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See measurement differently

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Every conversion carries its certainty. Approximate, disputed and reconstructed values are labelled as such and never presented as standards.

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Explore measurements

Every published record, grouped by what it measures.

Length 100 records

  • ångström
  • angula
  • South Asian aṅgula (24-aṅgula hasta reference)
  • arshin
  • astronomical unit
  • Athenian / Attic stadion
  • attoparsec
  • beard-second
  • Beard-second (10 nm convention)
  • Beard-second (5 nm convention)
  • bema (Greek step)
  • cable length
  • centimetre
  • chain
  • chi
  • Cicero
  • cubit (biblical)
  • Biblical ordinary cubit (reference reconstruction)
  • Ezekiel long cubit
  • cun
  • daktylos (Greek finger)
  • Delphic stadion
  • Didot point
  • digitus (Roman finger)
  • DTP pica
  • Earth radius
  • Egyptian common cubit
  • Egyptian common/small cubit (reference reconstruction)
  • Egyptian digit / finger
  • Egyptian foot (ṯb.t)
  • Egyptian palm
  • Egyptian royal cubit
  • Egyptian royal cubit (reference reconstruction)
  • ell
  • Flemish ell
  • Scottish ell
  • English ell
  • fathom
  • foot
  • Fournier point
  • furlong
  • gemstone dimensions
  • gradus (Roman step)
  • Greek pace
  • guz / gaz
  • Ha
  • hand
  • hasta
  • South Asian hasta (24-aṅgula textual reference)
  • inch
  • iteru / river-measure
  • ken
  • khet
  • kilometre
  • kivenheitto
  • kos
  • South Asian kos / krośa (observatory reference)
  • li (Chinese distance)
  • light-year
  • link
  • lunar distance
  • metre
  • mile
  • millimetre
  • Nahua matl / maitl
  • nautical league
  • nautical mile
  • orguia (Greek fathom)
  • palaiste (Greek palm)
  • palmus (Roman palm)
  • Paris foot (pied du roi)
  • parsec
  • passus (Roman pace)
  • pechys (Greek cubit)
  • pes (Roman foot)
  • plethron
  • poronkusema
  • PostScript / DTP point
  • pous (Greek foot)
  • pyramid inch
  • Q
  • remen
  • rod
  • Roman cubitus
  • Roman mile (mille passus)
  • Roman stadium
  • shaku
  • Sheppey
  • smoot
  • stadion (Olympia)
  • survey foot (U.S., historical)
  • TeX point
  • toise
  • Traditional American printer’s point
  • twip
  • verst
  • vitasti
  • yard
  • yojana
  • South Asian yojana (observatory reference)

Mass 53 records

  • ackie — Akan coastal trade
  • Akan mithqal-based standard
  • dalton / unified atomic mass unit
  • deben
  • Egyptian deben (New Kingdom standard)
  • Egyptian gold deben (Old/Middle Kingdom range)
  • Egyptian copper deben (Old/Middle Kingdom reference)
  • drachma (mass)
  • dram (avoirdupois)
  • gemstone point
  • geun — Korean commodity variants
  • grain
  • gram
  • Greek mina — concept
  • Greek talent
  • Attic talent
  • hundredweight (long)
  • hundredweight (short)
  • jin (catty)
  • kilogram
  • kite / qedet
  • long ton
  • maund
  • metric carat
  • mina (Mesopotamian)
  • Mesopotamian mina (later reference standard)
  • Early Dynastic Mesopotamian mina (range)
  • momme (pearl weight)
  • old carat / pre-metric carat
  • ounce (avoirdupois)
  • pearl grain
  • pennyweight
  • pood
  • pound (avoirdupois)
  • ratti
  • Roman libra
  • Roman talent
  • seer
  • British Indian standard seer (1939)
  • shekel (ancient mass)
  • Mesopotamian shekel (later reference standard)
  • short ton
  • Singapore kati
  • Singapore picul
  • Singapore tahil
  • stone
  • talent (Mesopotamian)
  • Mesopotamian talent (later reference standard)
  • tola
  • tonne
  • troy ounce
  • troy pound
  • uncia (Roman ounce)

