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Appendix N: The Metric System

Author: OMAFRA Staff
Creation Date: 01 March 2002
Last Reviewed: 01 March 2002
Agronomy Guide > Pub 811: Appendices > The Metric System
Excerpt from Agronomy Guide for Field Crops (Appendices)
Order OMAFRA Publication 811: Agronomy Guide for Field Crops

Table of Contents

  1. Metric Units
  2. Application Rate Conversions
  3. Fertilizer Conversions
  4. Metric Conversions
  5. Dry Weight Equivalents
  6. Liquid Equivalents
  7. Speed
  8. Abbreviations
  9. Conversion Tables - Metric to Imperial
  10. Conversion Tables - Imperial to Metric
  11. Updates on Appendix N: The Metric System

The Metric System

Metric Units

Linear Measures (length)

10 millimetres (mm) = 1 centimetre (cm)
100 centimetres (cm) = 1 metre (m)
1,000 metres (m) = 1 kilometre (km)

Square Measures (area)

100 m x 100 m = 10,000 m2 = 1 hectare (ha)
100 hectares = 1 square kilometre (km2)

Cubic Measures (volume)

Dry Measure
1,000 cubic millimetres (mm3) = 1 cubic centimetre (cm3)
1,000,000 cubic centimetres (cm3) = 1 cubic metre (m3)

Liquid Measure
1,000 millilitres (mL) = 1 litre (L)
100 litres (L) = 1 hectolitre (hL)

Weight-Volume Equivalents (for water)

(1.00 kg) 1,000 grams = 1 litre (1.00 L)
(0.50 kg) 500 grams = 500 millilitres (0.50 L)
(0.10 kg) 100 grams = 100 millilitres (0.10 L)
(0.01 kg) 10 grams = 10 millilitres (0.01 L)
(0.001 kg) 1 grams = 1 millilitre (0.001 L)

Weight Measures

1,000 milligrams (mg) = 1 gram (g)
1,000 grams (g) = 1 kilogram (kg)
1,000 kilograms (kg) = 1 tonne (t)
1 milligram/kilogram = 1 part per million (ppm)

Dry-Liquid Equivalents

1 cubic centimetre (cm3) = 1 millilitre (mL)
1 cubic metre (m3) = 1,000 litres (L)

Application Rate Conversions

Metric to Imperial or US (Approximate)

litres per hectare x 0.09 = gallons per acre
litres per hectare x 0.11 = US gallons per acre

litres per hectare x 0.36 = quarts per acre
litres per hectare x 0.36 = US quarts per acre

litres per hectare x 0.71 = pints per acre
litres per hectare x 0.86 = US pints per acre

millilitres per hectare x 0.015 = fluid ounces per acre

grams per hectare x 0.015 = ounces per acre

kilograms per hectare x 0.89 = pounds per acre

tonnes per hectare x 0.45 = tons per acre

Imperial or US to Metric (Approximate)

gallons per acre x 11.23 = litres per hectare (L/ha)
gallons US per acre x 9.35 = litres per hectare (L/ha)

quarts per acre x 2.8 = litres per hectare (L/ha)
quarts US per acre x 2.34 = litres per hectare (L/ha)

pints per acre x 1.4 = litres per hectare (L/ha)
pints US per acre x 1.17 = litres per hectare (L/ha)

fluid ounces per acre x 70 = millilitres per hectare (mL/ha)
fluid ounces US per acre x 73 = millilitres per hectare (mL/ha)

tons per acre x 2.24 = tonnes per hectare (t/ha)
pounds per acre x 1.12 = kilograms per hectare (kg/ha)
pounds per acre x 0.45 = kilograms per acre(kg/ac)

ounces per acre x 70 = grams per hectare (g/ha)

Fertilizer Conversions

K2O x 0.83 = K (elemental)
P2O5 x 0.44 = P (elemental)
Phosphorus (P) x 2.29 = P2O5
Potash (K2O) x 0.83 = Potassium (K)
Potassium (K) x 1.2 = Potash (K2O)

Metric Conversions

5 mL = 1 tsp
15 mL = 1 tbsp
28.5 mL = 1 fl. oz

Dry Weight Equivalents

Metric to Imperial

100 grams/hectare (g/ha) = 1 1/2ounces/acre (oz/ac)
200 grams/hectare (g/ha) = 3 ounces/acre (oz/ac)
300 grams/hectare (g/ha) = 41/4 ounces/acre (oz/ac)
500 grams/hectare (g/ha) = 7 ounces/acre (oz/ac)
700 grams/hectare (g/ha) = 10 ounces/acre (oz/ac)
1.10 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 1 pound/acre (lb/ac)
1.50 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 11/4 pounds/acre (lb/ac)
2.00 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 1 3/4pounds/acre (lb/ac)
2.50 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 21/4 pounds/acre (lb/ac)
3.25 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 3 pounds/acre (lb/ac)
4.00 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 3 1/2pounds/acre (lb/ac)
5.00 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 4 1/2pounds/acre (lb/ac)
6.00 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 51/4pounds/acre (lb/ac)
7.50 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 6 3/4pounds/acre (lb/ac)
9.00 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 8 pounds/acre (lb/ac)
11.00 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 10 pounds/acre (lb/ac)
13.00 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 111/2 pounds/acre (lb/ac)
15.00 kilograms/hectare (kg/ha) = 131/2pounds/acre (lb/ac)

