Unit Conversion Page

Since some stories on the site use American units¹ and others use metric, here’s a handy converter to show some of the possible values you might encounter. Use the sliders to compare sizes in the different systems.

Of course, some stories involve measurements that are, as it were, off the charts for these tools. This is just to give you the idea side-by-side within some of the more frequently seen ranges.

¹ The system of weights and measures in use in the United States is sometimes referred to as the Imperial system, but they are actually not quite the same thing. Anyway, the point is it’s mainly we Americans who stubbornly refuse to convert to SI units, so I feel it’s appropriate to lay the blame for the existence of competing systems where it’s due.