Customary Measurement

Introduction

In this lesson, we will learn about the Customary Measurement System which is the measurement system in the United States. This is a very important topic because we will discuss the different measurements in the customary measurements system. So let's get going!

Customary Measurement

There are different types of measurements:

• Length
• Capacity
• Weight

We will begin with The Customary Measures of Length!

Customary Measures of Length

The above chart shows the Customary Units of Length. These are the basic measures you need to know in order to calculate different measures.

For example, let's say the distance between your house and your friend's house is 3 miles. You want to know the distance in yards.

In order to find the distance in yards, you need to find how many yards are in one mile. According to our chart, 1 mile equals 1,760 yards. So all we have to do is multiply 1,760 by 3 miles to get 5,280 yards.

The distance between your house and your friend's house, in yards, is 5,280 yards!

Customary Measures of Capacity

The above is the chart for the Customary Units of Capacity. Capacity is a word that is used for liquid measurements.

Let's say that your bathtub holds 10 gallons of water. You want to find how many pints of water it holds. 

First you need to find how many pints are in 1 gallon. We know that 1 gallon equals 4 quarts and 1 quart equals 2 pints. If 1 quart equals 2 pints then 4 quarts should equal 4 x 2 which is 8 pints. Now we know that 4 quarts equals 8 pints. 4 quarts is the same thing as 1 gallon so 1 gallon equals 8 pints! Now, all we have to do is multiply 10 gallons by 8 pints to find out how many pints of water your bathtub holds. 10 x 8 equals 80.

Your bathtub holds 80 pints of water. That's a lot of water!

Customary Measures of Weight

The above chart shows us the Customary Units of Weight. Weight can only be measured in 3 measures: ounces (oz), pounds (lbs), or tons (T).

Let's say that a baby weighs 20 pounds (lbs). You want to find out how many ounces (oz), the baby weighs. 

The first step is to find out how ounces are in one pound. We know from the chart that 1 pound has 16 ounces. So all we have to do now is multiply 20 lbs x 16 oz to get 320 ounces (oz).

That means the baby weighs 320 ounces (oz)!

Sheet 1 What is Customary Measurements