Student resources
Grades 3-7
US Customary Conversion Chart for Students
US customary units are used often in the United States for cooking, body weight, height, construction, and travel distances.
Key ideas
- There are 12 inches in 1 foot and 3 feet in 1 yard.
- There are 16 ounces in 1 pound and 2,000 pounds in 1 ton.
- There are 8 fluid ounces in 1 cup and 4 quarts in 1 gallon.
- Customary units do not always use powers of 10, so a chart is helpful.
Length
| Unit relationship | Conversion | Common example |
|---|---|---|
| Inches to feet | 12 in = 1 ft | Ruler or height |
| Feet to yards | 3 ft = 1 yd | Fabric or field length |
| Yards to miles | 1,760 yd = 1 mi | Long distance |
| Feet to miles | 5,280 ft = 1 mi | Road distance |
Weight and Liquid Volume
| Unit relationship | Conversion | Common example |
|---|---|---|
| Ounces to pounds | 16 oz = 1 lb | Food package |
| Pounds to tons | 2,000 lb = 1 ton | Truck load |
| Fluid ounces to cups | 8 fl oz = 1 cup | Recipe liquid |
| Quarts to gallons | 4 qt = 1 gal | Milk or paint |
Practice questions
Convert 3 feet to inches.
Calculation: 3 x 12 = 36
Answer: 36 inches
Convert 2 yards to feet.
Calculation: 2 x 3 = 6
Answer: 6 feet
Convert 4 cups to fluid ounces.
Calculation: 4 x 8 = 32
Answer: 32 fluid ounces
Convert 32 ounces to pounds.
Calculation: 32 / 16 = 2
Answer: 2 pounds