Americans have long used diverse weights and measures, reflecting their diverse origins. From colonial times, converting from one unit to another was part of courses in commercial arithmetic. The ...

All countries use the metric system to varying degrees. Most of the world has adopted the metric system as their official system of measurement with one major exception: the United States.

Units from the metric system can be used to describe the mass, volume or length of an object. Mass is measured in grams (g) and kilograms (kg). Volume is measured in millilitres (ml) and litres (l).

NARRATOR: The metric system is a way of measuring things. So with length, the metric measurements are millimetres, centimetres, metres and kilometres. A stamp, would be measured in millimetres.

After the revolution of 1789, French citizens sought uniform weights and measures throughout the nation. The National Assembly and subsequent national governments commissioned the Paris Academy of ...