Custom «English Systems of Measurement» Essay Paper Sample

The English system of measurement is a very unique and interesting form of measurement. It emerged out the unique and interesting manner the English used to measure various quantities. The English used their feet to measure short distances and their paces for longer distances (Arthur, 1974). They also measured capacities with household containers (Arthur, 1974). Since different people emerged with different measurements based on the apparatus they used, the English saw it good to formulate a standard form of measurement. Several of the English measurement terms used in medieval England are still in existence but some were dropped with the developments in time.

The most common measurements terms today are, foot, cubit, yard, ounce, acre, volume, length, barrel, mile etc. A foot is equivalent to 12 inches. A cubit is equivalent to 18 inches. A mile is equivalent to 5280 feet while an ounce is equivalent to 437.5 grains (Arthur, 1974). Every other measurement has its own unit of measurement. It is possible to convert from one measurement to another. For instance you can convert feet into yards and vice versa. One yard for instance is three feet, how many yards would be in twenty seven feet. If one yard is three feet, the twenty seven yards would contain nine yards. This result is obtained algebraically by dividing the total number of yards, twenty seven in this case by the given value of three which is equivalent to one yard. This results to nine yards in twenty seven feet.

While this is just simple arithmetic fraction, there are some conversions which require one to be acquitted with some formulas and which might be a little bit complex. Such can be like those of converting like from litters to kilogram’s and vice versa.