Template talk:Convert

Frequently asked questions

Q: When using {{convert}} why does the answer sometimes seem a bit off?

A: This template takes into account the precision of the supplied value and generally rounds the output to the same level of precision. If you need to change from the default output precision, see rounding.

Note: This can cause whole numbers that end in one or more zeroes to be converted less accurately than expected.

Q: What are all the possible units (kg, lb, m, cm, ft, in, °C, °F, km, mi, nmi, mph, km/h, and so on)?

A: See Help:Convert units for an introduction and Module:Convert/documentation/conversion data for the complete list.

Q: I've been using Convert for some time and am pretty comfortable with its basic features. Does it have other features which it would be worth my while to learn about?

A: Almost certainly. Start with Help:Convert.

For more, see the FAQ.

Template:Convert is permanently protected from editing because it is a heavily used or highly visible template. Substantial changes should first be proposed and discussed here on this page. If the proposal is uncontroversial or has been discussed and is supported by consensus, editors may use {{edit template-protected}} to notify an administrator or template editor to make the requested edit. Usually, any contributor may edit the template's documentation to add usage notes or categories.

Any contributor may edit the template's sandbox. Functionality of the template can be checked using test cases.

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Template:Convert

... in conception

... and in reality

US Teaspoons[edit]

Is it possible to convert the US volumetric unit of Teaspoon (defined as 5 mL) using this template? I couldn't find it listed. Thank you! Scientific29 (talk) 22:52, 3 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Looking up references from the [[teaspoon] article, the US standard is "For nutrition labeling purposes, a teaspoon means 5 milliliters (mL)". https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2004-title21-vol2/xml/CFR-2004-title21-vol2-sec101-9.xml

The Australian standard is also 5 mL https://www.saiglobal.com/PDFTemp/Previews/OSH/As/as1000/1300/1325.PDF

Bouncing around the web seems to agree that the metric teaspoon is 5 mL.

However, the teaspoon reference 3 https://web.archive.org/web/20201111220418/https://www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/spoons-give-wrong-medicine-doses/ says "These varied in size, with the smallest holding 2.5ml of liquid and the largest holding 7.3ml. A standard dosing teaspoon holds 5ml." Note the qualifier "dosing".

From this, the official size may be 5 mL in many parts of the world, but everyday experience shows that a teaspoon found in your kitchen may vary wildly. I would be very wary of converting teaspoons to any other scale unless I knew what teaspoon was being used. We went through a similar talk a few years ago about converting cups. Stepho talk 00:04, 4 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

It's a long time since this was discussed, see Template talk:Convert/Archive December 2016#Teaspoons. The definition of a teaspoon is vague and has varied over time and place so it might not be suitable for a template which would encourage editors to believe that a standard existed. Johnuniq (talk) 02:07, 4 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

My biggest teaspoon holds 6 ml, I bought it because I had a coffee mug holding 15 imperial fluid ounces (430 ml; 14 US fl oz), 50% larger than the others that I have. My grandmother had some teaspoons which very like this one, they were tiny, perhaps only 2 ml, 3 ml tops. My mother has a canteen of cutlery containing sufficient for eight place settings. There are sixteen teaspoons of two different sizes - and although I've not measured them, the larger one looks smaller than a dosing spoon (of which we have several, all marked "5 ml"), so it might hold between 4 and 5 ml. --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 10:03, 4 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Your grandmother would be mortified at how her money spent on sending you to finishing school was wasted! That is not a tea-spoon, that is an egg spoon!

--𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 15:50, 4 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Close, but no cigar. Martinevans123 (talk) 15:54, 4 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Pharmacies recommend using measuring teaspoons, not ordinary eating teaspoons, for doses. Otherwise, 3tsp is supposed to be 1tbsp, and 2tbsp is supposed to be 1 fl.oz. That makes 1 tsp slightly less than 5ml. 1 cup is about 236 ml, so about 4.92 ml/tsp. For most uses, that should be close enough. Gah4 (talk) 17:27, 4 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

For the record, many countries have 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon (15 mL) but Australia has 4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon (20 mL). Lesson: teaspoons (and tablespoons) are not good for measuring. Stepho talk 23:18, 4 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Cubic kilometers[edit]

Error in convert: Unit name "cukm" is not known. Why not? I recognise that few editors have ever needed to use such a unit [archives only record a passing reference in 2008] but the magma output from a good volcano is measured thus. Such as Phlegraean Fields, which is where I tried to use it. It seems like it should be an easy one to add? 𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 23:34, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@JMF: {{convert|1|km3}} → 1 cubic kilometre (0.24 cu mi) works. Imzadi 1979 → 23:58, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

For that article, you might want: {{convert|1000|km3|abbr=off|sp=us}} → 1,000 cubic kilometers (240 cubic miles) Johnuniq (talk) 01:23, 22 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you both. I had persuaded myself that we have CUxx for everything else so obviously it is an inadvertent omission. We don't and it isn't. My apologies for the timewasting question. --𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 09:23, 22 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

But for background, it was this (valid) existing use in the article that persuaded me: {{convert|500|km3|cumi|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} [500 km³ (120 cu mi)] so it wasn't entirely frivolous. --𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 09:29, 22 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The "cubic" name goes with imperial units such as cumi and cuft. The SI ones use 2 or 3 such as m2 or m3 and their multiples such as km2 or km3. Johnuniq (talk) 09:42, 22 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Cubic centimetre. --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 20:53, 22 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Units of acceleration[edit]

Hello. I was wondering if this template can convert units of acceleration? I didn't see it documented so I'm not sure what perimeters to use. What's of particular interest is the conversion between m/s² and g₀, for use on planet and minor planet articles. Thank you. Praemonitus (talk) 14:53, 22 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

If you pass the parameters "m/s2" and "g0" for the units it should work. Nickps (talk) 15:10, 22 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! Praemonitus (talk) 22:04, 22 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The full list of units includes acceleration: Module:Convert/documentation/conversion_data#Acceleration. Johnuniq (talk) 06:50, 23 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Converting to more than 1 unit[edit]

Hello there, I want to convert the thrust of the engine to the article Kuznetsov NK-32 from kgf to kN and lbf but how do I do that? Vitaium (talk) 11:39, 1 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Vitaium: Per Template:Convert#Into multiple units: 10 °C (50 °F; 283 K), you would use 14,000 kilograms-force (140 kN; 31,000 lbf). --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 13:05, 1 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]