Table 2. 

 TABLES FOR CONVERTING U. S. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



(2) METRIC TO CUSTOMARY. 



By the concurrent action of the principal governments of the world an International Bureau of Weights and 

 Measures has been established near Paris. Under the direction of the International Committee, two ingots were 

 cast of pure platinum-iridium in the proportion of 9 parts of the former to i of the latter mcial. Frum one of these 

 a certain number of kilogrammes were prepared, from the other a definite number of metre bars. These standards 

 of weight and length were intercompared, without preference, and certain ones were selected as International proto- 

 type standards. The others were distributed by lot, in September, 1X89, to the different governments, and are called 

 National prototype standards. Those apportioned to the United States were received in 1890, and are kept at the 

 Bureau of Standards in Washington, 1). C. 



The metric system was legalized in the United States in 1866. 



The International Standard Metre is derived from the Metre des Archives, and its length is defined by the 

 distance between two lines at o"^ Centigrade, on a platinum-iridium bar deposited at the International Bureau of 

 Weights and Measures. 



The International Standard Kilogramme is a mass of platinum-iridium deposited at the same place, and its weight 

 in vacuo is the same as that of the Kilogramme des Archives. 



The litre is equal to a cubic decimetre, and it is measured by the quantity of distilled water which, at its maxi- 

 mum density, will counterpoise the standard kilogramme in a vacuum, the volume of such a quantity of water being, 

 as nearly as has been ascertained, equal to a cubic decimetre. 



Smithsonian Tables. 



