Government

Departments

Community Services

Consumer Protection

 

Everyday Metric Units

Basic Units

Meter A little longer than a yard (about 1.1 yards)
Liter A little larger than a quart (about 1.06 quarts)
Gram A little more than the weight of a paper clip

 

Temperature
Degrees CELSIUS are used

CELSIUS FAHRENHEIT
-40 degrees -40 degrees
-20 degrees 0 degrees
0 degrees (water freezes) 32 degrees (water freezes)
20 degrees 68 degrees
100 degrees (water boils) 212 degrees (water boils)

 

Other Commonly Used Units

millimeter 0.001 meter Diameter of a paper clip wire
centimeter 0.01 meter A little more than the width of a paper clip (about 0.4 inch)
kilometer 1000 meters Somewhat further than 1/2 mile (about 0.6 mile)
kilogram 1000 grams A little more than 2 pounds (about 2.2 pounds)
milliliter 0.001 liter Five of them make a teaspoon

 

Helpful Information

 

Department of Consumer Protection /
Weights and Measures
Michael D. Bannon
Director
50 North Main Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: 215-348-7442
Fax: 215-348-4570
Canny Consumer Hotline 1-800-942-2669