The Metric System

[p_brownstone]

<snip>

Here's a question: Do you think that the imperial (actually US - Imperial is slightly different in some units - like pints particularly) system has survived in the US because it is easier to use than metric, or because it is more difficult?

It has survived in the US because people don't like change.

Its part of what we call American Exceptionalism. Your rules and measures don't apply to us. We're special! Next ...

Personally I believe the US is inching towards the Metric System.

(just trying to lighten the atmosphere!)

Patrick

[Travel2003]

Its not because I grew up with the Metric system, but it seems a bit easier to learn when every thing is about 10s.

Particularly when one is young and know we have 10 fingers. Kind of made it easier.

Moving the comma this or that way. M is Mega (million), K is Kilo (1000),etc. Which is already used in the Imperial system.

But I guess what people are used to is the easiest to use.

Would have been nice to have a common system.

[gregb]

What's really fun is to tell the barber you want your hair cut "braman song new" (ประมาณ 2 นิ้ว) and hold up 2 fingers. Then watch the guy try and figure out if you meant 2 inches or the width of 2 fingers, which is about 2 centimeters.

The confusion is worth the 60 baht if he gets it wrong, and your hair will always grow back anyway.

I guess I just get entertained by the little things. Unit conversions can be a joy all to themselves. I also get a real kick out of telling my folks back home my land is about 1 rai. When they inevitably ask "what's a rai?" It's 400 talang wah silly. Everyone knows that.

Needless to say, I don't get invited to parties.

[basinboy]

In the UK it is now illegal to sell produce in pounds and ounces, get prosecuted for it. They are trying to get rid of the good ol' English pint, and l am sure it will happen as any UK government bends over backwards to implement anything non-British and bow to Brussels.

Surely Brussels can't prevent beer being sold in 600ml measures, anyway it will still taste the same.

[onnut]

America is merely 1 country yet you compare it to a continent- the other 6 billion people don't care what 1 country uses.

Oh how very wrong you are. The businessmen among those 6 billion other people care very much about using the correct measurements when buying or selling products to or from the world's largest economy and largest importer of goods.

You mean the most in debt economy in the world don't you? Your response is exactly what you'd expect off some Americans.

You might want to google your ass-umptions before you make an 'ass' out of yourself.

http://en.wikipedia...._by_public_debt

http://www.nationmas...omy-public-debt

http://www.mapsofwor...n-debt-map.html

(I hope I didn't make a typical American response...)

Small man syndrome! I think we have a new saying guys, The American man syndrome!

[prometheus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter

"The loss of the craft was the result of several factors, including a design flaw that resulted in asymmetric torque, software errors in the small forces model, and management inattention.

The metric/US customary units mix-up that destroyed the craft was caused by a human error in the software development.^[1] The thrusters on the spacecraft, which were intended to control its rate of rotation, were controlled by a computer that underestimated the effect of the thrusters by a factor of 4.45. This is the ratio between a pound force (the standard unit of force in the United States customary units system) and a newton (the standard unit in the metric system). The software was working in pounds force, while the spacecraft expected figures in newtons; 1 pound force equals approximately 4.45 newtons."

[Fookhaht]

Personally I believe the metric system is superior, only in that it is based on the number 10 and a lot easier to calculate.

I am an American and have lived in the US system of measuring all my life,my brain is trained to visualize concepts in those terms, when I am told that a property is 1/4 of an acre and 70x125 feet, I immediately have a mental picture and know what can be done with it, the same applies to other measurements, a person who is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weights 160 LBS is immediately familiar to me,

When I cant use the Metric system, it is not because I am an Idiot, I know " centi" to be 100, Kilo to be 1.000 and deca to be 10, and if I think about it I can covert measurements from metric to US and back , but instinctively my brain can visualize in US measuring terms.

Hard to teach an Old dog new Tricks, I suspect the same applies to people using the Metric system.

Although taught the metric system in the USA in 7th grade, the knowledge was lost quickly because we didn't use it.

However, in my 40's, when faced with the new task of exporting home building materials to Japanese customers, this old dog QUICKLY learned new tricks. Necessity is often the mother of (not invention, but...) learning new tricks! And yes, working only in the metric system seems much easier, but the conversions between metric and imperial got quite scary at times--especially when we had to calculate things like pounds per square inch tolerance and density readings into metric terms (I have not an ounce/gram of scientific training beyond high school).

Now living in Thailand, I'm as much at home with the metric system as the imperial system, and mentally can visualize both quite easily. It's just a matter of necessity, constant exposure, and practice! Thankfully, not a matter of age...so far.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Fookhaht

[kalasin]

anyone who has taken a 3rd grade science class knows the basic metric system and knows that 1 kilometer = 1000 meters and 1 kilo = 1000 grams.

1 kilo = 1000

1 kg = 1 kilogram = 1000 g (gram)

[Fookhaht]

Before WW 3 starts again on this forum, download the little conversion program which can be found on the link. It is for free, helpful, no viruses and will convert almost everything.

http://joshmadison.c...rt-for-windows/

Thanks! Nifty!

[lomatopo]

It is disappointing that one 45 year old American woman has forgotten the meaning of the prefix "kilo-", and also doesn't remember the basics of the SI measurement system. If she was educated in the U.S. then she should have been exposed to the SI system starting in 6th grade (possibly earlier in weather-related topics) Science classes, and then multiple more times in follow-on Science classes, and possibly Chemistry and Physics classes, through the 12th grade.

All states are different; in my home state the SI system is mandated for 6th grade Science class. Obviously it would be nice if we had made the transition back in the late 60's/early 70's (I could have saved a lot of money on tools!) but it certainly hasn't been a huge problem. I mean we have different languages and we all somehow get by.