Volume 41 records

  • acre-foot
  • amphora quadrantal
  • bath (biblical volume)
  • Biblical bath (common scholarly reconstruction)
  • bushel
  • butt
  • English wine butt / pipe (early 17th c. nominal)
  • congius
  • cubic foot
  • cubic inch
  • cubic metre
  • cubic yard
  • cup (US customary)
  • Egyptian hin
  • ephah
  • Biblical ephah (common scholarly reconstruction)
  • fluid ounce (Imperial)
  • fluid ounce (US)
  • gallon (Imperial)
  • gallon (US liquid)
  • hekat
  • Egyptian hekat (Old/Middle Kingdom reference)
  • hogshead
  • English wine hogshead (early 17th c. nominal)
  • koku
  • litre
  • medimnos (Attic)
  • metretes (Attic)
  • millilitre
  • modius Italicus
  • peck (U.S.)
  • pint (Imperial)
  • pint (US liquid)
  • quart (Imperial)
  • quart (US liquid)
  • ro
  • sextarius
  • tablespoon
  • teaspoon
  • U.S. dry pint
  • U.S. dry quart

Area 18 records

  • acre
  • barn
  • bigha
  • Rohtak government bigha (gazetteer reference)
  • dunam
  • Ottoman dunam (Palestine reference)
  • Metric dunam / modern dönüm
  • hectare
  • mu
  • pyeong
  • square chain
  • square foot
  • square inch
  • square kilometre
  • square metre
  • square mile
  • square yard
  • tsubo

Energy 14 records

  • British thermal unit
  • British thermal unit (thermochemical)
  • British thermal unit (International Table)
  • calorie
  • calorie (thermochemical)
  • calorie (International Table)
  • electronvolt
  • erg
  • joule
  • kilocalorie
  • kilocalorie (thermochemical)
  • kilocalorie (International Table)
  • kilowatt-hour
  • therm

Time 10 records

  • day
  • hour
  • jiffy (physics usage)
  • Light-centimetre jiffy
  • minute
  • Planck time
  • Scaramucci
  • second
  • shake
  • week

Pressure 7 records

  • bar
  • millimetre of mercury (conventional)
  • pascal
  • pound per square inch (psi)
  • standard atmosphere
  • station pressure
  • torr

Frequency 5 records

  • gigahertz
  • hertz
  • kilohertz
  • megahertz
  • revolution per minute (rpm)

Force 4 records

  • dyne
  • kilogram-force
  • newton
  • pound-force

Fuel efficiency 4 records

  • kilometre per litre
  • litre per 100 kilometres
  • mile per Imperial gallon
  • mile per US gallon

Angle 4 records

  • arcminute
  • arcsecond
  • degree (angle)
  • radian

Speed 4 records

  • kilometre per hour
  • knot
  • metre per second
  • mile per hour

Density 3 records

  • gram per cubic centimetre
  • kilogram per cubic metre
  • pound per cubic foot

