES’ WEIGHT

20 grains = 1 scruple
3 scruples = 1 dram
8 drams = 1 ounce
12 ounces = 1 pound

AVOIRDUPOIS WEIGHT

16 drams = 1 ounce
16 ounces = 1 pound
100 pounds = 1 hundredweight
20 hundredweights = 1 ton
Long ton = 2240 pounds, used mostly in Great Britain.

TROY WEIGHT

24 grains = 1 pennyweight
20 pennyweights = 1 ounce
12 ounces = 1 pound
1 carat in diamond, measure = 3.2 Troy grains.

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PAPER MEASURE

24 sheets = 1 quire
20 quires = 1 ream
2 reams = 1 bundle
5 bundles = 1 bale

TIME MEASURE

60 seconds = 1 minute
60 minutes = 1 hour
24 hours = 1 day
7 days = 1 week
28, 29, 30, or 31 days = 1 calendar month
(30 days = 1 month in computing interest)
365 days = 1 year
366 days = 1 leap year

CIRCULAR MEASURE

60 seconds = 1 minute
60 minutes = 1 degree
30 degrees = 1 sign
90 degrees = 1 quadrant
4 quadrants = 12 signs, or 360 degrees = 1 circle

CLOTH MEASURE

2 ¹⁄₄ inches = 1 nail
4 nails = 1 quarter
4 quarters = 1 yard

MARINERS’ MEASURE

6 feet = 1 fathom
120 fathoms = 1 cab. le’th.
7 ¹⁄₂ cable lengths = 1 mile
5280 feet = 1 stat. mile
6085 feet = 1 naut. mile

MISCELLANEOUS

3 inches = 1 palm
4 inches = 1 hand
6 inches = 1 span
18 inches = 1 cubit
21.8 in. = 1 Bible cubit
2 ¹⁄₂ ft. = 1 military pace

SURVEYORS’ MEASURE

7.92 inches = 1 link
25 links = 1 rod
4 rods = 1 chain
10 square chains or 160 square rods = 1 acre
640 acres = 1 sq. mile
36 sq. miles (6 miles sq.) = 1 township

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

THE METRIC SYSTEM