Liquid Equivalents

Litres/Hectare to Approximate Gallons/Acre

50 litres/hectare equals approximately 5 gallons/acre
100 litres/hectare equals approximately 10gallons/acre
150 litres/hectare equals approximately 15 gallons/acre
200 litres/hectare equals approximately 20gallons/acre
250 litres/hectare equals approximately 25 gallons/acre
300 litres/hectare equals approximately 30 gallons/acre

Speed

miles per hour x 88 = feet per minute
miles per hour x 1.467 = feet per second
miles per minute x 88 = feet per second
miles per minute x 60 = miles per hour
feet per minute x 0.01667 = feet per second
feet per minute x 0.01136 = miles per hour
feet per second x 18.288 = metres per minute
feet per second x 0.3048 = metres per second
feet per second x 1.09728 = kilometres per hour
centimetres per second x 1.968504 = feet per minute
centimetres per second x 0.0328084 = feet per second
centimetres per second x 0.02236936 = miles per hour
kilometres per hour x 27.777778 = centimetres per second
kilometres per hour x 3280.8399 = feet per hour
kilometres per hour x 54.680665 = feet per minute
kilometres per hour x 0.6213712 = miles per hour
miles per hour x 1.6093439 = kilometres per hour

Abbreviations

% = per cent (by weight)
ai = active ingredient
AP = agricultural powder
cm = centimetre
cm2 = square centimetre
DG = dispersible granular
DP = dispersible powder
E = emulsifiable
e. g. = for example
EC = emulsifiable concentrate
F = flowable
g = gram
Gr = granules, granular
ha = hectare
kg = kilogram
km/h = kilometres per hour
kPa = kilopascal
L = litre
m = metre
m/sec = metres per second
m2 = square metre
mL = millilitre
mm = millimetre
SC = sprayable concentrate
SP = soluble powder
t = tonne
W = wettable (powder)
WDG = water dispersible ranular
WP = wettable powder
km/h = kilometres per hour

Conversion Tables - Metric to Imperial

Length

1 millimetre (mm) = 0.04 inch (in.)
1 centimetre (cm) = 0.40 inch (in.)
1 metre (m) = 39.40 inches (in.)
1 metre (m) = 3.28 feet (ft)
1 metre (m) = 1.09 yards (yd)
1 kilometre (km) = 0.62 mile (mi)

Area

1 square centimetre (cm2) = 0.16 square inch (in2)
1 square metre (m2) = 10.77 square feet (ft2)
1 square metre (m2) = 1.20 square yards (yd2)
1 square kilometre (km2) = 0.39 square mile (mi2)
1 hectare (ha) = 107,636 square feet (ft2)
1 hectare (ha) = 2.5 acres (ac)

Volume (dry)

1 cubic centimetre (cm2) = 0.061 cubic inch (in.3)
1 cubic metre (m3) = 1.31 cubic yards (yd3)
1 cubic metre (m3) = 35.31 cubic feet (ft3)
1,000 cubic metres (m3) = 0.81 acre-foot
1 hectolitre (hL) = 2.8 bushels (bu)

Volume (liquid)

1 millilitre (mL) = 0.035 fluid ounce (Imp)
1 litre (L) = 1.76 pints (Imp)
1 litre (L) = 0.88 quart (Imp)
1 litre (L) = 0.22 Imperial gallons (gal)
1 litre (L) = 0.26 U.S. gallon (U.S. gal)

Weight

1 gram (g) = 0.035 ounce (oz.)
1 kilogram (kg) = 2.21 pounds (lb)
1 tonne (t) = 1.10 short tons
1 tonne (t) = 2,205 pounds (lb)

Pressure

1 kilopascal (kPa) = 0.15 pounds/square inch (lb/in.2)

Speed

1 metre per second (m/sec) = 3.28 feet per second (ft/sec)
1 metre per second (m/sec) = 2.24 miles per hour (mph)
1 kilometre per hour (km/h) = 0.62 mile per hour (mph)

Temperature

°F = (°C x9/5 ) + 32

Conversion Tables - Imperial to Metric

Length

1 inch (in.) = 2.54 centimetres (cm)
1 foot (ft) = 0.30 metre (m)
1 yard (yd) = 0.91 metre (m)
1 mile (mi) = 1.61 kilometre (km)

Area

1 square foot (ft2) = 0.09 square metres (m2)
1 square yard (yd2) = 0.84 metre (m2)
1 acre (ac) = 0.40 hectare (ha)

Volume (dry)

1 cubic yard (yd3) = 0.76 cubic metre (m3)
1 bushel (bu) = 36.37 litres (L)

Volume (liquid)

1 fluid ounce (Imp.) = 28.41 millilitres (mL)
1 pint (Imp.) = 0.57 litre (L)
1 gallon (Imp.) = 4.55 litres (L)
1 gallon (U.S.) = 3.79 litres (L)

Weight

1 ounce (oz) = 28.35 grams (g)
1 pound (lb) = 453.6 grams (g)
1 ton = 0.91 tonne (t)

Pressure

1 pound per square inch (lb/in2) = 6.90 kilopascals (kPa)

Temperature

°C = (°F-32) x 5/9

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Updates on Appendix N: The Metric System

No updates available at this time.

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