SI - The Metric System for Travelers - Conversion and Equivalents

A Primer for
Travelers to Europe

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From Industry Week, 1981 November 30

ave you wondered how many inches to the Celsius? Kilos to the inch? Rods to the cubit? Hogsheads to the butt? You’ve forgotten all you learned about metric?

These pages are for you! This is the place to find out how to exchange feet for meters ... and more.

You'll find our quick reference section below if you just want a cheat sheet for your trip. If you're interested in a bit more about the important basic units for travelers we have a section on usage and more detailed descriptions.

etric is much easier to use than our system, so you'll find an added benefit from learning the basics. Our "English System" divides yards into 36 inches, miles into 5,280 feet, and pounds into 16 ounces. If you enjoy working with 36ths, 16ths, 12ths and 5,280ths and memorizing the relationships, you'll miss them in the SI.

Everything in metric, alas, is based on dull, dry 10ths, 100s, and so on. Dull, but easy to manipulate. Learn a few basic units and prefixes and you'll master the system.

he Metric System or SI -- for International System (in French) -- is used by most of the world. Why?

	The measurements are based on easily-manipulated multiples and fractions of 10;
	most are related to each other in some way;
	it is easy to use and understand.

Units and Prefixes

s a traveler you'll commonly run across only a few:

	Meaning	Symbol
meter	Length	m
gram	Weight	g
liter	Volume	L or l
milli	thousandths (0.001)	m
kilo	thousands (1000.0)	k
centi	hundredths (0.01)	c
hecto	hundreds (100.0)	h
deci	tenths (0.01)	d

So, "mm" stands for millimeter, one one-thousandth of a meter; "km" stands for kilometer, one thousand meters.

Formulas and 'Rules of Thumb'
Note that everything on this website is written using US numeric notation. In Europe commas and periods are reversed for number group separators and decimal place indicators. Thus, in the US we'd write 1,001.5 for one thousand one and a half, while in Europe it would be written 1.001,5. If you're interested we have more on writing numbers and dates, European style.

	Distance: One kilometer (km) = 0.62137 mile. Estimate by dividing kilometers by 10 and multiplying by 6. (Or multiply by 0.6; or take 5/8 if that works easier with a given distance.)
	Speed: Speed in kilometers per hour (km/h) = 0.62137 mph. Estimate by dividing kilometers by 10 and multiplying by 6.

	Area: One square meter = 10.7639 square feet. Estimate by multiplying by 10 or 11. One hectare = 2.471 acres. Multiply hectares by 2.5 and you'll be close.
	Fuel Consumption: In Europe most often given in liters per 100 kilometers, while Americans use miles per gallon. Estimate by multiplying the liters per 100 km figure by 0.4, and divide 100 by the result. The mpg result will be about 6% high.
	Height (Altitude): One meter (m) = 3.28083 feet. Estimate by multiplying meters by 3 and adding 10%.
	Length: See Height for meters and feet. A centimeter is about 3/8 inch. 2.54 cm make an inch. Four inches is the equivalent of 10 cm; 30 cm per foot. Estimate inches by 10*cm/4, or divide by 0.4, or multiply by 2.5.
	Weight: One kilogram = 2.20462 pounds Estimate by multiplying by 2 and adding another 10%. One gram = 0.03257 ounce, about 28 in an ounce. Estimate grams/ounce at 25 or 30 for convenience.
	Volume: One liter = 1.0567 quarts or 0.26417 Gallons. Estimate 1:1 for quarts or 1:4 for gallons and add a smidgen (~5%).
	Temperature: ^oF =^oC9/5+32. -- Estimate* Fahrenheit at twice Celsius plus 30. Or ... 0^oC = freezing; 10^oC = quite chilly; 20^oC = cool room temperature; 30^oC = quite warm; 40^oC = you and your camel have never been so hot.

If you'd like a printed copy of these we have a version that will fit on one page on most printers. We've also prepared a spreadsheet metric conversion calculator you can use online.

mportant to know these things? European do not expect Americans to speak their language well; they will work with you in their best English. Many will help you with the currency. Since most of the world uses the SI, though, they'll expect you to know it.

ow that you know the basics of metric math and how the SI relates to the system you're familiar with, how do you use this new knowledge on your trip to Europe? We have the answers in Using Metrics.

Online metric conversion spreadsheet.

t's certainly handy to be conversant with the measures you'll find in Europe, but it's at least as valuable to be able to speak a few words of the language of your destination, and how Europeans write, and read, dates & numbers there ... and it's not difficult at all.

References

SI Guide - Among other interesting material, an extensive list of the ways in which we Americans are exposed to the SI every day. The author asserts the US is already 40% converted to Metric.
In-depth Information on the Modern Metric System
U.S. Metric Association A wealth of information and services related to U.S. metrication.
SI Navigator: A comprehensive collection of links to the best sites for metric information.
More on the Metric System.

Would you like to be able to convert units easily at your computer? Flow Simulation International has a fine freeware replacement for your Windows calculator that does the job handily.

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A Primer for Travelers to Europe

Units and Prefixes

References

A Primer for
Travelers to Europe