what's with the wacky US unit system?

[Halogen]

i understand that the US system can work for you but how do you do physics and stuff?
some of the base measurements of physics are these:
meter
gram
second
coulomb
degree celius
i forgot the rest

the US uses feet and yards instead of meters, ounces and pounds instead of grams and kilograms, degrees ferenheit (it's hard to spell) instead of celcius
how can you actually figure crap out if everything is against you?

as a side note, what is the US temperature system even based on? Celius is based on water, Kelvin is based on water too but starts at absolute zero instead of freezing point of water

 

[Napta]

Metric rocks

 

[N8Magic]

Metric, w00t!

 

[gopunk]

fahrenheit - 100 degrees was supposed to be body temp (obviously not the case), and 0 was supposed to be absolute zero (off by a few hundred).

as for how do you do physics? it's the same as metric... just because units are different doesn't make the theories different. metric just makes it easier because everything is in 10's and crap, that's all.

 

[Napta]

yu[

 

[Napta]

yup

 

[Mustangrrl]

We're remedial.
~robyn

 

[Heisenberg]

Anytime we do scientific stuff we always use the SI system. Eventually you just learn to switch back and forth without any effort. The Fahrenheit system is based on the human body temperature for 100 degrees (only he messed up and body temperature is 98.6) and the freezing point of an equal ice-salt mixture (0 degrees). The interval between 32 and 212 (freezing and boiling) is 180, a common number in math.

 

[notfred]

farenheit - several hundred years ago when this was devised, 0 degrees was the coldest that it's creator could make something. So, basically, he made the coldest thing he could, and marked that as 0 on his scale.

As far as what the US system is based on - it's based on very old standards. It's been around far longer than metric, and we're able to get by jsut fine with it. I don't see why people complain about it so much.

As far as physics - most lab calculations are done with the metric system.

 

[Lars]

The metric system rules.

 

[notfred]

<< The metric system rules. >>



It has no character, it's too predictable

 

[gopunk]

<<

<< The metric system rules. >>


It has no character, it's too predictable >>



damn straight!

 

[bigalt]

american engineering units!

 

[DaLeroy]

I had a big whinge about this a few months back on here, and generated a lot of 'responses'

I'll see if I can find the thread....

 

[kt]

 

[Anubis]

ima physics major in college and we stay as far away from the damn us system as possiable. we only use the metrric like the rest of the world. makes things easier.

 

[koulouty]

Mr. Celsius and Mr. Fahrenheit are hanging out one summer day.
Mr. Fahrenheit says to Mr. Celsius, "Man, it's hot today."
Mr. Celsius replies, "No it's not."

 

[Anubis]

oh and as for how a greman invented it and we use it is probilly due to the fact the way back when we decided to make a standard language for this great new land of ours german missed being our national language by 1 vote to english of corse.

 

[Cheese78CA]

<< As far as what the US system is based on - it's based on very old standards. It's been around far longer than metric, and we're able to get by jsut fine with it. I don't see why people complain about it so much. >>



Because it costs us a ton of money to convert the same units to the metric units the rest of the world uses. Even the British abandoned the old English system.

 

[Amused]

I have a US unit. It's bigger than yours.

 

[Ns1]

<< I have a US unit. It's bigger than yours >>



aaahahahahaa

 

[Ronstang]

When I went to college in the US all physics/chemistry/other science calculations were done in both the US and the Metric system. We had to learn both and how to convert between the 2, so I guess we are not as efficient but smarter.

 

[Elledan]

<< When I went to college in the US all physics/chemistry/other science calculations were done in both the US and the Metric system. We had to learn both and how to convert between the 2, so I guess we are not as efficient but smarter. >>

Or just stubborn/stupid

The metric system is more logical than any empirical system, no one can deny that. Empirical measurements are quickly becoming obsolete, so it'll be only a matter of time before everyone uses it.

By the way, remember that spaceprobe which malfunctioned because the designers had messed up some metric and empirical measurements? Apparently Americans aren't so smart after all

 

[Ronstang]

<< Or just stubborn/stupid >>



I find it rather humorous when someone from the Netherlands accuses someone else of being stubborn.

 

[Asha'man]

<<

<< Or just stubborn/stupid >>



I find it rather humorous when someone from the Netherlands accuses someone else of being stubborn. >>




say what ?