Units Guide & Articles
Master the art of unit conversion with our comprehensive guides. From basic measurement concepts to advanced technical articles, explore the fascinating world of units and measurements.
Featured Articles
Common Systems of Units: A Comprehensive Overview
Dive deep into the world of measurement systems. From SI to Imperial and CGS systems, understand their history and applications.
The Historical Evolution of Measurement: From Ancient Cubits to Quantum Constants
Explore the fascinating journey of measurement from ancient civilizations to modern quantum-based definitions.
The Art and Science of Unit Conversion: Navigating Between Measurement Systems
Master the essential skill of unit conversion with practical methods, examples, and expert tips.
The High Cost of Confusion: Landmark Case Studies of Errors and Disasters
Learn from costly unit conversion mistakes that caused disasters like the Mars Climate Orbiter loss and Gimli Glider incident.
Quick Reference Guide
International System of Units (SI)
The global standard for scientific and everyday use
Base Units
- • Meter (m) - Length
- • Kilogram (kg) - Mass
- • Second (s) - Time
- • Ampere (A) - Electric current
- • Kelvin (K) - Temperature
- • Mole (mol) - Amount of substance
- • Candela (cd) - Luminous intensity
Common Derived Units
- • Newton (N) - Force
- • Pascal (Pa) - Pressure
- • Joule (J) - Energy
- • Watt (W) - Power
- • Volt (V) - Electric potential
- • Hertz (Hz) - Frequency
Advantages
- • Decimal-based (powers of 10)
- • Globally standardized
- • Scientific precision
- • Easy conversions
- • Consistent prefixes
Imperial & US Customary Systems
Traditional systems used primarily in the United States
Length
- • Inch (in)
- • Foot (ft) = 12 in
- • Yard (yd) = 3 ft
- • Mile (mi) = 5,280 ft
Weight/Mass
- • Ounce (oz)
- • Pound (lb) = 16 oz
- • Stone (st) = 14 lb
- • Ton = 2,000 lb
Volume
- • Fluid ounce (fl oz)
- • Cup = 8 fl oz
- • Pint = 2 cups
- • Gallon = 8 pints
Temperature
- • Fahrenheit (°F)
- • Freezing: 32°F
- • Boiling: 212°F
- • Body temp: 98.6°F
CGS System
Centimeter-Gram-Second
- • Base: cm, g, s
- • Force: dyne
- • Energy: erg
- • Used in some physics fields
Quick Tips
Conversion shortcuts
- • 1 inch = 2.54 cm (exact)
- • 1 pound ≈ 0.454 kg
- • °C = (°F - 32) × 5/9
- • 1 mile ≈ 1.609 km
Ready to Start Converting?
Put your knowledge to practice with our comprehensive unit conversion tools. Convert between any units quickly and accurately.
Start Converting