Comparing a big or small number with something familiar makes it easier to picture. The smoot (1.7018 m) is a real unit, invented in 1958 when MIT students measured the Harvard Bridge with their classmate Oliver Smoot. A microcentury (about 52.6 minutes) is a classic lecture length.
How to use the Weird Units Converter
- Length
- Weight
- Time
Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.
How it works
Your value is converted to SI units and divided by the size of each object.
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Length | Units: m, km, cm, mm, in, ft … |
| Weight | Units: kg, t, lb, US ton |
| Time | Units: h, s, min, day, year |
What each result means
- Bananas laid end to end (18 cm each) = [Length] ÷ 0.18
- American football fields (100 yd) = [Length] ÷ 91.44
- Eiffel Towers (330 m) = [Length] ÷ 330
- Smoots (1.7018 m) = [Length] ÷ 1.7018
- London double-decker buses (11.2 m) = [Length] ÷ 11.2
- African elephants (6 t) = [Weight] ÷ 6000
- Average cars (1.5 t) = [Weight] ÷ 1500
- Blue whales (150 t) = [Weight] ÷ 150000
- Smartphones (180 g) = [Weight] ÷ 0.18
- Microcenturies (52.6 min) = [Time] ÷ 3155.6952
- Fortnights = [Time] ÷ 1209600
- Medieval moments (90 s) = [Time] ÷ 90
Example values
How the main result changes when Length changes and everything else stays at the example values above:
| Length (m) | Bananas laid end to end (18 cm each) |
|---|---|
| 50 | 277.8 |
| 75 | 416.7 |
| 100 | 555.6 |
| 125 | 694.4 |
| 150 | 833.3 |
| 200 | 1,111.1 |
Formula
number of things = your quantity ÷ size of one thingWorked example
Inputs — Length: 100 m; Weight: 1,000 kg; Time: 1 h.
Results — Bananas laid end to end (18 cm each) = 555.6; American football fields (100 yd) = 1.094; Eiffel Towers (330 m) = 0.303; Smoots (1.7018 m) = 58.76; London double-decker buses (11.2 m) = 8.93; African elephants (6 t) = 0.167; Average cars (1.5 t) = 0.667; Blue whales (150 t) = 0.00667; Smartphones (180 g) = 5,556; Microcenturies (52.6 min) = 1.141; Fortnights = 0.002976; Medieval moments (90 s) = 40.
Frequently asked questions
What is a smoot?
5 ft 7 in (1.7018 m), the height of Oliver Smoot, used to measure the Harvard Bridge (364.4 smoots plus one ear).
How long is a microcentury?
About 52 minutes 36 seconds.
What formula does the Weird Units Converter use?
number of things = your quantity ÷ size of one thing.