Traditional Swedish units of measurement were standardized by law in 1665, prior to which they only existed as a number of related but differing local variants. The system was slightly revised in 1735. In 1855, a decimal reform was instituted that defined a new Swedish inch as 1⁄10 Swedish foot (2.96 cm or 1.17 inches). Up to the middle of the 19th century, there was a law allowing the imposition of the death penalty for falsifying weights or measures. After a decision by the parliament in 1875,[1] Sweden adopted the metric system on 22 November 1878, with a ten-year transition period until 1 January 1889.
As part of the transition, the Swedish mil measurement was maintained, but was shortened from 18000 alnar – the equivalent of 10.69 km (6.64 mi) – to exactly 10 kilometres (6.2 mi). This measurement is still in use in both Sweden and Norway (which were in a union at the time).
The Swedish units of length included the following:
unit | relation to previous | metric value | Imperial Value |
---|---|---|---|
pot | - | 0.966 L | 0.850 imp qt; 1.021 US qt |
tunna | 2 spann | - | |
ankare | - | 39.26 L | 34.54 imp qt; 41.49 US qt |
ohm | 155 pottor | 149.73 L | 131.74 imp qt; 158.22 US qt |
storfamn | - | 3770 L (3.77 m³) | 3,320 imp qt; 3,980 US qt (830 imp gal; 1,000 US gal or 133 cu ft) |
kubikfamn | - | 5850 L (5.85 m³) | 5,150 imp qt; 6,180 US qt (1,290 imp gal; 1,550 US gal or 207 cu ft) |
unit | relation to previous | metric value | Imperial Value |
---|---|---|---|
skeppspund | 20 lispund | 170.03 kg | 374.852 lb |
bismerpund | 12 skålpund | 5.101 kg. | 11.246 lb |
lispund | 20 skålpund | 8.502 kg | 18.744 lb |
skålpund | 2 mark | 0.42507 kg | 0.937 lb |
mark | 50 ort | 212.5 g | 7.496 oz |
ort | 4.2508 g | 65.6 gr |
unit | relationship | metric value | Imperial Value |
---|---|---|---|
nautisk mil | 1852 m | 2,025 yd | |
distansminut | 1852 m | 2,025 yd | |
sjömil (modern) | 1852 m | 2,025 yd |