science

Icelandic units of measurement

Icelandic units of measurement is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Icelandic units of measurement rather than just read about it. In short: A number of units of measurement were used in Iceland to measure length, mass, area, capacity, etc. Since 1907, the metric system has been compulsory in Iceland.

Key takeaways

Icelandic units of measurement belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Icelandic units of measurement to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Icelandic units of measurement from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A number of units of measurement were used in Iceland to measure length, mass, area, capacity, etc. Since 1907, the metric system has been compulsory in Iceland.

Unit system before the metric system A number of units were used and these units were analogues to Danish.

Length A number of units were used in Iceland to measure length. One foot (fet) was equal to 0.31385 m and one nautical mile (sjómíla) was equal to 1,855 m, as they were defined by their metric equivalents. Some other units are given below:

1 line (lína) = 1⁄144 feet 1 inch (þumlungur) = 1⁄12 feet 1 ell (alin) = 2 feet 1 fathom (faðmur) = 6 feet 1 mile (míla á landi or landmíla) = 24,000 feet Þingmannaleið = 20,000 faðmar = 120,000 feet

Mass A number of units were used to measure mass. One pound (pund) was equal to 0.5 kg as it was defined by its metric equivalent. Some other units are given below:

1 mark (mörk) = 1⁄2 pound 1 fisk = 8 pounds 1 fierding = 40 pounds 1 liespund = 64 pounds 1 barrel of butter (tunna smjörs) = 224 pounds 1 skippund = 320 pounds 1 batt = 320 pounds

Area A number of units were used to measure area. One square fathom was equal to 3.546 m2 and one square mile was equal to 56.7383 km2, as they were defined by their metric equivalents. Some other units are given below:

1 square inches = 1⁄5,184 square fathom 1 square feet = 1⁄36 square fathom 1 square alin = 1⁄9 square fathom 1 túndagslátta = 900 square fathom 1 engjateigur = 1,600 square fathom

Volume A number of units were used to measure capacity. One pot (pottur) was equal to 0.9661 L as it was defined by its metric equivalent. Some other units are given below:

1 kornskeppa = 18 pots 1 anker = 39 pots 1 general barrel (almenn tunna) = 120 pots 1 barrel of ale (öltunna) = 136 pots 1 korntunna = 144 pots

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Icelandic units of measurement

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Icelandic units of measurement claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Icelandic units of measurement before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Icelandic units of measurement ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Icelandic units of measurement

In research: Icelandic units of measurement appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Icelandic units of measurement in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Icelandic units of measurement is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Culture of Iceland, History of Iceland, Units of measurement by country, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Icelandic units of measurement outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Icelandic units of measurement in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Icelandic units of measurement means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Icelandic units of measurement out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Icelandic units of measurement in simple terms?

A number of units of measurement were used in Iceland to measure length, mass, area, capacity, etc. Since 1907, the metric system has been compulsory in Iceland.

Why does Icelandic units of measurement matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Icelandic units of measurement?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Icelandic units of measurement.