Always love the conversions we have to suffer through.
Liter, Litre, Litra, all are used interchangeably by many people
who really don't care to be precise about things. We can start with the
Ancient Greek to the Medieval Latin (litra) to the French (litre) to the
English (liter) and the American adoption of the English usage, the
liter. (English meaning the British) . The litre is the basic unit of capacity
in the metric system originated by the French. The English did not use
the metric system until much later, same with the Americans.
The Continent used the French System and the English and
their colonies used a common English system. Back in those days the metric
system was never called the metric system, it was always referred to as
the "French System". The word metric had not been originated yet. Anyone
using the metric system today should say "litre", anyone using the English
system should say "liter". Its really simple.
Gallons, quarts, pints, etc. are units of weight, not volume or
capacity.
By the Act of Parliament in 1824 the standard measure for all
sorts of liquids, corn, and other dry goods was declared to be the "Imperial
Gallon". The Imperial Gallon contained ten pounds avoirdupois of distilled
water, weighed in air at the temperature of 62 degrees Fahrenheit, the
barometer being at 30 inches of mercury. The pound avoirdupois contains
7,000 troy grains, and it is declared that a cubic inch of distilled water
weighs 252.458 grains. Hence the Imperial Gallon contains 277.274 cubic
inches. This is subdivided into pints and quarts and also multiples of
the gallon as pecks, bushels, and quarters. (all units of weight).
Prior to 1824 the gallon was called the Queen Anne Gallon, its
weight was 8 pounds of distilled water. The Queen Anne Gallon was in use
by the American colonies and continued in use as the American gallon after
separation from Britain. As a rule of thumb we say the Imperial Gallon
is 20% larger than the American gallon.
Since the Imperial Gallon was 277.274 cubic inches and the Queen
Anne gallon was 231 cubic inches, we find that the Imperial pint weighed
1.25 pounds and the Queen Anne pint weighed one (1) pound. Hence the old
saying of "a pints a pound" being in use prior to 1824 with the Queen Anne
gallon and continuing with the American gallon.
The litre is 0.22 of the Imperial Gallon, or we may say, in
metric units, that it is one kilogram of distilled water at 4 degrees C.
at 760 millimeters of mercury.
While the French System was in use on the continent, the English
(and the colonies) were using the Avoirdupois, Troy, and Apothecaries Systems
of measure.
Avoirdupois is from the French avoir-de-pois, meaning "goods
of weight". (common goods).
Troy was used for the weight of precious metals and stones. (Jewelers).
Apothecaries was used for the weights of drugs and herbs. (medical).
We usually use fluid oz when speaking of CS, American fluid oz's.
Under avoirdupois a pound is 16 ounces or 7,000 grains.
Under Troy a pound is 12 ounces or 5,760 grains.
Under apothecaries the pound is 12 ounces or 5,760 grains.
Under US liquid measure (Queen Anne) we would use the "gill"
which is 4 fluid ounces (7.218 cubic inches), or 118.291 milliliter.
Under British Imperial liquid and dry measure the gill is 5 fluid
ounces, 8.669 cubic inches, or 142.066 cubic centimeters.
The American fluid ounce is 1.804 cubic inches.
The British fluid ounce is 1.339 cubic inches.
Enough of this, it could go on and on. Have a nice week.
:-)
Bless you, Bob Lee
Reid Harvey wrote:
Ivan,--
I've been accused of being tongue in cheeky in the past, but my
impression is that the spelling 'litre' is the way the rest of the world
spells it. I wonder if folks in the U.S. spell it the wrong way (i.e.
'liter') because they don't recognize it to begin with. Also, when and
if the U.S. ever does decide to recognize the liter as the standard,
they would not be 'joining the rest of the world.' I would like you to
know that pints, quarts, inches, feet, the whole nine yards, are also
the standard units of Liberia and Myanmar.
Reid
P.S. Oh come on Ivan, you wouldn't make us yanks say 'whole nine
meters?'
P.P.S. By the way, Black <dbl...@cfl.rr.com>, I believe the litre is
actually a unit of volume, that is one cubic decimeter, i.e. 10 cms.
cubed. My impression is that by contrast the quart is a unit of weight,
originating from the pint, so the old saw, 'a pint's a pound the world
round.' But alas controversy surrounds this axiom as well. It seems the
ditty is only true if one is a traveling American. The one-time British
pint is not the same as the present-day American pint. R.
P.P.P.S. Mike: I suppose every one of use has to choose our wars. Sorry."I Anderson" <i...@win.co.nz> said:
A litre (notice the spelling?) is what one day the US will recognise as
the
standard unit of liquid measurement, and hence join the rest of the
world
;-)Ivan.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Black [mailto:dbl...@cfl.rr.com]
> Sent: Friday, 2 November 2001 1:14 p.m.
> To: silver-list@eskimo.com
> Subject: Re: CS>Hello List/ Pipette-/ & (drinking amounts)
>
> What is a liter?
>
oozing on the muggy shore of the gulf coast
l...@fbtc.net
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