One of the problems with old style units is multiple names for the same thing. Length can be inches, feet, yards, chains etc with all the conversion factors.
SI did away with all that. There is only one unit for anything. Length is metres. If you have a unit of length, then you automatically have a unit of area (length squared) and a unit of volume (length cubed). So the SI unit of area is the square metre. The SI unit of volume is a cubic metre. Property in Europe is sold in square metres, the size of European countries is measured in square kilometres. Both are perfectly correct SI units. However, despite the popular belief that Europe has got it right and America has got it wrong, there are still historical anomalies in Europe. The SI unit of area is the square metre, but farms are described in hectares (1 hectare = 100 metres * 100 metres = 10,000 square metres). The SI unit of volume is the cubic metre but people still talk about litres. Neither the hectare, nor the litre are SI units. If you buy a fridge or freezer in Europe, it will have the size marked in litres. 1000 litres = 1 cubic metre -- Terry Simpson Human Factors Consultant [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.connected-systems.com Phone: +44 7850 511794 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of john mercer Sent: 05 September 2003 00:19 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:26843] Questions Hello could someone please tell me what the proper S I unit is to measure land area?� What is the way to measure volume of apliances such as deep freezers and fridges?� Is it cubic�meters or liters? Thanks.�
