The tablespoon, a common culinary unit, has a fascinating history and diverse applications beyond cooking. Originating from the Middle Ages, tablespoons were initially crafted from wood or horn and varied significantly in size based on regional preferences and the cook’s discretion. Today, the US tablespoon is standardized to 15 milliliters, while in Australia, it measures 20 milliliters. This discrepancy can result in culinary conundrums, especially in international recipes.
Beyond the kitchen, the tablespoon is often used in pharmaceuticals to measure liquid medicine doses and in the sciences for informal yet practical measurements. Fun fact: a tablespoon of water weighs about half an ounce, which can be a neat trick to estimate small weights without a scale.
The quart, a unit of volume, has a historical significance connected to the diverse measurement systems used worldwide. Originating from the Latin word “quartus,” meaning a fourth part, it was historically defined as a quarter of a gallon. Interestingly, the quart’s size varies significantly depending on the system of measurement – the US customary quart is roughly 946 milliliters, while the UK (Imperial) quart is larger, at approximately 1,136 milliliters. This divergence traces back to the early 19th century when Britain standardized the Imperial units, leading to these distinctions.
Beyond its historical context, the quart’s everyday application is ubiquitous in cooking and grocery shopping. In the US, you’re likely to encounter it for measuring liquids such as milk, while in the UK, liters overshadow the use of quarts today. Whether you’re in the kitchen or exploring historical measurements, the quart serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of measurement standards evolving across cultures and time.
Tablespoons | Quarts |
---|---|
0
Tbs
|
0
qt
|
1
Tbs
|
0.015625
qt
|
2
Tbs
|
0.03125
qt
|
3
Tbs
|
0.046875
qt
|
4
Tbs
|
0.0625
qt
|
5
Tbs
|
0.078125
qt
|
6
Tbs
|
0.09375
qt
|
7
Tbs
|
0.109375
qt
|
8
Tbs
|
0.125
qt
|
9
Tbs
|
0.140625
qt
|
10
Tbs
|
0.15625
qt
|
11
Tbs
|
0.171875
qt
|
12
Tbs
|
0.1875
qt
|
13
Tbs
|
0.203125
qt
|
14
Tbs
|
0.21875
qt
|
15
Tbs
|
0.234375
qt
|
16
Tbs
|
0.25
qt
|
17
Tbs
|
0.265625
qt
|
18
Tbs
|
0.28125
qt
|
19
Tbs
|
0.296875
qt
|
20
Tbs
|
0.3125
qt
|
21
Tbs
|
0.328125
qt
|
22
Tbs
|
0.34375
qt
|
23
Tbs
|
0.359375
qt
|
24
Tbs
|
0.375
qt
|
25
Tbs
|
0.390625
qt
|
26
Tbs
|
0.40625
qt
|
27
Tbs
|
0.421875
qt
|
28
Tbs
|
0.4375
qt
|
29
Tbs
|
0.453125
qt
|
30
Tbs
|
0.46875
qt
|
31
Tbs
|
0.484375
qt
|
32
Tbs
|
0.5
qt
|
33
Tbs
|
0.515625
qt
|
34
Tbs
|
0.53125
qt
|
35
Tbs
|
0.546875
qt
|
36
Tbs
|
0.5625
qt
|
37
Tbs
|
0.578125
qt
|
38
Tbs
|
0.59375
qt
|
39
Tbs
|
0.609375
qt
|
40
Tbs
|
0.625
qt
|
41
Tbs
|
0.640625
qt
|
42
Tbs
|
0.65625
qt
|
43
Tbs
|
0.671875
qt
|
44
Tbs
|
0.6875
qt
|
45
Tbs
|
0.703125
qt
|
46
Tbs
|
0.71875
qt
|
47
Tbs
|
0.734375
qt
|
48
Tbs
|
0.75
qt
|
49
Tbs
|
0.765625
qt
|
50
Tbs
|
0.78125
qt
|
51
Tbs
|
0.796875
qt
|
52
Tbs
|
0.8125
qt
|
53
Tbs
|
0.828125
qt
|
54
Tbs
|
0.84375
qt
|
55
Tbs
|
0.859375
qt
|
56
Tbs
|
0.875
qt
|
57
Tbs
|
0.890625
qt
|
58
Tbs
|
0.90625
qt
|
59
Tbs
|
0.921875
qt
|
60
Tbs
|
0.9375
qt
|
61
Tbs
|
0.953125
qt
|
62
Tbs
|
0.96875
qt
|
63
Tbs
|
0.984375
qt
|
64
Tbs
|
1
qt
|
65
Tbs
|
1.01563
qt
|
66
Tbs
|
1.03125
qt
|
67
Tbs
|
1.04688
qt
|
68
Tbs
|
1.0625
qt
|
69
Tbs
|
1.07813
qt
|
70
Tbs
|
1.09375
qt
|
71
Tbs
|
1.10938
qt
|
72
Tbs
|
1.125
qt
|
73
Tbs
|
1.14063
qt
|
74
Tbs
|
1.15625
qt
|
75
Tbs
|
1.17188
qt
|
76
Tbs
|
1.1875
qt
|
77
Tbs
|
1.20313
qt
|
78
Tbs
|
1.21875
qt
|
79
Tbs
|
1.23438
qt
|
80
Tbs
|
1.25
qt
|
81
Tbs
|
1.26563
qt
|
82
Tbs
|
1.28125
qt
|
83
Tbs
|
1.29688
qt
|
84
Tbs
|
1.3125
qt
|
85
Tbs
|
1.32813
qt
|
86
Tbs
|
1.34375
qt
|
87
Tbs
|
1.35938
qt
|
88
Tbs
|
1.375
qt
|
89
Tbs
|
1.39063
qt
|
90
Tbs
|
1.40625
qt
|
91
Tbs
|
1.42188
qt
|
92
Tbs
|
1.4375
qt
|
93
Tbs
|
1.45313
qt
|
94
Tbs
|
1.46875
qt
|
95
Tbs
|
1.48438
qt
|
96
Tbs
|
1.5
qt
|
97
Tbs
|
1.51563
qt
|
98
Tbs
|
1.53125
qt
|
99
Tbs
|
1.54688
qt
|
100
Tbs
|
1.5625
qt
|
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