is 12 the same as 1? as a mathematical value, no 12 and 1 are not the same value. but if we give these values units, they actually can represent the same thing!

what units can we give to 12 and to 1 so that they are equal?
12 = 1

units in everyday life are often used, even if we don’t necessarily think of them as units. for example, you wouldn’t say "i went to the grocery store and bought a dozen." a dozen what? you’ve given how many you’ve bought (the value), but not how many of what you have bought (the units). instead you would say "i went to the grocery store and bought a dozen eggs."

in the u. s. (and only a very few other places) we still use a variation of "imperial" system of measurements, simply referred to as the us system:

length - inches, feet, yards, miles…

12 in = 1 ft

3 ft = 1 yd

5,280 ft = 1 mile

volume - teaspoons, tablespoons, fluid ounces, cups, quarts, gallons…

3 tsp = 1 tbs

2 tbs = 1 fl oz

8 fl oz = 1 cup

4 cups = 1 quart

4 quarts = 1 gallon

*there are actually dry units for volume as well (the above are used for liquids), but we won’t worry about those.

weight - ounces, pounds, tons…

16 oz (not the same as fl ! ) = 1 lbs

2,000 lbs = 1 ton

area - square miles, acres…

1 square mile is a mile by a mile square…

1 acres = 43,560 sq ft

note: you do not need to memorize these equivalences. they are provided on your units conversion sheet.

let’s practice a few conversions:

how many inches are in a mile?
how many yards are in a mile?
how many tablespoons are in a gallon?
how many cups of gasoline could fit into a 15 gallon tank?