Course Catalog / BMU 020 / Lesson 5 of 5

BMU 020

Quick review

1. What is gross pay?

See the answer

All you earned before deductions.

2. How do you check it?

See the answer

Hours times rate.

Why this matters

Will the couch fit? How much milk for a double batch? Home tasks use measuring math.

In this lesson you will convert inches, feet, cups, and spoons. Then you will do the Store and Paycheck Check, your capstone.

Start with what you already do

You already use a tape measure or a measuring cup. Now you will switch between units.

Common belief: I need to memorize a long list of conversions.

What is actually true: You only need a few. NIST publishes them, and you can look them up any time.

Key words

convert

Change a measure from one unit to another, like inches to feet.

tablespoon (Tbsp)

A large measuring spoon. 3 teaspoons make 1 tablespoon.

quart

A measure for liquids. 4 cups make 1 quart.

Length

NIST Handbook 44 lists the units used in the U.S. 12 inches make 1 foot. 3 feet make 1 yard. So 1 yard is 36 inches.

To change inches to feet, divide by 12. A window 48 inches wide is 48 ÷ 12, or 4 feet. NIST also lists 1 inch as 2.54 centimeters, for metric tape measures.

Kitchen measures

NIST lists 1 teaspoon as about 5 milliliters and 1 tablespoon as about 15. So 3 teaspoons make 1 tablespoon. To double a recipe, multiply each amount by 2. 3/4 cup doubled is 1 and 1/2 cups.

Text version of this figure

Measure and convert. A few facts go a long way.

1. Step 1, Length: 12 inches = 1 foot. 3 feet = 1 yard.
2. Step 2, Spoons: 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
3. Step 3, Cups: 2 cups = 1 pint. 4 cups = 1 quart.
4. Bigger unit?: Divide. Smaller unit? Multiply.
5. Look it up: Keep the job aid handy.

Source: NIST Handbook 44 Appendix C; NIST Metric Kitchen (Oct 29, 2026).

Worked example: Pat measures for a shelf

Pat wants a shelf for a wall 90 inches wide.

• 90 ÷ 12 is 7.5. The wall is 7 and a half feet wide.
• Shelf boards come in 6 feet and 8 feet.
• The 8 foot board is 96 inches. That is too long.
• Pat buys the 6 foot board and has room on each side.

Pat is a made up example.

Practice: Convert it

Use the tables in this lesson.

1. A shelf is 60 inches long. How many feet?
2. A recipe needs 2 quarts of broth. How many cups?
3. You halve a recipe that needs 1 tablespoon of salt. How many teaspoons?

Check your practice: feedback

1. 60 divided by 12 is 5 feet.
2. Each quart is 4 cups, so 2 quarts is 8 cups.
3. 1 tablespoon is 3 teaspoons. Half is 1 and a half teaspoons.

Common mistakes

• Multiplying when you should divide. Going to a bigger unit? Divide.
• Mixing up teaspoons and tablespoons. Tbsp is big. tsp is small.
• Measuring once. Measure twice before you buy.

Check your understanding

Take it as many times as you like. Pick an answer, then open the feedback.

1. A shelf is 36 inches long. How many feet is that?

1. Three
2. Four
3. Six

See the answer and feedback

A is correct. Yes. 36 divided by 12 is 3.

B: That would be 48 inches. Review Length.

C: That would be 72 inches. Review Length.

2. How many cups are in 1 quart?

1. Two
2. Four
3. Eight

See the answer and feedback

B is correct. Yes. 4 cups make 1 quart.

A: 2 cups make a pint. Review Kitchen measures.

C: That is too many. Review Kitchen measures.

3. A recipe needs 1 tablespoon. You only have a teaspoon. How many teaspoons do you use?

1. One
2. Two
3. Three

See the answer and feedback

C is correct. Yes. 3 teaspoons make 1 tablespoon.

A: A teaspoon is smaller. Review Kitchen measures.

B: You need one more. Review Kitchen measures.

Practice pay stub

This stub is made up. It has one error. Check gross pay first.

Check your answer

25 hours times $14 is $350, not $370. Gross pay is $20 too high. Social Security and Medicare were figured on $370, so they need to be fixed too. Tell payroll the hours, the rate, and the right gross pay.

Capstone rubric

This is your course project. It is checked on 6 rows: Unit prices, Better buy, Gross pay check, Net pay check, Error found, Estimate. See what Ready means on the Course project page.

When it is done, build it on the Course project page and press Check my project. Your certificate needs it.

Use it: your follow up plan

• In 7 days: Use unit prices and a running total on one real shopping trip.
• In 30 days: Check two of your own pay stubs, retake the self check, and see what changed.
• Put both dates on your calendar now.

Your job aid: print or save the Store and Paycheck Check.

Keep learning

• BMU 040 Money Basics: build a budget, cut fees, and save (free).
• BMU 043 Credit and Borrowing Basics: the real cost of loans (coming soon).
• NIST Metric Kitchen: free measuring charts.

One question for us: What one change would make this course more useful for you?

Next up

You finished the lessons. Now take the Posttest. Score 80% or higher to pass, and retake it as often as you need. Then answer a short optional survey and get your Certificate of Completion.

Your certificate needs both the Posttest and your course project.

Key words: Course glossary (A to Z, with the lesson that teaches each one).

Stuck or have a question? Ask BMU Learner Support.

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