Units of Measure

University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Food Science; Human Nutrition Program

Units of Measure

In , there are two systems of commonly used measurements: Metric and US Customary. We need both because the US won’t adopt the metric system completely.

The Metric and US Customary System

These are commonly used prefixes for the Metric System:

Table 1.6 Common Prefixes for the Metric System
Prefix	Amount
Micro- (μ)	1/1,000,000th (one millionth)
Milli- (m)	1/1000th (one thousandth)
Centi- (c)	1/100th (one hundredth)
Deci- (d)	1/10th (one tenth)
Kilo- (k)	1000x (one thousand times)

Mass

Table 1.7 Common Mass Units for Metric and US Customary Systems
Metric System	US Customary System	Conversions
Microgram (μg)	Ounce (oz)	1 oz = 28.35 g
Milligram (mg)	Pound (lb)	1 lb = 453592 mg
Gram (g)	Pound (lb)	1 lb = 454 g
Kilogram (kg)	Pound (lb)	2.2 lbs = 1 kg

Volume

Table 1.8 Common Volume Units for Metric and US Customary Systems
Metric System	US Customary System	Conversions
Milliliter (mL)	Teaspoon (tsp)	1 tsp = 5 mL
Deciliter (dL)	Tablespoon (tbsp)	1 tbsp = 3 tsp = 15 mL
Liter (L)	Fluid ounce (fl oz)	1 fl oz = 2 tbsp = 30 mL
	Cup (c)	1 c = 8 fl oz = 237 mL
	Pint (pt)	1 pt = 2 c = 16 fl oz
	Quart (qt)	1 qt = 4 c = 32 fl oz = 0.95 L
	Gallon (gal) = 4 qt	1 gal = 4 qt

Length

Table 1.9 Common Length Units for Metric and US Customary Systems
Metric System	US Customary System	Conversions
Millimeter (mm)	Inch (in)	1 in = 25.4 mm
Centimeter (cm)	Foot (ft)	1 ft= 30.5 cm
Meter (m)	Yard (yd)	1 yd = 0.9 m
Kilometer (km)	Mile (mi)	1 mi = 1.6 km

Learning Activities

Technology Note: The second edition of the Human Nutrition Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook features interactive learning activities. These activities are available in the web-based textbook and not available in the downloadable versions (EPUB, Digital PDF, Print_PDF, or Open Document).

Learning activities may be used across various mobile devices, however, for the best user experience it is strongly recommended that users complete these activities using a desktop or laptop computer.

License

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