Metric system or U.S. Standard?

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I prefer the English system of measurement. Especially for temperature measurement, more precise. (Note that precision is not a reflection of accuracy, precision is a result of having more available reference points.) Since Fahrenheit has 180 degrees between the freezing and boiling point of water while Centigrade has only 100, Fahrenheit is by definition more precise.

I'll grant that the Metric system is easier, but it is easier in the same way that an automatic transmission is easier than a standard. The automatic is much easier, but the standard is not some incredible paragon of difficulty. In the same way, Metric is easier than English, but English is far from a paragon of difficulty.

ZV

You've thought about this way too much.

 

[Shelly21]

Metric system is better....but won't work in football

"Delay of game, offense, 5.58 meters"

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Shelly21
Metric system is better....but won't work in football

"Delay of game, offense, 5.58 meters"

6.1023622 yards?

Must be Canadian football!

 

[rahvin]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: rahvin

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I prefer the English system of measurement. Especially for temperature measurement, more precise. (Note that precision is not a reflection of accuracy, precision is a result of having more available reference points.) Since Fahrenheit has 180 degrees between the freezing and boiling point of water while Centigrade has only 100, Fahrenheit is by definition more precise.

I'll grant that the Metric system is easier, but it is easier in the same way that an automatic transmission is easier than a standard. The automatic is much easier, but the standard is not some incredible paragon of difficulty. In the same way, Metric is easier than English, but English is far from a paragon of difficulty.

ZV

actually, it is the Paradigm of difficulty when comparing measuring systems. is it as difficult as say becoming an OPTHOMOLOGISTS? no, is it about as difficult as possible where measuring systems go, YES??

No in their right mind would create such a system. if you had to learn the whole system from scratch knowing NOTHING about it, it would be a pain in the @ss.

12 inches to a foot?? A FOOT?? WTF A foot?

2 cups to a pint but 4 quarts to a gallon?? WTF is up with that?

a pound is HOW many ounces??

comparing that to the metric system where EVERYTHING is based on 10.

how can you claim it ISN'T the paradigm of difficulty?

I prefer the foot to the meter. It's a better base measurement. My foot wearing a shoe is roughly one foot, this makes it pretty easy for me to pace off a distance. In addition the distance between my knuckles on my index finger is roughly an inch, makes it easy to measure things without a tape measure. These are things people who build stuff know and why IMO US Customary is better than metric for everything but doing engineering or calculations.

that means nothing. you could just as easily say that the distance between knuckles on your index finger is roughly 3 cm, that your foot is approximately 30 cm. those are just things that you accustom yourself too.

to say that justifies making sense of something that is totally ludicrous is stupid.


let's say we changed the metric system to make things easier for americans, instead of using the wavelength . . . that they currently use to measure 1 meter, let's say that 1 ft = 10 cm.

now, everything is easy again right? it's arbitrary. but what DOESN'T make sense is using all sorts of arbitrary numbers, 1 pts = quart, 16 oz = lb . . .

All measurements are arbitrary numbers by definition. What you appear to actually be disagreeing with is that the US Customary system is not based off base 10. I know it makes it a little more difficult to count with your fingers and toes but not being base 10 is not something to get all worked up about.

 

[WolverineGator]

I visited my congresswoman in Washington DC and I asked her aid when are we going to wholly convert to the metric system. He told me a bill is introduced every year, but it gets killed every time.

The US birth certificate (common to all 50 states starting in 2004) accepts birth weight in grams our pounds + ounces. In my work I see spikes every 28.4 grams because to convert from ounces to grams, hospital workers are multipling by the conversion factor of 28.4!

My dad works for the state of Florida DOT, which spent millions of dollars converting design plans etc. to metric. Now they're spending millions more going back to US units.

Let's not think about bicycles: most bolts are 5mm and 6mm, but frame sizes are typically 15", 17", and 19" with 1.25" head tube sizes!

It's not sufficient to list things in both US and metric, such as speed limit signs: 65 mph / 104.6 kph. We need to round off using metric units. Speed limit: 100 kph / 62 mph. In other words, we can't just slap metric on as an afterthought. Metric needs to be the base unit and units need to be conveniently rounded.

As for football... we need to use 100 meter fields

 

[Armitage]

At work it's all metric ... unlike some other astrodynamics shops.

Other then that ... a mix. You go to home depot and ask for a 5.1x10.2x2.44 and they'll likely look at you funny.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Cyberian

Originally posted by: Spencer278
The metric system sucks for measuring most things because it is handicapped by the base 10 stuff where the english system just makes up units that are a conventant length. Like the soda can 12 oz or 355 ml who cares the precision of there soda to 3 siginifiacant figures anyway. The biggest flaw in the metric system is it requires larger number before the unit compared to the english system. Sure the metric system is useful when doing conversion but how often do I do conversions I think never unless it is in a class

How many cubic feet are there in a room that's 11' 5&3/4" X 10' 7&11/16 X 7' 11&3/8" ??

