How to Calculate Weights and Measures

Imagine yourself one day before your trip to Europe. You check the weather so that you can make plans. After looking at the weather, you realize something. You are still lost and don't know what the weather is going to be like. Instead of seeing Fahrenheit, you see Celsius. After converting from Celsius to Fahrenheit, you breathe a sigh of relief. Unlike a language barrier, which takes time to overcome, weights and measures conversion formulas bridge this gap in minutes.

Instructions

1

Add 273.15 to the degree Celsius to get Kelvin degrees. Use this next formula to convert from Fahrenheit degrees to Celsius: Celsius = (5/9)(Fahrenheit-32). Use this second formula to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit: Fahrenheit = (9/5)Celsius + 32. Plug the Fahrenheit temperature into the word "Fahrenheit," and plug the Celsius temperature into the word "Celsius," in the above formulas to do your conversion. See the Tips below fore more information.

2

Multiply a square inch by 645.16 to get a square millimeter. Obtain a square meter by multiplying a square foot by .092903. Multiply a kilogram force meter by 9.80665 to get a Newton meter. Multiply a foot pound force by 1.355818 to get a joule. Obtain foot pounds force per second by 1.35582 to get a watt. Multiply a standard atmosphere by 14.697 to get pounds force per square inch. See the Resources section below for more information.

3

Know that 1,000 meters makes a kilometer, 100 meters makes a hectometer and 10 meters makes a decameter. Apply this same principle to liters and grams, for example, 1,000 liters is a kiloliter.

4

Use conversion tables to help you calculate weights and measures. Utilize the Cartesian grid coordinate concept to read these tables. Know that each box in the grid matches only one measurement from the top, and one measurement from the side. For example, 10 pounds of force intersects with 1 pound of force Newton at the number 48.930. See the Resources below for more information.

5

Find a website that automatically converts from one set of weights and measures to another. One great website is Convert Me. See the Resources section below for links. Click on the hyperlink that represents the conversion you want to calculate. Place the number you want to calculate in the box representing the unit you want to convert from. Click the button "Convert" so that the website can calculate your number to different units of measurement. Go to the unit you wanted to convert to, and read the result.