1.9.1 Why is it advisable to use the metric system in s.c.n?
  
   Because you'll get flamed if you don't, that's why. :-> The obscure
   Anglo-Saxon units of measurement are a pet peeve of certain s.c.n
   regulars, known as net.metric-cops, who are very much committed to the
   cause of converting Yanks to the SI units. But it's really just a
   question of common courtesy. This is Nordic territory; we might be
   speaking English most of the time, but there's a limit to the extent
   we're willing to accommodate the American netters. :-) And seriously,
   many Nordics simply won't have an idea of what you're talking about if
   you use feet, yards, fahrenheits, inches, gallons, pounds or miles. If
   you don't know how to convert these to the metric system, it's about
   time to wake up to the 20th century and learn. Here are the tables:
   


                               Linear measure
                               --------------


 Primitive system                              Metric system
 ****************                              *************


 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters (cm)                1 cm = 0.3937 inch
 1 foot = 30.48 centimeters                    1 m  = 39.37 inches, or
 1 yard = 0.9144 meter (m)                            3.2808 feet, or
 1 mile = 1.6093 kilometers (km)                      1.0936 yards.

                                               1 km = 3280.8 feet, or
                                                      1093.6 yards, or
                                                      0.62137 miles.

                               Liquid measure
                               --------------

 1 U.S fluid ounce = 29.573 milliliters (ml)   1 ml =  0.033814 fl.oz.
 1 U.S quart = 9.4635 deciliters (dl), or      1 dl =  3.3814 fl.oz.
               0.94635 liters (l)              1 l  = 33.814 fl oz., or
 1 U.S gallon = 3.7854 liters                          1.0567 quarts, or
 1 U.S pint = 0.4732 liters                            0.26417 gallons
 1 U.S pint = 0.4732 liters                    1 l  =  2.1134 U.S pints

                                   Area
                                   ----

 1 sq foot = 0.0929 sq meters (m²)             1 m²  = 10.764 sq feet

 1 sq yard = 0.83613 sq meters (m²)            1 m²  = 1.1960 sq yards
 1 acre    = 0.4046 hectare (ha)               1 ha  = 2.471 acres
 1 sq mile = 2.5900 sq kilometers (km²)        1 km² = 0.38610 sq miles

                                   Mass
                                   ----

 1 ounce = 28.350 grams (g)                    1 g  = 0.03527 ounces
 1 pound = 0.45359 kilograms (kg)              1 kg = 2.2046 pounds
 1 short ton =  0.90718 metric ton     1 metric ton = 0.98421 long tons, or
 1 long ton =   1.0160  metric tons                   1.1023 short tons, or
                                                      1,000 kg

                                 Temperature
                                 -----------

   The Celsius ("centigrade") scale, named after the Swedish astronomer
   Anders Celsius (1701-44), is based on the freezing and boiling points
   of water -- 0°C and 100°C, respectively. The Fahrenheit scale, on the
   other hand, is based on what Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit (1686-1736)
   considered to be the temperature of the human body (100°F; in reality
   it should be around 98.6°F) and the lowest temperature he could
   achieve (0°F) by mixing salt, water and ice. Converting between the
   two can be done by the following formulas:

   °C = (°F-32)/1.8
   °F = 32+(1.8*°C)

Or, for practical purposes, a bit simplified formulas can be used:

   To get Fahrenheit out of Celsius: double the Celsius, subtract 10%,
   and add thirty-two.

   To get Celsius out of Fahrenheit: subtract thirty-two, add 10%, and
   divide by two.

   Or if this is still too complicated, you could learn by heart parts of
   the following tables:


   Fahrenheit --> Celsius       Celsius --> Fahrenheit

                       -40°F = -40°C
                        /        \
              _________/          \_________
              |                            |
              v                            v

         -10°F = -23°C                  -10°C =  14°F
          0°F  = -18°C                   0°C  =  32°F
         10°F  = -12°C                  10°C  =  50°F
         20°F  =  -7°C                  20°C  =  68°F
         30°F  =  -1°C                  30°C  =  86°F
         40°F  =   4°C                  40°C  = 104°F
         50°F  =  10°C                  50°C  = 122°F
         60°F  =  16°C                  60°C  = 140°F
         70°F  =  21°C                  70°C  = 158°F
         80°F  =  27°C                  80°C  = 176°F
         90°F  =  32°C                  90°C  = 194°F
         100°F =  38°C                  100°C = 212°F


In the scales, 1 degree C corresponds to 1.8 degrees F,
               1 degree F corresponds to 0.56 degrees C.

   You'd better learn all this now, because later on there might be a
   quiz. :->
   
  1.9.2 How long is a Nordic mile?
  
   John Mortison writes:
   
     I am reading a copy of my greataunt's memoirs of growing up in
     Sweden before she emigrated to the US in 1890. In it she several
     times makes reference to Swedish miles and comments that they were
     longer than English miles.
     
   Leif B. Kristensen answers:
   
     John,
     this unit of distance is still in use, both in Sweden and in
     Norway, and in the other Nordic countries too, I think. A Nordic
     mil equals 10 kilometers, or approx. 6 1/4 English mile. It's the
     normal unit in which we reckon distance between towns and cities
     here.
     
   Hans Engmark fills in:
> Denmark is not quiet as big, so though we also belong to
> the Nordic countries, a mile is here only 7 km. :-)

Mesaurement in Denmark 1683-1998 and Norway 1683-1814 ????

Danish mile = 7.538 m
Danish metermile = myriameter= 10.000 m
Danish geograficmile = 7420 m
Danish nauticmile= 1842 m
Danish inch 26,17 mm
Danish feet 0,31385 m

   
   
  1.9.3 A warning about decimal commas and delimiters
  
   Although most writers in s.c.n. ought to know the English usage of
   decimal points and commas in big figures, you must be observant. The
   usage in Scandinavia, in Germany and in France is the opposite, and
   mistakes are common.
   
   Recently it has become usual to mark thousands and millions by a
   single and a double apostrophe, like this: 1'200 for one thousand two
   hundreds, or 5"600'000 for five millions six hundred thousands.
   Sometimes you can also see an abbreviated form, 1'2 or 5"6, and you
   have to be prepared that the foot and inch signs might have other
   usages.
   
   Finally, it's hopefully unnecessary to stress the difference between
   the American billion (a French, German or Scandinavian milliard) and
   the European billion (which is a million millions).
   
   
   
  1.9.4 All XXXs are YYY, ain't that so?
  
   Probably not. Never trust the net for drawing conclusions about groups
   of people, especially whole nations. You'll always get it wrong. I
   wouldn't want to preach, but some people need to be reminded. We're
   not statistically representative of the population layers of our
   countries, and most of us don't even attempt to represent anyone but
   our own, eccentric selves. A few colourful kooks with no life outside
   the net always outshine the silent, lurking masses. Don't fall into
   thinking "Gosh, those XXXs sure are a mighty weird/fanatic/stupid
   bunch of people." Treat us as individuals, and you'll have a better
   chance of being treated as an individual yourself.
   
   All this being said: welcome to soc.culture.nordic! We hope you enjoy
   the group!
   

[ the sections above are available at the www-page
  http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/scn/faq19.html ]


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   © Copyright 1994-98 by Antti Lahelma and Johan Olofsson.
   You are free to quote this page as long as you mention the URL for the
   original archive (as: <http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/index.html>),
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--
  e-mail: jmo@lysator.liu.se
  s-mail: Majeldsvägen 8a, 587 31  LINKÖPING, Sweden
  www:    http://www.lysator.liu.se/~jmo/