science

Spanish units of measurement

Spanish 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 Spanish units of measurement rather than just read about it. In short: There are a number of Spanish units of measurement of length or area that are now virtually obsolete due to metrication. They include the vara, the cordel, the league and the labor.

Key takeaways

Spanish 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 Spanish units of measurement to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Spanish units of measurement from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

There are a number of Spanish units of measurement of length or area that are now virtually obsolete due to metrication. They include the vara, the cordel, the league and the labor. The units of area used to express the area of land are still encountered in some transactions in land today.

Vara (unit of length)

A vara (meaning "rod" or "pole", abbreviation: var) is an old Spanish unit of length. Varas are a surveying unit that appear in many deeds in the southern United States due to the land previously being part of Mexico, and becoming part of the United States under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Varas were also used in many parts of Latin America. It varied in size at various times and places; the Spanish unit was set at about 835.905 mm (32.91 in) in 1801. In Argentina, the vara measured about 866 mm (34.1 in), and typical urban lots are 8.66 m (28.41 ft) wide (10 Argentine varas). At some time a value of 33 inches (838.2 mm) was adopted in California. Standardisation of measurement in Texas came with the introduction of varas, cordeles, and leagues. In Texas, a vara was defined as 33+1⁄3 inches (846.67 mm), or 1 yard = 1.08 vara. The vara and the corresponding unit of area, the square vara, were introduced in the 19th century to measure Spanish land grants. Stephen F. Austin's early surveying contracts required that he use the vara as a standard unit. The vara can be seen in many deeds as late as the mid to late 1900s. 1 acre (0.405 ha) is equivalent to 5,645.376 Texan square varas. A league is equivalent to 5,000 varas squared or 4,428.4 acres (1,792.11 ha). A measure of 100 by 100 varas (Spanish) is almost 7000 square meters, and is known traditionally throughout Spain and Latin America as a manzana (i.e., a "city block"). As well, lumber is still measured in Costa Rica using a system based on 4 vara, or 11 feet, for both round and square wood. With square wood, using inches, the width is multiplied by the depth to get a measurement called pulgadas, or inches. The lumber is charged 'per inch', which is a measurement of 2.2 litres (11⁄12 board foot).

Palmo and coto (unit of length) The palmo ("palm") measured the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the little finger with all fingers splayed. Its standardized value is 20.873 cm (8.2177 in) (9 pulgadas). Half of a palmo in Castile was called the coto, described as six fingers and defined as 10.4365 cm (4.10886 in). The ancient Romans had a similar, smaller unit called the palmus, which was 7.3925 cm (2.91043 in).

Other Units of length Estado, a unit of length used for measuring depths (similar to the fathom); 7 pies Pulgada (inch: 23 mm) used in Spain. Jeme, measure of length, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the index finger of an extended hand. Legua (league), a unit of length. Toesas, unit of length equal to 66.72 inches (1.695 m)

Labor (unit of area) The labor ( in West Texas) is a unit of area, used to express an area of land, that is equal to 1 million square varas. A labor is equivalent to about 177.1 acres (71.67 ha). It was used in the archaic system of old Spanish land grants affecting Texas and parts of adjoining states. The labor is often used as an approximate equivalent to a quarter-section (that is, one quarter of a square mile of land). It is still encountered in modern real estate transactions.

Other Units of area Manzana, a unit of land measure in Honduras. Caballería, a unit of land measure in Cuba. Quiñón, a unit of land measure in the Philippines. Tahúlla, a unit of land measure in Valencia.

League (unit of area) A league can also be a unit of area, used to express the area of land, that is equal to 25 million square varas. A (square) league is equivalent to about 4,428.4 acres (1,792.11 ha). It was used in the archaic system of old Spanish land grants affecting Texas and parts of adjoining states and this use of league is used throughout the Texas Constitution. A common Texas land grant size, discussed in James A. Michener's Texas, was a "labor and a league": a labor of good riparian land and a (square) league of land away from the river. The (square) league is still encountered in modern real estate transactions.

Local units Although some standardisation was achieved with the law of 1801, particularly in defining the league as 6666+2⁄3 varas long, varying measures continued to be used in various cities and regions.

Other units Units of weight Onza (ounce), a unit of weight (28 grammes) used for chocolate. Adarme, subdivision of the ounce. tomín, subidivision of the adarme. Dracma subdivision of the ounce, used for pharmaceuticals. Libra (pound), a unit of weight equivalent to 16 onzas. Quintal, a unit of weight equivalent to 100 Libras. Arroba, the fourth part of a quintal Units of volume Almud, a unit of volume. Celemín, a unit of volume equivalent to approximately 4.625 L. Fanega, measure of grain by volume Ferrado (of which there are 12 cuncas) used in Galicia in northwestern peninsular Spain.

See also International System of Units Metrication in Guatemala Portuguese customary units Systems of measurement Units of measurement

References

External links Vara from the Handbook of Texas Online www.sizes.com, "Vara Conversions in 19th Century Spain" Rowlett's A Dictionary of Units of Measurement Reasonover's Land Measures A Reference to Spanish and French land measures(and their English equivalents with conversion tables) used in North America http://www.sizes.com/units/

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Spanish units of measurement

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Spanish 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 Spanish 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 Spanish 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 Spanish units of measurement

In research: Spanish 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 Spanish 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: Spanish units of measurement is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Customary units of measurement, Obsolete units of measurement, Units of measurement by country, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Spanish 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 Spanish units of measurement in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Spanish 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 Spanish units of measurement out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Spanish units of measurement in simple terms?

There are a number of Spanish units of measurement of length or area that are now virtually obsolete due to metrication. They include the vara, the cordel, the league and the labor.

Why does Spanish 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 Spanish 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 Spanish units of measurement.