336 METRIC SYSTEM. 



METRIC SYSTEM * 



METRIC SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AND TABLES 

 FOR THE CONVERSION OF METRIC WEIGHTS AND MEAS- 

 l^RES INTO CUSTOMARY UNITED STATES EQUIVALENTS 

 AND THE REVERSE. 



In the metric system the meter is the base of all the weight- 

 and measures which it employs. 



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

 millionth part of the distance measured on a meridian of th ■ 

 earth from the equator to the pole, and equals about 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 1 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 dis- 

 tilled 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. 



* From The American Chamber of Commerce. 