Dimension one composition fraction 3 records

  • amount fraction
  • mass fraction
  • volume fraction

Linear density 3 records

  • decitex
  • denier
  • tex

Logarithmic ratio quantity 3 records

  • bel
  • decibel
  • neper

Power 3 records

  • horsepower
  • kilowatt
  • watt

Temperature 3 records

  • degree Celsius
  • degree Fahrenheit
  • kelvin

Absorbed dose 2 records

  • gray
  • rad

Acceleration 2 records

  • metre per second squared
  • standard gravity

Architectural measurement system 2 records

  • Cacaxtla reconstructed modules
  • Xochicalco dual measurement modules

Areal density 2 records

  • grams per square metre
  • ounce per square yard

Viscosity 2 records

  • centipoise
  • pascal-second

Electric charge 2 records

  • ampere-hour
  • coulomb

Electrical conductance 2 records

  • mho
  • siemens

Font relative length 2 records

  • em
  • ex

Formula based apparent temperature index 2 records

  • heat index
  • wind chill temperature

Illuminance 2 records

  • foot-candle
  • lux

Information 2 records

  • bit
  • byte

Kinematic viscosity 2 records

  • centistokes
  • stokes

Magnetic flux 2 records

  • maxwell
  • weber

Magnetic flux density 2 records

  • gauss
  • tesla

Mass fraction / fineness 2 records

  • karat (gold purity)
  • millésimal fineness

Quantity 2 records

  • potrzebie
  • Sagan

Radioactivity / activity of a radionuclide 2 records

  • becquerel
  • curie

Torque 2 records

  • newton-metre (torque)
  • pound-foot

Amount concentration 1 records

  • amount-of-substance concentration

Amount of substance 1 records

  • mole

Architectural spacing / count 1 records

  • kan — Korean architectural bay

Aviation pressure setting 1 records

  • altimeter setting

Catalytic activity 1 records

  • katal

Defined dimensionless scale 1 records

  • Practical Salinity (PSS-78)

Defined yarn length / system family 1 records

  • textile hank

Dimension one density ratio 1 records

  • relative density

Dimensionless ratio 1 records

  • relative humidity

Dose equivalent 1 records

  • rem

Electric current 1 records

  • ampere

Electric potential 1 records

  • volt

Electrical capacitance 1 records

  • farad

Electrical conductivity normalized to temperature 1 records

  • specific conductance at 25 °C

Electrical resistance 1 records

  • ohm

Equivalent dose / radiation protection dose quantities 1 records

  • sievert

Exposure to X or gamma radiation 1 records

  • röntgen

Font relative spacing length 1 records

  • en

Frequency ratio / interval 1 records

  • octave (frequency interval)

Frequency weighted sound level 1 records

  • A-weighted sound level

Geodetic reference point 1 records

  • geodetic bench mark

Geodetic reference surface 1 records

  • reference ellipsoid

Gravity based reference surface 1 records

  • geoid

Gravity related height / elevation 1 records

  • orthometric height

Height relative to ellipsoid 1 records

  • ellipsoidal height

Historical laboratory factor mass 1 records

  • U.S. assay ton

Indentation hardness scale 1 records

  • Vickers hardness

Inductance 1 records

  • henry

Length / advertising space depth 1 records

  • Agate line

Length / new accumulation 1 records

  • snowfall amount

Length / optical attenuation 1 records

  • meteorological optical range

Length / total ground cover depth 1 records

  • snow depth

Length used as areal depth 1 records

  • precipitation amount (water-equivalent depth)

Length with observational definition 1 records

  • prevailing visibility

Logarithmic chemical quantity 1 records

  • pH

Logarithmic earthquake magnitude 1 records

  • moment magnitude

Logarithmic particle size scale 1 records

  • phi grain-size scale

Loudness 1 records

  • sone

Loudness level 1 records

  • phon

Luminous flux 1 records

  • lumen

Luminous intensity 1 records

  • candela

Magnetic field strength 1 records

  • oersted

Mass concentration 1 records

  • mass concentration

Mass density 1 records

  • mass density

Mass fraction / composition 1 records

  • ore grade (mass fraction)

