FOR CONVERTING U. S. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



METRIC TO CUSTOMARY. 



Table 2. 



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 platinumiridium in the proportion of 9 p.irts of the former to 1 of the latter metal. From one of these a cer- 

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

 and length were iniercompared, without preference, and certain ones were selected as International prototype stand- 

 ards. The others were distributed by lot, in September, 1889, to the different governments and are called National 

 prototype standards. Those apportioned to the United States were received in 1890 and are in the keeping of this office. 



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



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

 tance between two lines at 0° Centigrade, on a platinuin-iridium bar deposited at the International Bureau of Weights 

 and Me.isures. . , . , . . 



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 Kiloeramme des Archives. 



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

 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. 3 



