388 APPENDIX 



METRIC SYSTEM 1 



METRIC SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AND 

 TABLES FOR THE CONVERSION OF METRIC 

 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES INTO CUSTOMARY 

 UNITED STATES EQUIVALENTS AND THE REVERSE. 



In the metric system the meter is the base of all weights and 

 measures. 



The meter was intended to be, and is very nearly, one ten- 

 millionth part of the distance measured on a meridian of the 

 earth from the equator to the pole, and equals abojit 39.37 

 inches or nearly 3 feet 3! inches. 



The meter is the primary unit of length. 



Upon the meter are based the following primary units: the 

 square meter, the are, the cubic meter or stere, the liter, and 

 the gram. 



The square meter is the unit of measure for small surfaces; 

 as the surface of a floor, table, etc. 



The are is the unit of land measure; this is a square whose 

 side is 10 meters in length, and which contains 100 square meters. 



The cubic meter or stere is the unit of volume; this is a 

 cube whose edge is i meter in length. 



The liter is the unit of capacity; this is the capacity of a 

 cube whose edge is one-tenth of a meter in length. 



The gram is the unit of weight; this is the weight of distilled 

 water contained in a cube whose edge is the one-hundredth part 

 of a meter; a gram is therefore the one- thousandth part of a 

 kilogram, and the one-millionth part of a metric ton. 



1 From The American Chamber of Commerce. 