Mass fraction expression 1 records

  • troy ounce per short ton ore grade

Mass measurement system 1 records

  • Akan gold-weight system

Mass relationship 1 records

  • Akan ackie–tokoo hierarchy

Mass subunit 1 records

  • tokoo

Measurement concept 1 records

  • Andean tupu / topo

Method dependent indentation hardness scale 1 records

  • Rockwell C hardness

Molality 1 records

  • molality

Molar mass 1 records

  • molar mass

Occupational noise exposure 1 records

  • NIOSH noise dose

Ordinal effects/intensity scale 1 records

  • Modified Mercalli Intensity

Ordinal observational scale 1 records

  • Beaufort wind force

Ordinal scratch resistance scale 1 records

  • Mohs hardness

Particle size classification 1 records

  • Wentworth grain-size classes

Particle size measurement / instrument opening 1 records

  • sieve aperture

Plane angle / geodetic context 1 records

  • minute of latitude

Risk 1 records

  • micromort

Scaled dimension one fraction expression 1 records

  • parts per million

Separation between geoid and ellipsoid 1 records

  • geoid height

Solid angle 1 records

  • steradian

Solution scale / mass fraction equivalent 1 records

  • degrees Brix

Sound pressure level 1 records

  • sound pressure level

Specific volume 1 records

  • specific volume

Temperature / moisture indicator 1 records

  • dew point temperature

Thermodynamic activity 1 records

  • hydrogen-ion activity

Thread density convention 1 records

  • thread count

Vertical reference 1 records

  • chart datum

Water depth measurement result 1 records

  • sounding

Water equivalent column depth 1 records

  • precipitable water

Water equivalent depth 1 records

  • snow water equivalent

Measurement families and collections

The same collection, seen from other directions. Each of these groupings lives on the Explore page.

Civilisations and regions

  • International 92
  • UK / US 21
  • Mesopotamia / Levant 14
  • South Asia 11
  • Various 11
  • Ancient Egypt 10
  • Ancient Greek 10
  • Ancient Egyptian 9
  • China / East Asia 9
  • Ancient Roman 8
  • Europe 7
  • Ancient Greece / Rome 6
  • International / US legacy 5
  • Scientific legacy 5
  • US / UK 5
  • England / Britain 4
  • SI / chemistry 4
  • U.S. customary dry volume 4
  • United States 4
  • Korea 3
  • Russia / Eastern Europe 3
  • Singapore / historical Malaya 3
  • Troy weight 3
  • U.S./English customary; surveying 3
  • France / Europe 2
  • Geodesy 2
  • Gold Coast / Akan European trade 2
  • Nordic countries / Finland 2
  • Psychoacoustics 2
  • South Asian traditional 2
  • U.S. customary culinary / volume 2
  • Acoustics 1
  • Acoustics / music 1
  • Akan internal trade / trans Saharan influence 1
  • Ancient Athens / Attic standard 1
  • Ancient Greek — Attic dry measure 1
  • Ancient Greek — Attic liquid measure 1
  • Ancient Greek — Attic/Athens 1
  • Ancient Greek — Delphi 1
  • Ancient Roman dry measure 1
  • Ancient Roman dry/liquid measure 1
  • Ancient Roman liquid measure 1
  • Andes / Inka and later Andean communities 1
  • Astronomy / geodesy 1
  • Avoirdupois 1
  • Avoirdupois / troy / apothecaries shared unit 1
  • Bedding / woven textiles 1
  • British India 1
  • Cacaxtla, Tlaxcala, Mexico 1
  • Chemistry / environment / materials 1
  • Chemistry / materials / hydrometry 1
  • Customary; equine measurement 1
  • Gemological reporting 1
  • Gemstone / diamond trade 1
  • Geodesy / GNSS 1
  • Geodesy / gravity 1
  • Geodesy / leveling 1
  • Geodesy / surveying 1
  • Geodesy/navigation 1
  • Ghana / Côte d’Ivoire, Akan 1
  • Gold Coast trade 1
  • Historical gemstone trade 1
  • Historical maritime family 1
  • Hydrography/geodesy 1
  • Hydrography/navigation 1
  • Imperial / avoirdupois 1
  • Imperial / British customary 1
  • International / acoustics / signals 1
  • International / Europe 1
  • International gemstone trade 1
  • International legacy/specialist 1
  • International textile 1
  • International textile / SI compatible 1
  • International with multiple conventions 1
  • Japanese / international pearl trade 1
  • Jewelry / precious metals 1
  • Maritime historical family 1
  • Medical/scientific/technical 1
  • Metric / accepted with SI 1
  • Nahua / Central Mexico 1
  • Natural pearl trade 1
  • Occupational hygiene 1
  • Occupational/environmental acoustics 1
  • Precious metals / assay 1
  • Rohtak, India 1
  • Scientific / spectroscopy 1
  • Scientific/technical 1
  • SI 1
  • SI / chemistry / gas/liquid mixtures 1
  • SI / chemistry / materials 1
  • SI / chemistry / water quality 1
  • SI / physical chemistry / materials 1
  • SI / textile / paper 1
  • SI / thermodynamics / materials 1
  • SI compatible / electrotechnology / acoustics 1
  • South Asian 1
  • South Asian / Mughal 1
  • Spinning / yarn trade 1
  • Survey / land measure 1
  • Textile / hosiery / fibers 1
  • U.S. customary 1
  • U.S. customary / avoirdupois 1
  • U.S. surveying legacy 1
  • U.S./English customary 1
  • U.S./English customary; maritime 1
  • U.S./Imperial textile trade 1
  • United Kingdom / Commonwealth 1
  • US / Europe 1
  • US / international technical use 1
  • US and international engineering 1
  • Xochicalco, Central Mexico 1

