Converting Units of Measure

Another surprise is that Google's calculator also handles conversions. It knows miles and meters, furlongs and light years, seconds and fortnights, and even angstroms and Smootsand can convert from one unit of measurement to another.

The key to using the Google calculator as a converter is to express your query using the proper syntax. In essence, you want to start with the first measure, followed by the word "in," followed by the second unit of measure. A general query looks like this: x firstunits in secondunits.

Let's look at some examples.

Don't know how many feet equal a meter? Then enter the query 1 meter in feet, as shown in Figure 14.10. Not sure how many teaspoons are in a cup? Enter 1 cup in teaspoons, as shown in Figure 14.11. Want to convert 100 U.S. dollars into Euros? Then enter 100 usd in euros, as shown in Figure 14.12. Or how about converting 72 degrees Fahrenheit to Celsius? Then enter 72 degrees Fahrenheit in Celsius, as shown in Figure 14.13. Or maybe you want to find out your weight in kilos, or your age in seconds? Enter the queries 180 pounds in kg or 45 years in seconds, as shown in Figures 14.14 and 14.15.

Note

Google's currency conversion rates are provided by Citibank N.A., and may not always be the most current rates.

Figure 14.10. Converting meters to feet.

Figure 14.11. Converting cups into teaspoons.

Figure 14.12. Converting U.S. dollars into Euros.

Figure 14.13. Converting degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius.

Figure 14.14. Converting pounds into kilograms.

Figure 14.15. Converting years into seconds.

That's right, all the formulas necessary for these types of conversions are hard-wired into the Google search engine. Just state your query as clearly as possible and Google will do the rest.

What units of measure does Google know? Table 14.7 provides just some of what you can find when you search Google.

Table 14.7. Google's Units of Measure

Type of Measurement	Units
Currency	U.S. dollars (USD), Australian dollars (AUD), Canadian dollars, British pounds (GBP, pounds), Euros
Mass	Grams (g), kilograms (kg), pounds (lbs), grains, carats, stones, tons, tones
Distance (length)	Meters (m), kilometers (km), miles, feet (ft), Angstroms, cubits, furlongs, nautical miles, Smoots, light years
Volume	Gallons, liters (l), pints, quarts, teaspoons, tablespoons, cups
Area	Square miles, square kilometers, square feet, square yards, acres, hectares
Time	Days, hours, minutes, seconds (s), months, years, centuries, sidereal years, fortnights
Electricity	Volts, amps, ohms, henrys
Power	Watts, kilowatts, horsepower (hp)
Energy	British thermal units (BTU), joules, ergs, foot-pounds, calories, kilocalories (Calories)
Temperature	Degrees Fahrenheit, degrees Celsius
Speed	Miles per hour (mph), kilometers per hour (kph), kilometers per second, knots
Data	Bites, bytes, kilobytes (kb), megabytes (mb), gigabytes (gb), terabytes (tb)
Quantity	Dozen, baker's dozen, gross, great gross, score, googol
Numbering systems	Decimal, hexadecimal (hex), octal, binary, roman numerals

Some more examples. Let's say you want to convert the year 2006 into Roman numerals; enter 2006 in roman, as shown in Figure 14.16. Maybe you want to convert the decimal numeral 47 into hexadecimal; enter 47 in hex, as shown in Figure 14.17. How about converting 70 miles per hour into kilometers per hour; enter 70 mph in kph, as shown in Figure 14.18. Or maybe you want to convert 100 land miles into nautical miles; enter 100 miles in nautical miles, as shown in Figure 14.19.

Figure 14.16. Converting years into Roman numerals.

Figure 14.17. Converting numbers into hexadecimal.

Figure 14.18. Converting miles per hour into kilometers per hour.

Figure 14.19. Converting miles into nautical miles.

Tip

Google's calculator has been hardwired to include the answers to some fairly complexand fairly fancifulcalculations. My favorite is to enter the query what is the answer to life the universe and everything. Google's answer (42) should delight long-time fans of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Google even lets you do some nonsensical conversions. You can query speed of light in knots or 1 foot in smoots. You can also use these conversions to create nonsense calculations, such as (radius of earth) / 3 teaspoons, as shown in Figure 14.20. It doesn't make any sense, but Google can do it.

Figure 14.20. Google lets you divide the radius of the Earth by 3 teaspoonsbut why would you want to?

Commentary: Fun with Numbers

If Google wasn't amazing enough, the addition of the calculator feature ups the ante several degrees. The calculatorcombined with the database of constants, values, and conversionsis, in my opinion, one of the most eminently useful features on the entire Google site.

But let's not go too overboard. By sticking to its search boxoriented interface, Google has created what is essentially a command-line calculator. While it's fairly loaded with functionality, it shares the same drawbacks as any command-line calculatornotably, forcing the user to memorize a list of mathematical functions.

Compare this to the way a typical keyboard calculator works. You don't have to remember that to enter arcsin when you want to find the inverse sine, nor do you have to create a tortured expression like 21^2 when you want to square a number. On a keyboard calculator, each advanced function is assigned to its own key; when you want to use the function, you just have to press the associated key.

So Google's command-line calculator has its limitations, which is the kind of compromise Google is forced to make when it stands steadfastly by its simple, search box entry system. While I have nothing against simplicity, in the case of calculators, online or otherwise, it might be more helpful for Google to offer an alternative graphical keyboard interface, like the one found on the X-Number site. Google wouldn't have to abandon the simple search box interface; the graphical calculator could be a separate page, a link away.

I admire Google's focus on its well-recognized simple approach, but enough is enough. Trying to cram every possible function into a single search box is maybe a little obsessive-compulsive. Perhaps it's time to investigate alternative interfaces for various nonsearch functions.