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UNITS (1)

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units - conversion program

CONTENTS

Synopsis
Description
Files
Notes

units

Units converts quantities expressed in various standard scales to their equivalents in other scales. It works interactively in this fashion:

        You have: inch
        You want: cm
* 2.54000e+00
/ 3.93701e-01

A quantity is specified as a multiplicative combination of units optionally preceded by a numeric multiplier. Powers are indicated by suffixed positive integers, division by the usual sign:

        You have: 15 pounds force/in2
        You want: atm
                * 1.02069e+00
                / 9.79730e-01

Units only does multiplicative scale changes. Thus it can convert Kelvin to Rankine, but not Centigrade to Fahrenheit. Most familiar units, abbreviations, and metric prefixes are recognized, together with a generous leavening of exotica and a few constants of nature including:

        pi      ratio of circumference to diameter
        c       speed of light
        e       charge on an electron
        g       acceleration of gravity
        force   same as g
        mole    Avogadro's number
        water   pressure head per unit height of water
        au      astronomical unit

'Pound' is a unit of mass. Compound names are run together, e.g. 'lightyear'. British units that differ from their US counterparts are prefixed thus: 'brgallon'. Currency is denoted 'belgiumfranc', 'britainpound', ...

For a complete list of units, 'cat /usr/5lib/unittab'.

/usr/5lib/unittab

Don't base your financial plans on the currency conversions.