The Mathematics of the Metric System and Currency Conversion

375 degrees F equals how many degrees C?

 

What do Liberia, Myanmar (formerly Burma) and the USA have in common? They are the only countries in the world that do NOT use the metric system. Let's face it - I don't think in metric units. Everything here is in meters, milliliters, kilometers per hour, degrees Celsius, etc. Therefore, I have to convert to units that make sense to me on a daily basis. It's the same with the currency. I have to convert to US dollars before I can understand the value of different items. After a while, it gets easier, though I still don't like that our GPS is set to kilometers rather than miles. 800 meters sneaks up on you pretty fast when you're in the far right lane, in four lanes of traffic, and need to exit left, particularly since Singaporean drivers tend to speed up when one wishes to change lanes!  Here are a few examples:

 



330 ml?

25 meters?

  

 

 

1. The maximum speed limit on the highways in Singapore is 90 km/hr.  The conversion factor is: 1 km/hr = 0.621 mi/hr.  Thus, 90 km/hr = 55.89 mi/hr.  Speed is not encouraged here.
2. A can of Coke (or Tiger) is 330 milliliters.  The conversion factor is: 1 ml = 0.0338 oz.  Thus, 330 ml = 11.154 oz.  Not quite the 12 oz. cans we get back home.
3. Keeping with volume, 1 liter = 1.056 quarts.  In other words, we get a little more than a quart when we buy a liter of milk.
4. If we ("we" means Pattie) need to bake something at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, we first need to convert to Celsius.  The formula is: C = (F-32) x 5/9.  Thus, 375 degrees F = 190.56 degrees C.
5. On the other hand, if the temperature outside is 30 degrees C, in order for that to have meaning, for me, I must convert it to degrees F.  The formula is: F = 9/5 C + 32.  Thus, 30 degrees C = 86 degrees F.  We reach that temperature pretty much every day of the year.
6. The US dollar is slightly more valuable than the Singapore dollar.  S$1 = US$0.80.  In other words, it will cost you 80 US cents to purchase one Singapore dollar (excluding fees).  This conversion is easy. S$10 = US$8.
7. Gas prices here are charged by the liter (or litre as it's spelled here).  The average price per liter today is S$2.13. This is a tougher conversion, as we purchase gas by the gallon back home.  So, S$2.13/liter x 1liter/1.056 qts x 4 qts/1 gal x US$0.80/S$1 = US$6.45/gal!  

 

Yes, I am a geek!