How many cubic meters in a room 3.7M X 3.4M X 2.4M ??

My mind blew up when I read teh cubic feet question...

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Spencer278

Originally posted by: Ornery
I found the plywood measurements:

• 2500 x 1250 mm or 2440 x 1220 mm
  98.42" x 49.21" or 96" x 48"

I like saying 4x8 better!

Thats what I've been try to tell them but they don't leason. The metric fan boys would rather have one unit for length then create some pseudo units that are really just the same so they can clam it is easy to convert between them.

Give me some of that crack.

 

[bandana163]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Spencer278

Originally posted by: Ornery
I found the plywood measurements:

• 2500 x 1250 mm or 2440 x 1220 mm
  98.42" x 49.21" or 96" x 48"

I like saying 4x8 better!

Thats what I've been try to tell them but they don't leason. The metric fan boys would rather have one unit for length then create some pseudo units that are really just the same so they can clam it is easy to convert between them.

Give me some of that crack.

Good stuff, indeed

 

[DT4K]

Metric is vastly better. That is obvious to anyone who has ever done science or engineering problems.

But as long as we keep using both systems, people will never adapt because everyone in the U.S. has grown up using english units.

What we need is not a slow change, but an immediate total change to metric for everything.

This will force people to adapt and in a year or two, everyone will be used to thinking about how many kph they can go over the speed limit before they get a ticket.

 

[Spencer278]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: rahvin

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I prefer the English system of measurement. Especially for temperature measurement, more precise. (Note that precision is not a reflection of accuracy, precision is a result of having more available reference points.) Since Fahrenheit has 180 degrees between the freezing and boiling point of water while Centigrade has only 100, Fahrenheit is by definition more precise.

I'll grant that the Metric system is easier, but it is easier in the same way that an automatic transmission is easier than a standard. The automatic is much easier, but the standard is not some incredible paragon of difficulty. In the same way, Metric is easier than English, but English is far from a paragon of difficulty.

ZV

actually, it is the Paradigm of difficulty when comparing measuring systems. is it as difficult as say becoming an OPTHOMOLOGISTS? no, is it about as difficult as possible where measuring systems go, YES??

No in their right mind would create such a system. if you had to learn the whole system from scratch knowing NOTHING about it, it would be a pain in the @ss.

12 inches to a foot?? A FOOT?? WTF A foot?

2 cups to a pint but 4 quarts to a gallon?? WTF is up with that?

a pound is HOW many ounces??

comparing that to the metric system where EVERYTHING is based on 10.

how can you claim it ISN'T the paradigm of difficulty?

I prefer the foot to the meter. It's a better base measurement. My foot wearing a shoe is roughly one foot, this makes it pretty easy for me to pace off a distance. In addition the distance between my knuckles on my index finger is roughly an inch, makes it easy to measure things without a tape measure. These are things people who build stuff know and why IMO US Customary is better than metric for everything but doing engineering or calculations.

that means nothing. you could just as easily say that the distance between knuckles on your index finger is roughly 3 cm, that your foot is approximately 30 cm. those are just things that you accustom yourself too.

to say that justifies making sense of something that is totally ludicrous is stupid.


let's say we changed the metric system to make things easier for americans, instead of using the wavelength . . . that they currently use to measure 1 meter, let's say that 1 ft = 10 cm.

now, everything is easy again right? it's arbitrary. but what DOESN'T make sense is using all sorts of arbitrary numbers, 1 pts = quart, 16 oz = lb . . .

ok you can count off 10 feet using metric
30 cm, 60 cm, 90 cm 120cm 150cm 180m 210m 240cm 270cm 300cm
The same in feet would be 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 I will let you be the decided which is easyer.

For the people compling it is hard to convert from 1 pts to quarts and quarts to gallons I ask when was the last time you want to know how many pints are in a gallon outside of school.

 

[Ornery]

I still want to know what plywood and drywall sheet sizes are referred to in Europe? Also, 2x4x8', or 2x4x12'? How would you ask for a quantity two by four eights, or two by four twelves?

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: aircooled
In the 70's and 80's the U.S. school systems tried to teach us the metric system and said it would completely take over in 10 years (that was 20+ years ago and it never happened)

I remember that and it will NEVER happen because mainly of the costs of implementing the metric system would be staggering.


Ausm

 

[Dedpuhl]

Originally posted by: Triumph
All good engineers prefer the Metric system. Try doing thermodynamics with BTU*lbm/hours or some garbage like that.

