Weights and Measures Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mass

The kp (kilopond) measures force and the m/s^2 (meter per second squared) measures acceleration. Therefore, you have force*acceleration^(-1), which is, of course, mass.

Answer: 10^(-9)

10^(-12) is pico, 10^9 is giga and 10^(-15) is femto.

Answer: DC=5/9*(DF-32)

In DC=9/5*DF+32, DC must take the place of DF and vice versa for the equation to be correct. The Kelvin scale starts at -273,15 Celsius degrees (the absolute zero) and its connection to the Celsius scale is DK=DC+273,15. The Rankine scale also starts at the absolute zero. Its connection to the Fahrenheit scale is DR=DF+459.67 and its connection to the Kelvin scale is DR=9/5*DK.

Answer: 0.393

An inch is 2.54 cm, therefore a centimeter is 0.393 in.

Answer: Astronomical distance unit

A parsec is equal to 3.084*10^16 m, even bigger than the light year.

Answer: Angström

An Angström is used to measure dimensions of particles and distances between them. A parsec is used to measure astronomical distances, a Tesla magnetic flux density and a Siemens electrical conductivity.

Answer: Kinematic viscosity

Although you can see the words 'seconds' and 'degrees', these units measure neither angle, nor temperature. They measure kinematic viscosity, which is a quantity associated with fluids. Kinematic viscosity = viscosity/density. Both viscosity and kinematic viscosity indicate how hard or easily the fluid flows.

For example, honey has a high kinematic viscosity, while water a much lower one. This quantity is very important to fluids used in hydraulic systems, such as a car's braking system. To avoid any operation problems, you have to keep it as low as possible in low temperatures and vice versa.

Answer: 0.948

These units measure energy. The BTU, meaning British Thermal Unit, is an Anglo-Saxon system unit, while the joule is an SI unit.

Answer: Hardness

The BHN (Brinell Hardness Number), HV (Vickers Hardness) and RHN (Rockwell Hardness Number) are not exactly units, but, as their names indicate, numbers. They measure the hardness of solid materials based on the three respective methods.

Answer: Pressure unit

This unit took its name from the Italian physico-mathematician Torricelli (1608-1647) who executed a famous experiment to prove there is an atmospheric pressure. He took a glass tube, about 90 cm long, with one end closed. He filled it with quicksilver and, holding the open end close, turned it upside down into a bowl also filled with quicksilver.

He then took his hand off the open end and saw that the level of the quicksilver in the tube went down before it was stabilized at a certain height referring to the free surface of the liquid in the bowl. That height is always the same, when the experiment is held near sea level.

It is 760 millimeters, no matter the diameter of the tube. This means that the atmospheric pressure is equal to the pressure of a quicksilver column 760mm high. So, the Torr unit is equal to 1 mm of a quicksilver column (1 mmHg).