Table 3 (.conlmued). 

 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 projiortion of g parts of the former to i of the latter metal. From one of these 

 a certain number of kilograms were prepared, from the other a definite number of meter 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, 1889, to the different governments, and are called 

 National prototype standards. Those apportioned to the United States were received in 1S90, and are kept at the 

 Bureau of Standards in Washington, D. C. 



The metric system was legalized in the United States in i86fi. 



The International Standard Meter is derived from the M^tre des Archives, and its length is defined by the 

 distance between two lines at 0° Centigrade, on a platinum-iridium bar deposited at the International Bureau of 

 Weights and Measures. 



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

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



The liter is equal to the quantity of pure water at 4° C (760 mm. Hg. pressure) which weighs 1 kilogram and =: 

 1.000027 cu- dt"- (Trav. et Mem. Bureau Intern, des P. at M. 14, igio, Benoit.) 



Smithsonian Tables. 



