When comparing or combining an area or volume it is important to measure the objects using the same units. Without converting the areas into the same unit, it might be difficult to tell, for example, ...

Before measuring something, it is important to know which unit to use. Estimating its approximate size by comparing it with a more familiar object can help. In order to find a suitable unit of measure ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...

The week of Oct. 10 – that's 10/10 – is National Metric Week because the metric system is based on powers of 10. To change from one unit to another within the system, one has only to move the decimal ...

December 23, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the Metric Conversion Act, designed to bring US weights and measures in line with the rest of the world. The United States is one of the last holdouts ...

In the supermarket, on the street and in bars, Europeans have long thought in units of 10 — fruit is weighed by the kilo, beverages dispensed by fractions of a liter and distances marked off in meters ...