Convert Dessertspoon (UK) (dessertspoon (UK)) to Petaliter (PL) instantly.
About these units
Dessertspoon (UK) (dessertspoon (UK))
A UK dessertspoon traditionally holds 10 milliliters, exactly double a teaspoon and two-thirds of a tablespoon. It served as an intermediate measure in older British recipes, frequently used before strict metrication took hold. Historically, its capacity varied between 8–12 mL, reflecting differences in cutlery styles and household practices. Many Victorian and Edwardian cookbooks reference dessertspoons extensively, making familiarity with the unit essential for culinary historians. Although largely obsolete in modern British cooking, the dessertspoon survives in heritage recipes, some baking traditions, and specialized kitchen contexts where small-to-medium quantities of liquid or spice must be measured.
Petaliter (PL)
A petaliter represents 10¹⁵ liters, a massive unit used to quantify the total water content of oceans, polar ice sheets, or planetary atmospheres. Oceanographers may describe the Pacific Ocean's volume or the total ice volume of Antarctica in petaliters; these scales cannot be expressed meaningfully in smaller units without imposing huge, impractical numbers. The PL is also sometimes used in astronomy to approximate ocean-like features on other worlds, such as subsurface oceans on Europa or Enceladus. It represents one of the largest practical volumetric units before entering pure theoretical measurement.