Historical eras

  • Modern 113
  • Modern / historical 29
  • Antiquity 25
  • Historical–modern 16
  • Modern/historical 16
  • Modern standardized 13
  • Classical/Hellenistic 10
  • Historical 9
  • Historical modern 9
  • Mixed 9
  • Medieval–modern 7
  • Republic/Empire 7
  • Ancient 6
  • Current specialist + historical 5
  • Current 3
  • Current specialist 3
  • Historical 3
  • Medieval / Early modern 3
  • Modern legacy + historical 3
  • Modern specialist + historical 3
  • Old Kingdom onward 3
  • Customary weight retained in statute 2
  • Epiclassic 2
  • Historical reference 2
  • Historical textual reference 2
  • Historical modern specialized 2
  • Modern scientific 2
  • 1939 standard 1
  • Ancient to modern jewelry traditions 1
  • Ancient/medieval textual traditions 1
  • Archaic–Hellenistic 1
  • Archaic–Hellenistic and later 1
  • C. 1400–1900 documented museum context 1
  • Classical–Hellenistic 1
  • Classical/Hellenistic; later rebuilt track 1
  • Current specialist / commercial 1
  • Current specialist / customary 1
  • Customary/trade weight; metrication history 1
  • Historical regional 1
  • Historical modern standardized convention 1
  • Historical; British India; modern regional survivals 1
  • Historical/legacy 1
  • Historical/specialist 1
  • Late 15th–19th c. trade context 1
  • Legacy; culturally persistent 1
  • Middle Kingdom mathematical texts onward 1
  • Middle Kingdom onward 1
  • Middle Kingdom/New Kingdom and later 1
  • Modern + historical 1
  • Modern consumer/trade 1
  • Modern scientific reference 1
  • Modern scientific usage 1
  • Modern trade 1
  • Modern widespread 1
  • Mughal and later regional usage 1
  • New Kingdom and later 1
  • New Kingdom cubit rod attestations 1
  • Old Kingdom attestation 1
  • Pre 20th century; locality dependent 1
  • Pre Hispanic tradition documented in colonial era Nahuatl sources 1
  • Pre Hispanic–modern contexts 1
  • Republic/Empire and later 1
  • Retired 2022; historical/legacy data 1
  • Roman Italy / Empire 1
  • Roman Republic/Empire 1
  • Roman era 1
  • Traditional architecture; still descriptive 1
  • Traditional/customary; non legal 1

