Resources for Moving to the USA
Before you and your family begin your adventure in America, travel nurses moving to the USA can get more information about American life below:
American Money
American bills are the same size regardless of face value. The most common bills are $1, $5, $10 and $20. American coins have the following value:
- There are 100 pennies (cents) to one dollar ($1). Pennies are small and copper colored.
- There are 20 nickels to one dollar. A nickel is silver and larger than a penny. Nickels are worth 5 cents or 5 pennies.
- There are 10 dimes to one dollar. A dime is smaller than a penny but made of silver. A dime is worth 10 cents or 10 pennies.
- There are 4 quarters to one dollar. A quarter is silver and larger than a nickel. A quarter is worth 25 cents or 25 pennies.
Voltage
American standard voltage is between 110-115 volts. Most likely your plug-in appliances from abroad will not work in the U.S. You can purchase an adapter at a hardware store or you can purchase new equipment at reasonable prices once you arrive in America. Visit the What to Pack section for more information about household appliances.
Temperature
America uses the Fahrenheit temperature as opposed to Celsius. Typical temperatures are:
Water Freezes: 0° Celsius or 32° Fahrenheit
Normal Body Temperature: 34° Celsius or 98.6° Fahrenheit
Water Boils: 100° Celsius or 212° Fahrenheit
Formula for converting Fahrenheit to Celsius:
To convert a Fahrenheit temperature of 98.6 degrees into Celsius subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature to get 66.6. Then multiply 66.6 by five-ninths (0.56) to get 37 degrees Celsius.
Formula for converting Celsius to Fahrenheit:
To convert a Celsius temperature of 100 degrees into Fahrenheit, multiply the Celsius temperature by nine-fifths (1.8) to get 180. Then add 32 to 180 to get 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
Weights and Measures
America uses a measurement system called the U.S. customary system, which consists of the following:
Distance
- 1 inch is about 2.5 centimeters
- There are 12 inches in one foot
- There are 3 feet in one yard
- There are 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet in one mile
Volume (Liquid)
- 1 ounce is about 29.57 milliliters
- There are 8 ounces in a cup
- There are 2 cups in a pint
- There are 4 quarts in a gallon
- There are 4 quarts in a gallon
Weight
- 1 ounce is about 28.35 grams
- There are 16 ounces in one pound
- There are 2,000 pounds in one ton
