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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 10:47 am
by Cam
Well, a BTU (British Thermal Unit) is a measure of engergy and is really only used for heating systems nowadays (i.e. how many BTU's required to heat a room of a certain size, etc). It's also used for gas appliances but not much anymore I don't think.
Anyway 1 BTU is around 1055 Joules
A slug is a small shell-less mollusc of the class Gastropoda.
No, seriously, a slug is an old unit of mass and is around 14.59 kg
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 10:56 am
by ColinP
Well,
I've just been looking for a central heating radiator (replacing a long low one with a tall thin one). The calculator provided on-line takes measurements in metric or imperial, but provides the information in BTUs!
Unfortunately, the radiator outputs are in watts.....
Whatever happened to SI units?
(1 BTU = energy to raise 1 lb of water by 1 degree F).
I'm glad we don't have too many nuclear physicists here - ther have units of area (cross-section) called "barns" and "sheds"
By the by - (an old Asimov question) what do you first think of when you read the word "mole"?
Colin
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 10:59 am
by Cam
This:
And not benign skin growths or acid strength!
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:11 am
by paulk
Learnt about slugs in Uni. The US use them in Aeronautical Calculations still. Well, they did 10 years ago anyway.
Paulk
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 12:18 pm
by ColinP
Well that rules you out as an MI5 agent!
If we're not careful Onne wil learn about rods, poles & perches, then become an expert on cricket (distance between creases)
Colin
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 12:31 pm
by bigginger
...and let's not forget chains, Furlongs, virgates (yardlands), bushels, pecks and guineas...
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:04 pm
by Cam
And one I thought Andrew might mention: CWT!
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:46 pm
by bigginger
Short or long CWT?
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:50 pm
by Cam
Erm......... long I think. Wasn't short just rounded down to make the calculations easier and the quantities more prone to be wrong?
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:57 pm
by bigginger
Simplified for/by the Americans, who liked their units imperial but their counting metric...
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 5:27 pm
by MikeNash
OK folks! Here's the answer!
I find that between Min & Max marks on my 1098 dipstick is near as I can measure it exactly 2 pints! I sure this can't be chance and probably reflects the sale of oil in quart cans when we were young.
The distance between the markings is 13/16 of an inch, and this gives as near as dammit
18mm to one litre
0.4inches to one pint.
(And a slug is 32.174 pounds in the slug-foot-second measure or 47.88 kg in the slug-metre-second reckoning. Not a lot of people know that.)
MikeN.