Explore the Lesson

A. Converting Between SI and Imperial

The following tables compare units that are commonly used in both systems of measurement. How do your estimates compare to the values in the tables?

Capacity
1 imperial gallon 4.546 litres
1 litre 0.220 imperial gallons
1 US gallon 3.79 litres
1 litre 0.264 US gallons
1 cubic inch 16.387 cubic centimetres
1 cubic centimetre 0.061 cubic inches
1 cubic yard 0.765 cubic metres
1 cubic metre 1.308 cubic yards
 
Length
1 inch 2.54 centimetres
1 centimetre 0.394 inches
1 foot 0.305 metres
1 metre 3.281 feet
1 yard 0.914 metres
1 metre 1.094 yards
1 mile 1.609 kilometres
1 kilometre 0.621 miles
 
Mass
1 ounce 28.350 grams
1 gram 0.035 ounces
1 pound 0.454 kilograms
1 kilogram 2.205 pounds

 

Both imperial and SI systems are commonly used in Canada, so it is important to be able to convert between the two. You can use a conversion ratio, and either the proportional reasoning strategy or the unit analysis strategy used in previous lessons.