It would also help auto mechanics if they would just stick with ONE system.

I guess I'm a bad Civil Engineer (intern) because I'm partial to english units. I prefer english units for Hydrology/Hydraulics, geotechnical/foundation design, and Steel/Concrete Design.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: rahvin

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: rahvin

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I prefer the English system of measurement. Especially for temperature measurement, more precise. (Note that precision is not a reflection of accuracy, precision is a result of having more available reference points.) Since Fahrenheit has 180 degrees between the freezing and boiling point of water while Centigrade has only 100, Fahrenheit is by definition more precise.

I'll grant that the Metric system is easier, but it is easier in the same way that an automatic transmission is easier than a standard. The automatic is much easier, but the standard is not some incredible paragon of difficulty. In the same way, Metric is easier than English, but English is far from a paragon of difficulty.

ZV

actually, it is the Paradigm of difficulty when comparing measuring systems. is it as difficult as say becoming an OPTHOMOLOGISTS? no, is it about as difficult as possible where measuring systems go, YES??

No in their right mind would create such a system. if you had to learn the whole system from scratch knowing NOTHING about it, it would be a pain in the @ss.

12 inches to a foot?? A FOOT?? WTF A foot?

2 cups to a pint but 4 quarts to a gallon?? WTF is up with that?

a pound is HOW many ounces??

comparing that to the metric system where EVERYTHING is based on 10.

how can you claim it ISN'T the paradigm of difficulty?

I prefer the foot to the meter. It's a better base measurement. My foot wearing a shoe is roughly one foot, this makes it pretty easy for me to pace off a distance. In addition the distance between my knuckles on my index finger is roughly an inch, makes it easy to measure things without a tape measure. These are things people who build stuff know and why IMO US Customary is better than metric for everything but doing engineering or calculations.

that means nothing. you could just as easily say that the distance between knuckles on your index finger is roughly 3 cm, that your foot is approximately 30 cm. those are just things that you accustom yourself too.

to say that justifies making sense of something that is totally ludicrous is stupid.


let's say we changed the metric system to make things easier for americans, instead of using the wavelength . . . that they currently use to measure 1 meter, let's say that 1 ft = 10 cm.

now, everything is easy again right? it's arbitrary. but what DOESN'T make sense is using all sorts of arbitrary numbers, 1 pts = quart, 16 oz = lb . . .

All measurements are arbitrary numbers by definition. What you appear to actually be disagreeing with is that the US Customary system is not based off base 10. I know it makes it a little more difficult to count with your fingers and toes but not being base 10 is not something to get all worked up about.

wrong, i'm not getting worked up because it isn't base ten but because it isn't base ANYTHING, it's arbitrary, or appears arbitrary at this point.

do base 6 instead of base 10 if you want, at least it will be consistent.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Spencer278

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: rahvin

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I prefer the English system of measurement. Especially for temperature measurement, more precise. (Note that precision is not a reflection of accuracy, precision is a result of having more available reference points.) Since Fahrenheit has 180 degrees between the freezing and boiling point of water while Centigrade has only 100, Fahrenheit is by definition more precise.

I'll grant that the Metric system is easier, but it is easier in the same way that an automatic transmission is easier than a standard. The automatic is much easier, but the standard is not some incredible paragon of difficulty. In the same way, Metric is easier than English, but English is far from a paragon of difficulty.

ZV

actually, it is the Paradigm of difficulty when comparing measuring systems. is it as difficult as say becoming an OPTHOMOLOGISTS? no, is it about as difficult as possible where measuring systems go, YES??

No in their right mind would create such a system. if you had to learn the whole system from scratch knowing NOTHING about it, it would be a pain in the @ss.

12 inches to a foot?? A FOOT?? WTF A foot?

2 cups to a pint but 4 quarts to a gallon?? WTF is up with that?

a pound is HOW many ounces??

comparing that to the metric system where EVERYTHING is based on 10.

how can you claim it ISN'T the paradigm of difficulty?

I prefer the foot to the meter. It's a better base measurement. My foot wearing a shoe is roughly one foot, this makes it pretty easy for me to pace off a distance. In addition the distance between my knuckles on my index finger is roughly an inch, makes it easy to measure things without a tape measure. These are things people who build stuff know and why IMO US Customary is better than metric for everything but doing engineering or calculations.

that means nothing. you could just as easily say that the distance between knuckles on your index finger is roughly 3 cm, that your foot is approximately 30 cm. those are just things that you accustom yourself too.

to say that justifies making sense of something that is totally ludicrous is stupid.


let's say we changed the metric system to make things easier for americans, instead of using the wavelength . . . that they currently use to measure 1 meter, let's say that 1 ft = 10 cm.

now, everything is easy again right? it's arbitrary. but what DOESN'T make sense is using all sorts of arbitrary numbers, 1 pts = quart, 16 oz = lb . . .

ok you can count off 10 feet using metric
30 cm, 60 cm, 90 cm 120cm 150cm 180m 210m 240cm 270cm 300cm
The same in feet would be 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 I will let you be the decided which is easyer.

