The three countries that don't use the metric system

[BoomerD]

Whenever we measure anything we have, when we check our speed limits we haven't purely because 70mph /30 mph we are used to and changing to KPH would be a pain.

Y'see? There's our argument as well...changing would be a pain.

 

[lxskllr]

Wow really?! I just assumed it was used in maths heavy environments....?

Construction is a mix of imperial, and decimal feet. I can deal with decimal feet, but it isn't accurate enough. The smallest measurement(on a ruler) is .01', roughly 1/8". Not accurate enough.

 

[DaTT]

Construction is still Imperial, at least in Canada. You buy 2"x4"s for example.

Yes, materials will never change over....but if you actually measure a 2x4, it's not 2" by 4" either.

 

[Matt915]

How do you figure we don't use the metric system? I can go out to my socket set and find plenty of metric pieces. The last time I wrenched on my Corvette, it used either 11mm or 7mm sockets. It might not be a standard across everything, but it is used here. It is also harder to change something like a measurement system for a country with 300 million people and such a large land mass. Guess when you live on an island, you don't understand the enormity of things.

I agree with this. It's not like there's 2 million people in our country or something. The amount of infrastructure we'd have to change (signs, speedometers on things like buses/trollies/trains) along with re-educating people all over again would take forever. Maybe if they actually taught the generation entering school now the metric system AND imperial....and then the generation after just metric it'd work, but it'd probably be like a 60 year change over

 

[sdifox]

Yes, materials will never change over....but if you actually measure a 2x4, it's not 2" by 4" either.

whatever was sawn off, you bought :biggrin:

 

[DaTT]

Whenever we measure anything we have, when we check our speed limits we haven't purely because 70mph /30 mph we are used to and changing to KPH would be a pain.

We managed to do it just fine...

 

[HAL9000]

I agree with this. It's not like there's 2 million people in our country or something. The amount of infrastructure we'd have to change (signs, speedometers on things like buses/trollies/trains) along with re-educating people all over again would take forever. Maybe if they actually taught the generation entering school now the metric system AND imperial....and then the generation after just metric it'd work, but it'd probably be like a 60 year change over

Just out of curiosity are you from America? If so are you saying you think "there's like 2 million people" in the country?!

 

[lxskllr]

Architectural drawings are not done in metric? That would be hell to read.

I mentioned that above. The math can't even be made to work because of the fucked up measurements. Architectural drawings are the worst.

 

[HAL9000]

We managed to do it just fine...

Yep, no idea why we haven't.

 

[DaTT]

Construction is a mix of imperial, and decimal feet. I can deal with decimal feet, but it isn't accurate enough. The smallest measurement(on a ruler) is .01', roughly 1/8". Not accurate enough.

1/8" is plenty accurate for construction

 

[lxskllr]

1/8" is plenty accurate for construction

Not when it's your job to add up the dimensions, and make things right for the item to be installed. Especially when your dealing with lots of steel.

 

[DaTT]

I mentioned that above. The math can't even be made to work because of the fucked up measurements. Architectural drawings are the worst.

Thats awful.

Not going to lie, when I worked in construction, I used imperial for the ease of calling out numbers when laying out walls and such. My tape always had metric and imperial.

 

[sdifox]

Not when it's your job to add up the dimensions, and make things right for the item to be installed. Especially when your dealing with lots of steel.

try physics calculations in Imperial

:shudder:

 

[DaTT]

Not when it's your job to add up the dimensions, and make things right for the item to be installed. Especially when your dealing with lots of steel.

OK, you're right. I should not have assumed. It was plenty accurate for my job when I worked in the field. Metric would be so much easier for you to use.

 

[sdifox]

OK, you're right. I should not have assumed. It was plenty accurate for my job when I worked in the field. Metric would be so much easier for you to use.

you probably use chainsaw as your cut to size tool...

 

[Matt915]

Just out of curiosity are you from America? If so are you saying you think "there's like 2 million people" in the country?!

No No, I'm saying we have almost 400 million people over here, it'd be a huge task to change over. In China in the 1920s how many people actually used imperial or metric?? We have a country of 400 million where eeeeveryone uses imperial.

 

[lxskllr]

OK, you're right. I should not have assumed. It was plenty accurate for my job when I worked in the field. Metric would be so much easier for you to use.

1/8" is ok for most final installation accuracy, but small errors can add up quickly when you have to do math on multiple dimensions, and get it all to work together. I like the math to be perfect when starting out. That way you know where you stand. If the math is wrong in the first, and then you throw construction errors on top of that, things can get bad very quickly.

 

[HAL9000]

No No, I'm saying we have almost 400 million people over here, it'd be a huge task to change over. In China in the 1920s how many people actually used imperial or metric?? We have a country of 400 million where eeeeveryone uses imperial.

Ahh OK.

 

[techs]

The metric system is a communist plot.

 

[HAL9000]

The metric system is a communist plot.

America thinks everything else in the world is a communist plot.

 

[DrPizza]

I find it hard to understand how anyone, at any point in history, at any time in their lives, could find it better to use the Imperial system rather than the metric system. The reason we count in base 10 is because we have 10 fingers. So why not have a measurement system that measures increments in powers of 10? We do not count in base 12, 3, 1760, 20, 8, 16, and 14 all at once. In case you were wondering:

12 inches in a foot
3 feet in a yard
1760 yards in a mile
20 fl. ounce in a pint
8 pints to a gallon
16 ounces to a pound
14 pounds to a stone

I know you're just making a point, but I can't believe no one has pointed out yet (and you've even been quoted) that there are 16 fluid ounces in a pint. The 20 ounce thing is a UK thing. They stick an extra unnecessary letter in words like "colour," and they stick an extra 4 ounces in a pint. Actually, it's a good thing, if you go down to the pub and order a pint.

 

[HAL9000]

I know you're just making a point, but I can't believe no one has pointed out yet (and you've even been quoted) that there are 16 fluid ounces in a pint. The 20 ounce thing is a UK thing. They stick an extra unnecessary letter in words like "colour," and they stick an extra 4 ounces in a pint. Actually, it's a good thing, if you go down to the pub and order a pint.

Colour is a french word, it wasn't us.

 

[IronWing]

America thinks everything else in the world is a communist plot.

It's a time saver.

 

[IronWing]

Colour is a french word, it wasn't us.

What's that military rank just below captain?

 

[HAL9000]

What's that military rank just below captain?

Sub-Lieutenant | Flying Officer | First Lieutenant | Lieutenant

Depending on branch of the military.

http://homepages.shu.ac.uk/~acsdry/ranks.htm