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1.3: Conversions and Units of Measure

  • Page ID
    6760
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    Learning Objectives

    • Learn about commonly used measurements in nutrition

    The Metric and US Customary System

    These are commonly used prefixes for the Metric System:

    Table \(\PageIndex{1}\): Commonly used prefixes.
    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 \(\PageIndex{2}\): Units for Mass.
    Metric System US Customary System Conversions
    Microgram (μg) Ounce (oz) 1 oz = 28.35 g
    Milligram (mg) Pound (lb) 1 lb = 16 oz
    Gram (g) 1 lb = 454 g
    Kilogram (kg) 1 kg = 2.2 lbs

    Volume

    Table \(\PageIndex{2}\): Units for Volume.
    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 \(\PageIndex{3}\): Units for length.
    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

    Contributor


    This page titled 1.3: Conversions and Units of Measure is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by The University of Hawaiʻi via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.