Lesson 3: Imperial Units and Conversion - The Imperial System Basics

   Constructing Knowledge

The imperial system was the most common system used in Canada prior to the 1970s, and it is closely related to the US customary units system currently used in the United States.

The imperial system in Canada is still frequently used by older generations who grew up learning that system. In addition, the imperial system is also still used in grocery stores and in the construction industry.

The following table shows some imperial measurements and their abbreviations.

Common Imperial Units and their Abbreviations
Measurement Units Abbreviation
Linear inch in, or "
foot ft, or '
yard yd
mile mi
Mass ounce oz
pound lb or lbs
ton t
Capacity/Volume pint pt
quart qt
gallon gal
cubic inch in3
cubic yard yd3
Temperature degrees Fahrenheit °F
Time (seconds, minutes, and hours are included in both the SI and imperial systems) seconds s, sec
minutes m, min
hours h, hr


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