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units(1)

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NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       units - Converts units from one measure to another

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

       units [-] [file]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       The  units  command  converts  quantities expressed in one
       measurement to their equivalents in  another.   The  units
       command is an interactive command.  It prompts you for the
       unit you want to convert from and the  unit  you  want  to
       convert  to.   The units command does multiplicative scale
       changes only.  That is, units can convert from  one  value
       to  another only when the conversion is done with a multiplication
  factor.   For  example,  units  cannot  convert
       between degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius because the
       value of 32 must be added or subtracted in the conversion.

       You can specify a quantity as a multiplicative combination
       of units, optionally preceded by a numeric multiplier.

       Indicate powers by entering suffixed positive integers and
       indicate division with a / (slash).

       The  units  command  recognizes  lb as a unit of mass, but
       considers pound to be the British pound  sterling.    Compound
  names  are  run  together (for example, lightyear).
       Prefix British units differing from their  American  counterparts
   with   br   (for   example,   brgallon).    The
       /usr/share/lib/units file contains a complete list of  the
       units that the units command uses.

       Most  familiar  units,  abbreviations, and metric prefixes
       are recognized by the units  command,  together  with  the
       following:  Ratio  of circumference to diameter.  Speed of
       light.  Charge on an electron.  Acceleration  of  gravity.
       Same  as  g.   Avogadro's  number.  Pressure head per unit
       height of water.  Astronomical unit.

       The - argument causes units to display a list of all known
       units  and  their  conversion  values.   The file argument
       specifies an alternative units file to be used instead  of
       the default file units.

EXAMPLES    [Toc]    [Back]

       To start the units command, enter: units

       Now  you  can try the following examples.  To display conversion
 factors, enter: you have: in you want: cm

       * 2.540000e+00 / 3.937008e-01

              The output from the units command tells you to multiply
  the  number of inches by 2.540000e+00 to get
              centimeters, and to multiply the number of centimeters
 by 3.937008e-01 to get inches.

              These numbers are in standard exponential notation,
              so 3.937008e-01 means 3.937008 x 10-1, which is the
              same as 0.3937008.  The second number is always the
              reciprocal of the first; for example,  2.54  equals
              1/0.3937008.  To convert a measurement to different
              units, enter: you have: 5 years you want: microsec

              * 1.577846e+14 / 6.337753e-15

              The output shows that 5  years  equals  1.577846  x
              1014  microseconds,  and  that 1 microsecond equals
              6.337753 x 10-15 years.  To give fractions in  measurements,
 enter: you have: 1|3 mi you want: km

              * 5.364480e-01 / 1.864114e+00

              The  |  (vertical  bar)  indicates division, so 1|3
              means one-third. This shows that one-third mile  is
              the  same as 0.536448 kilometers.  To include exponents
 in measurements, enter: you have:  1.2-5  gal
              you want: floz

              * 1.536000e-03 / 6.510417e+02

              The expression 1.2-5 gal is the equivalent of 1.2 x
              10-5.  Do not type an e before the exponent.   This
              example  shows  that  1.2 x 10-5 (0.000012) gallons
              equal 1.536 x 10-3  (0.001536)  fluid  ounces.   To
              specify  complex  units, enter: you have: gram centimeter/second2
 you want: kg-m/sec2

              * 1.000000e-05 / 1.000000e+05

              The units gram  centimeter/second2  mean  "grams  x
              centimeters/second2."   Similarly,  kg-m/sec2 means
              "kilograms x meters/sec2," which is often  read  as
              "kilogram-meters  per  seconds  squared".   If  the
              units you specify after you have and you  want  are
              incompatible, enter: you have: ft you want: lb

              conformability 3.048000e-01 m 4.535924e-01 kg

              The  message  conformability  means  the  units you
              specified  cannot  be  converted.    Feet   measure
              length, and pounds measure mass, so converting from
              one to the other does not make  sense.   Therefore,
              the  units  command displays the equivalent of each
              value in standard units.

              In other words, this  example  shows  that  1  foot
              equals  0.3048  meters  and  that  1  pound  equals
              0.4535924 kilograms. The units  command  shows  the
              equivalents  in  meters  and  kilograms because the
              command considers these units to be  standard  measures
 of length and mass.

              Entering <Ctrl-d> causes you to exit from the units
              program.

FILES    [Toc]    [Back]

       Contains units and their conversion values.



                                                         units(1)
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