Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/The Metric or French System

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THE METRIC or FRENCH SYSTEM.

MEASURES OF LENGTH.
The MÈTRE, the unit of length, is the ten-millionth part of a line drawn from the Pole to the Equator.
1 Mètre = as above.
1 Décamètre = 10 mètres.
1 Hectomètre = 100 "
1 Kilomètre = 1000 "
1 Myriamètre = 10,000 "
 
1 Decimètre = 110th of a mètre.
1 Centimètre = 1100th "
1 Millimètre = 11000th "
 
The Greek prefixes (deca, hecto, kilo, myria) denote multiplication.

The Latin prefixes (deci, centi, milli) denote division.

SQUARE MEASURE.
The ARE, the unit of surface measure, is a square the side of which is ten mètres long.
1 Are = 100 Square mètres.
1 Decare = 10 ares.
1 Hectare = 100   "
1 Déciare = 110th of an are.
1 Centiare = 1100th of an are,
or, mètre carré (square mètre).
MEASURES OF WEIGHT.
The GRAMME, the unit of weight, is the weight of a cubic centimètre of distilled water at 4° Centigrade.
1 Gramme = as above.
1 Décagramme = 10 gram.
1 Hectogramme = 100 "
1 Kilogramme, or kilo = 1000 "
1 Myriagramme = 10,000 "
 
1 Décigramme = 110th of a gram.
1 Centigramme = 1100th "
1 Milligramme = 11000th "
½ kilogramme is called a livre.
MEASURES OF CAPACITY, DRY AND LIQUID.
The LITRE, the unit of the measures of capacity, dry and liquid, is the volume of a cubic decimètre.
1 Litre = as above.
1 Décalitre = 10 litres.
1 Hectolitre = 100 "
1 Décilitre = 110th of a litre.
1 Centilitre = 1100th "
1 Millilitre = 11000th "
MONEY.
1 Franc = 100 centimes.
A franc = 5 grammes
(4.5 silver, and .5 alloy).
1 Décime = 10 centimes.
1 Sou = 5 "
FRENCH LINEAL MEASURES, &c. = BRITISH.
French British.
LINEAL.
Millimètre     0.0394 inch.
Centimètre     0.3937   "or less than half an inch.
Décimètre     3.937   inchesnearly 4 inches.
Mètre   39.3708   "about 3 feet 3 inches.
Hectomètre     0.0621 mile"116th of a mile.
Kilomètre     0.6214   "8 kilomètres = 5 miles.

SQUARE.
Centiare     1.196 square yardor 1+15th square yard.
Are     3.954 poles40½ ares = 1 acre.
Hectare     2.471 acresnearly 2½ acres.
BRITISH LINEAL MEASURES, &c. = FRENCH.
British. French.
LINEAL.
Inch   25.399 millimètres.
Foot   30.479 centimètres.
Yard     0.914 mètre.
Chain [22 yards]   20.116 mètres.
Furlong [10 chains] 201.164     "
Mile     1.609 kilomètre.5 miles = 8 kilomètres, nearly.
 
SQUARE.
Square Foot     9.29 square décimètres.
Acre     0.405 hectareor about 40 ares.
Square mile     2.599 square kilomètres.100 square miles = 260 sq. kilomètres.
—————
FRENCH WEIGHTS = BRITISH.
French British.
Décigramme     1.543 grainor about 1½ grains.
Gramme   15.432 grains.28⅓ grammes = 1 ounce avoirdupois.
Décagramme     0.353 ounce avoirdupoisabout ⅓ of an ounce avoirdupois.
Hectogramme     3.527 ouncesnearly ¼ pound.
Kilogramme or kilo     2.2046 pounds.In trade, a kilo is reckoned at 10 per cent.
more than 2 pounds.
BRITISH WEIGHTS = FRENCH.
British. French.
Grain         .0648 gramme.
Ounce (avoirdupois)     28⅓ grammes.
Pound "   454 "
Pound (troy)   373 grammes.
Cwt (avoirdupois)     50.8 kilos.
Ton 1015 "
—————
FRENCH LIQUID AND CORN MEASURES = BRITISH.
French British.
Litre     1.76 pint (imperial)or about 1¾ pints.
Hectolitre   22.01 gallons"22 gallons.
BRITISH LIQUID AND CORN MEASURES = FRENCH.
British. French.
Pint     0.568 litreor more than ½ litre.
Quart     1.136  "about 1⅛ litres.
Gallon     4.543 litres"4½ litres11 gallons.
Peck     9.087   ""9 litres.= 50 litres.
Bushel [8 gallons]   36.348   ""36⅓ litres.
Quarter [8 bushels]     2.908 hectolitres"3 hectolitres.




MONEY.

1 £. 25 francs 22 centimes, or about 25 francs.
1 s.   1 franc 26 centimes, "1¼ franc.
1 d. 10 centimes.
½ d.   5 centimes, or a 'sou.'
A franc is about 9½ d. 100 francs = £4, nearly.
A milliard of francs (1,000,000,000) = £40,000,000, nearly.