How a unit came to be

  • Unit 44
  • Historical 35
  • SI / metric 33
  • Unit · Modern 26
  • US customary / Imperial 25
  • Historical / regional 24
  • Unit · Modern/historical 16
  • Unit · Modern standardized 13
  • Scientific / engineering 11
  • Unit · Classical/Hellenistic 10
  • Standard / historical / informal 9
  • Unit · Historical modern 9
  • Ancient / historical 7
  • Humorous / informal 7
  • Unit · Republic/Empire 7
  • SI 6
  • Unit · Current specialist + historical 5
  • Scientific 4
  • CGS / scientific 3
  • Historical / regional 3
  • Metric 3
  • Unit · Current 3
  • Unit · Current specialist 3
  • Unit · historical 3
  • Unit · Modern legacy + historical 3
  • Unit · Modern specialist + historical 3
  • Unit · Old Kingdom onward 3
  • Conventional / astronomical 2
  • Fictional / pseudoscientific 2
  • Historical / specialized 2
  • Industry / specialized 2
  • Scientific / computing 2
  • Standard / scientific / humorous 2
  • Unit · Customary weight retained in statute 2
  • Unit · Epiclassic 2
  • Unit · Historical modern specialized 2
  • Unit · Modern scientific 2
  • US customary 2
  • US customary / engineering 2
  • Imperial 1
  • Industry / metric 1
  • Metric non SI / conventional 1
  • Nautical / standardized 1
  • Scientific / historical 1
  • Scientific / non SI 1
  • Scientific / standardized 1
  • Scientific / technical 1
  • SI / engineering 1
  • Specialized / risk 1
  • Unit · Ancient to modern jewelry traditions 1
  • Unit · Ancient/medieval textual traditions 1
  • Unit · Antiquity 1
  • Unit · Archaic–Hellenistic 1
  • Unit · Archaic–Hellenistic and later 1
  • Unit · c. 1400–1900 documented museum context 1
  • Unit · Classical/Hellenistic; later rebuilt track 1
  • Unit · Current specialist / commercial 1
  • Unit · Current specialist / customary 1
  • Unit · Customary/trade weight; metrication history 1
  • Unit · Historical 1
  • Unit · Historical modern standardized convention 1
  • Unit · Historical; British India; modern regional survivals 1
  • Unit · Historical/legacy 1
  • Unit · Historical/specialist 1
  • Unit · late 15th–19th c. trade context 1
  • Unit · Legacy; culturally persistent 1
  • Unit · Middle Kingdom mathematical texts onward 1
  • Unit · Middle Kingdom onward 1
  • Unit · Middle Kingdom/New Kingdom and later 1
  • Unit · Modern + historical 1
  • Unit · Modern consumer/trade 1
  • Unit · Modern scientific reference 1
  • Unit · Modern scientific usage 1
  • Unit · Modern trade 1
  • Unit · Modern widespread 1
  • Unit · Mughal and later regional usage 1
  • Unit · New Kingdom and later 1
  • Unit · New Kingdom cubit rod attestations 1
  • Unit · Old Kingdom attestation 1
  • Unit · Pre 20th century; locality dependent 1
  • Unit · pre Hispanic tradition documented in colonial era Nahuatl sources 1
  • Unit · pre Hispanic–modern contexts 1
  • Unit · Republic/Empire and later 1
  • Unit · Retired 2022; historical/legacy data 1
  • Unit · Roman Italy / Empire 1
  • Unit · Roman Republic/Empire 1
  • Unit · Roman era 1
  • Unit · Traditional architecture; still descriptive 1
  • Unit · Traditional/customary; non legal 1

How sure we are

  • Exact by definition 216
  • Approximate or reconstructed 70
  • One name, several definitions 49
  • Described, never numbered 34
  • Informal but documented 11
  • Recorded as a range 9
  • Scholars disagree 2
  • Claims we reject 1

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