This page lists some products that are measured or designed using metric units. For example, automobiles, light trucks, farm and construction equipment, bicycles, and motorcycles fall into this category. (The main products page shows examples of items that are packaged in even metric sizes.)
Some of these products have always been built to metric standards, such as 35 mm film, snow-ski and snowboard lengths. Other products have more recently changed to labeling in metric system units.
Electrical and electronics
AM/FM/shortwave radio frequencies, wavelengths, and band names — frequency: kHz, MHz; wavelength: m
Audio equipment — power rating: W
Audio plugs and jacks (super-mini, mini) — diameter: 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm
Batteries — voltage: V; capacity: mA·H
Light bulbs, fluorescent lights — power consumption: W; light output: lm; color temperature: K
Low-noise electronic amplifiers — temperature rating: K
Multi-pin connectors — pin size and spacing: mm
Personal computers (PCs) — speed rating: MHz, GHz
Surface-mount electronic components, (e.g. resistors, capacitors) — pin/conductor size and spacing: mm
Jewelry
Jewelry (posts, beads, widths, etc.) — dimensions: mm
Wrist watches — water resistant depth: m
Wrist watch bands and attachment pins — width: mm
Lenses
Camera lenses, binoculars, and telescopes — eyepiece, lens diameter: mm; focal length: mm
Eyeglass lenses and frames — all dimensions: mm
Recording media
Books — height (for libraries): cm
‘Floppy’ disks — diameter: 90 mm (often called 3.5 inch)
CDs and DVDs — diameter (standard): 120 mm, diameter (small): 80 mm, diameter (hole): 15 mm
Compact camcorder video tapes / Exabyte cartridges — tape width: 8 mm
Film — width: mm
Iomega Zip disks — diameter: 95 mm
Laserdiscs — diameter (standard): 300 mm, diameter (small): 200 mm
MiniDisc (Sony) — 70 mm × 67.5 mm × 5 mm; the disc inside is 64 mm in diameter.
Sports
Cross country ski trails — length: m, km
In-line skates — wheel diameter: mm
Olympic sports — height: cm; length: m; mass: kg
Rowing races, racing shells, oars — length: km, m, cm
Skis, snowboards — length: cm
Soaring, sailplanes — dimensions: metric
Speed skating — track length: 400 m
Events: 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, 10 000 m
Track and field events — distances: cm, m, km; masses: kg
Track length: 400 m
Running events: 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 4×100m, 800 m, 1500 m, 4×400 m, 5000 m, 10 000 m
Steeplechase: 3000 m
Hurdle events: 100 m, 110 m, 400 m
Marathon: 42.195 km
Tools
Cordless/rechargeable power tools — battery pack size/potential: V (volts)
Electric hand tools, vacuum cleaners — current rating: A (amperes)
Machine and hand tools — metric design and fasteners
Transportation
Luggage ‘weight’ for international airline flights — mass: kg
Vehicles
Automobile and light truck design and manufacture — numerous metric standards and components, including metric fasteners
Automobile tires (dual labeled, metric first) — tread width: mm, load rating: kg, air pressure: kPa
Automobile windshield wiper replacements — length and width: mm
Bicycles — frame height: cm, all bolts and fasteners: metric units
Farm and construction equipment — numerous metric units
Motorcycles — numerous metric units
Weather
Surface and upper-air atmospheric pressures (meteorological usage) — pressure: hPa
Upper-air temperatures — temperature: °C
Miscellaneous
Cigarettes — length: 70 mm, 85 mm, 100 mm, 120 mm
Firearm cartridges/bullets — diameter: mm
Granite counter top building material (for kitchen, bath, etc.) — thickness: cm
Nutrition facts on food packages — fat, carbohydrate, and protein mass: g; cholesterol and sodium mass: mg
Pharmaceuticals — doses and quantities: µg, mg, g, mL, L
Postage stamps, stamp collecting supplies — length/width: mm
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Updated: 2007-05-01