So many measures!
Which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of gold? You probably
said, “Ha, you can’t fool me! A pound is a pound. They both weigh the
same!”
Sorry, you’re wrong. A pound of feathers weighs more than a pound of
gold!
Of course, it’s a trick question. You see, in the English system of
measurement, gold and feathers are weighed by different kinds of
pounds. Most things are weighed by what is called avoirdupois (av uhr
duh [poyz)]{.smallcaps} weight. Avoirdupois comes from French words that
mean “goods of weight.” And there are sixteen ounces in an avoirdupois
pound.
Gold, and a few other things, however, are weighed by what is called
troy weight. This system of weights gets its name from the
French town of Troyes. And in the troy system there are only twelve
ounces in a pound. The sixteen-ounce pound, of course, is heavier than
the twelve-ounce one. So a pound of feathers is heavier than a pound of
gold.
Here’s another trick question for you: Which weighs more, an ounce of
gold or an ounce of feathers?
If you said “feathers” this time, then you’re wrong! Why? Because an
avoirdupois ounce is equal to the weight of 437.5 grains of wheat. But a
troy ounce is equal to the weight of 480 grains. So an ounce of gold is
heavier than an ounce of feathers.
There are so many weights and measures used around the world that it’s
impossible for us to remember them all. For example, in the United
States, land area is measured in square links, square poles, square
chains, and acres. Usually, area is given in acres. The word acre
means “pasture land.” At one time, an acre was as much land as a yoke,
or pair, of oxen could plow in one morning.
Have you ever bought a catty of tea? You could buy one in parts of
Asia. A catty weighs about 1\| pounds (0.6 kilogram). In some places you
might still be able to buy a firkin of butter. It would last quite a
long time, because a firkin is about 56 pounds (25 kilograms).
There are hundreds of special weights and measures. If you keep your
eyes open, you may see such units as bolts, butts, carats, cords, ells,
fathoms, knots, skeins, and others.
Why are there so many different weights and measures? Why isn’t there
one system we can all use? Well, there is. It’s called the metric
system. You’ll read about it next.