For the people compling it is hard to convert from 1 pts to quarts and quarts to gallons I ask when was the last time you want to know how many pints are in a gallon outside of school.

Nice example. Try counting off 10 meters using imperial.
39.4", 79.8", 118.2"...

 

[mindless1]

LOL.

What's next, we argue about which is the best language to use, and encourage everyone to speak it?

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: MadCowDisease
I'm sorry, but I still to this day have no idea how many quarts are in a gallon, how many ounces are in a pound, or exactly how many feet are in a mile.

Metric is simply so much easier to handle...

Yup. Before Canada went Metric around 1976 I had 3-4 years of school and still didn't know the Imperial System. The Imperial(or American version of it) is based on arbitrary measurements and has no logic to it. When Metric was introduced in 2 weeks I had it down pat.

That said, for everyday conversation I still use "feet" for estimations, though I have forced myself to use cm or Meters. I also tend to use MPG for fuel efficiency, but for temps I always use Celsius. My mixed use is mostly due to having understood some Imperial measurement, what I didn't pick up Metric easily filled the void.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Hey, what sizes are condtruction materials in Europe? How large is a sheet of plywood or drywall? How about floor tile, which are 1' square here? What about a 2x4? Hell, our 2x4s haven't been 2" x 4" for over to 100 years! Shoot, our 2x4s used to be 1 5/8" x 3 5/8" for quite a while. Now they're 1 1/2" x 3 1/2". Why? I don't know!

"2x4"s are not 2 inches x 4 inches , they are approximately 2 inches by 4 inches.

 

[Ornery]

Yeah, but how do Europeans refer to a 4x8 sheet of building material? What do they call a 2x4?

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: Spencer278

Originally posted by: Ornery
I found the plywood measurements:

• 2500 x 1250 mm or 2440 x 1220 mm
  98.42" x 49.21" or 96" x 48"

I like saying 4x8 better!

Thats what I've been try to tell them but they don't leason. The metric fan boys would rather have one unit for length then create some pseudo units that are really just the same so they can clam it is easy to convert between them.

Let's not forget all the uncommon Metric measurement variations. We all are familiar with millimeter, centimeter, kilometer, but there are other *meter types that can be used.

From Meter, the base measurement we have the 1s position.
10s: Decameter
100s: (don't remember)
1000s: Kilometer
....etc

0.1: decimeter
0.01: centimeter
0.001: millimeter
...etc

So you like small numbers? Then Metric is right for you! Buy you 12 gallons(arbitrary number picked for it's common useage) of gas, but note that you could have simplified the situation by buying 5 Decaliters instead!

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
I prefer metric. The US system is just fvcked up.

^^^

i was in elementary school in the 70's when jimmy carter tried to get the US to change, so we learned it young

 

[MithShrike]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
I prefer metric. The US system is just fvcked up.

Damn straight. Do you people know how many times I've had to redo blueprints because of the damned US Standard System?

 

[DrPizza]

This will probably get buried in this thread, but

ALL of you use the metric system.... you just don't realize it.

All of the standards measurements define the metric system... The American system is defined in terms of the metric system, not the other way around. i.e. 1 inch is defined as exactly 2.54 centimeters. They knew how long a centimeter was, *then* defined the American system in terms of it, to get exact measurements.

True definition of an inch? 2.54 centimeters.

 

[Spencer278]

Originally posted by: sandorski

Originally posted by: Spencer278

Originally posted by: Ornery
I found the plywood measurements:

• 2500 x 1250 mm or 2440 x 1220 mm
  98.42" x 49.21" or 96" x 48"

I like saying 4x8 better!

Thats what I've been try to tell them but they don't leason. The metric fan boys would rather have one unit for length then create some pseudo units that are really just the same so they can clam it is easy to convert between them.

Let's not forget all the uncommon Metric measurement variations. We all are familiar with millimeter, centimeter, kilometer, but there are other *meter types that can be used.

From Meter, the base measurement we have the 1s position.
10s: Decameter
100s: (don't remember)
1000s: Kilometer
....etc

0.1: decimeter
0.01: centimeter
0.001: millimeter
...etc

So you like small numbers? Then Metric is right for you! Buy you 12 gallons(arbitrary number picked for it's common useage) of gas, but note that you could have simplified the situation by buying 5 Decaliters instead!

The metric units are just stupidly redudant why bother defining how ever many units that are just a quick way of doing X * 10^y.