One problem that many folks have when they visit Canada or Europe is the metric system. My former students had difficulty as well. Back in the 1970’s, America was on track to convert to metric measurements; however, the proposal died an ignominious death under the Reagan administration. (See this Wikipedia article for details.) I worked in labs for many years, so converting between English and metric measurements is second nature for me. So for my friends who still struggle, here are a few hints:
Distance or length. 1 kilometer(km) is 0.62 miles, so a speed limit of 100 km/hour is 62 mph. This is bound to disappoint the speed demons in your family when they visit Canada. One meter is 39.36 inches. A 165 centimeter (cm) person would be 5’5″ in the English system. One of the doctors I work with entered data into a risk calculation that a patient was 270 cm. That would make the patient well over 8 feet tall. The hospital would have to put two beds end-to-end to accommodate him. The punch line: The doctor is Canadian. He just miskeyed the height.
Volume. The standard 12-ounce can of beer or soda equals about 360 milliliters (mL). Most liquid measuring cups sold in the US today have English and metric measurements on them.
Weight. One kilogram (kg) is about 2.2 pounds so a 100-kg person would weigh 220 pounds or so. Fruit, vegetables, and meats are sold in Europe by the kg. So if you just want a pound or so of meat in Canada or Europe, ask for about 400-500 grams.
How do you practice your conversions here? The easiest way to do it is in the kitchen. Find a recipe that lists both English and metric units. Liquids are easy. Items like flour and sugar are a bit more frustrating, because the metric method or recipe-writing lists grams of dry ingredients rather than cups or tablespoons. The average American kitchen does not have a scale; however, you can pick up a decent electronic one for a reasonable price. With time and practice, you’ll be able to go between English and metric measurements easily.
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