Imperial vs. Metric System

Have you ever heard of pounds? Inches? Feet? Miles?

If so, you have heard of the imperial system! Americans, along with a few other countries in the world, use the imperial system to measure objects rather than the metric system. There is no real reason that we use this system other than tradition!

The map above illustrates the countries that use the imperial system and those that use the metric system. There are only three countries that use the imperial system.

A few examples of the imperial system are:

1 yard (yd) = 0.914 meters (m)

1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters (cm)

1 pound (lb) = 0.45 kilograms (km)

1 ounce (oz)  = 28.35 grams (g)

1 gallon (g) = 3.78 liters (l)

1 fluid ounce (oz) = 29.6 milliliters (ml)

Using the conversions above, can you answer the following questions?

How many yards are in 5 meters?

How many inches are in 10 meters?

How many kilograms are in 3 pounds?

How many ounces are in 500 grams?

Comprehension questions:

Why do Americans use the imperial system?

What are a few examples of imperial measurements?

Which countries use the imperial system?

Name three countries that use the metric system (other than Spain).