Poll: I hate the imperial system. America, I'm looking at you! Give it up, metric is simply better!!!!
- Thread starter ApeShapeDeity
- Start date
I really don't like the metric system. No real reason other than I don't care to learn it, maybe it is because everything is based on a meter. I never did like how it was centimeter or millimeter. I wounder who the guy was that said,"This is a meter and we shall divide it up by 10 and if we need it to be smaller we shall divide by ten a million more times."
I am fine with a centimeter I know its tiny distance but after that I want to know in inches if its more than 12 inches I want to know in feet. I guess that's what I like about the imperial system there's more descriptive words. In metric everything in distance is based off of a meter so half the word never changes. Might seem easier less to remember but I never liked learning that in the imperial system there were larger distances with a totally different name which was easier for me to lean at least.
One thing that I don't get and have not seen once in reading this is a decimeter. I saw millimeter, centimeter, meter, kilometer but never once the 10th of a meter. A guy said he was 193cm why not 19.3dm sounds better not such an oddly large number. For me it seems the number in metric looks and sounds to small or to big for what it stands for.
Also a road sign change from MPH to KPH would suck in my car. As my car does not have the little KPH numbers its from 1988. So if they did a switch I would never pay attention to KPH and if they did a full transition I would have a car in MPH and never know how fast I should go without memorizing a bunch of number I have no care for or do math problems while driving.
All in all though I will never use meter I'm not pursuing a carrier in science or engineering so why should I bother to make the switch because you feel what I prefer is inferior.
I am fine with a centimeter I know its tiny distance but after that I want to know in inches if its more than 12 inches I want to know in feet. I guess that's what I like about the imperial system there's more descriptive words. In metric everything in distance is based off of a meter so half the word never changes. Might seem easier less to remember but I never liked learning that in the imperial system there were larger distances with a totally different name which was easier for me to lean at least.
One thing that I don't get and have not seen once in reading this is a decimeter. I saw millimeter, centimeter, meter, kilometer but never once the 10th of a meter. A guy said he was 193cm why not 19.3dm sounds better not such an oddly large number. For me it seems the number in metric looks and sounds to small or to big for what it stands for.
Also a road sign change from MPH to KPH would suck in my car. As my car does not have the little KPH numbers its from 1988. So if they did a switch I would never pay attention to KPH and if they did a full transition I would have a car in MPH and never know how fast I should go without memorizing a bunch of number I have no care for or do math problems while driving.
All in all though I will never use meter I'm not pursuing a carrier in science or engineering so why should I bother to make the switch because you feel what I prefer is inferior.
WE SHOULD INVENT A NEW SYSTEM FOR DAYS AND WEEKS!emeraldrafael said:
We should. And then everyone should start speaking English, for it is the superior language.
I say this as a Netherlandic person.
I have nothing to say to this. This is hands down the most idiotic and most poorly put together argument I've ever read. Arguing with you is like arguing with a dolphin. There are suggestions of human-like intellect, but it just lacks the faculties to use any kind of understandable language.emeraldrafael said:
Given the anti-science pogrom that's currently running through America, I'd say that blissful ignorance and unwillingness to admit that you're wrong are the only reason this country doesn't switch over to a truly better system.
Standardized units between Metric and Imperial
Time, Voltage, Current, Resistance, Power(Watts), Coulombs, Hertz, Conductance, Impedance, Capacitance.
As for the ton an Imperial ton weighs 2000 lbs. A metric ton weighs 1 Megagram, or 1000 Kilograms. A kilogram weighs 2.2 pounds, so a metric ton weighs 2,200 lbs.
Standardized units between Metric and Imperial
Time, Voltage, Current, Resistance, Power(Watts), Coulombs, Hertz, Conductance, Impedance, Capacitance.
As for the ton an Imperial ton weighs 2000 lbs. A metric ton weighs 1 Megagram, or 1000 Kilograms. A kilogram weighs 2.2 pounds, so a metric ton weighs 2,200 lbs.
Om mijn punt te demonstreren zal ik gebruik maken van een andere taal. Aangezien op dit forum de afspraak bestaat om in het Engels te communiceren zal ik het echter kort houden.
In orther words: communication tends to be better when all speak the same "lingua franca". This is also the reason why the SI system was addopted.
The fact that the SI system was develloped during an age of scientific studies means it was designed to be easy to use for scientific calculations and conversions.
Note to any mod: the foreign language at the beginning was to demonstrate a point.
In orther words: communication tends to be better when all speak the same "lingua franca". This is also the reason why the SI system was addopted.
The fact that the SI system was develloped during an age of scientific studies means it was designed to be easy to use for scientific calculations and conversions.
Note to any mod: the foreign language at the beginning was to demonstrate a point.
Miles > Kilometers.
Gallons > Liters.
And saying six feet tall just sounds better than saying one point eight two eight eight meters tall (or one meter eighty three centimeters).
More seriously though, America does use kilometers for science. In chemistry, physics, biology and math, if your professor caught you using Standard measurements he'd probably ram a meter stick down your throat. We've just been taught Standard, so we get used to it for casual measurements; driving a car, seeing how much a person weighs, etc. It's easier to conceptualize when you're just hanging around, although for any science-oriented student (or employee) in the US it's often just as easy to use the metric system. It's not "better", but its simplicity and the fact that the rest of the world uses it means that it's essential for scientific purposes. For driving a car though? I'd much prefer to say I'm going 90 miles per hour than 145 kph. For some reason it just sounds better.
That and Metric stole my car keys and ran over my dog.
Gallons > Liters.
And saying six feet tall just sounds better than saying one point eight two eight eight meters tall (or one meter eighty three centimeters).
More seriously though, America does use kilometers for science. In chemistry, physics, biology and math, if your professor caught you using Standard measurements he'd probably ram a meter stick down your throat. We've just been taught Standard, so we get used to it for casual measurements; driving a car, seeing how much a person weighs, etc. It's easier to conceptualize when you're just hanging around, although for any science-oriented student (or employee) in the US it's often just as easy to use the metric system. It's not "better", but its simplicity and the fact that the rest of the world uses it means that it's essential for scientific purposes. For driving a car though? I'd much prefer to say I'm going 90 miles per hour than 145 kph. For some reason it just sounds better.
That and Metric stole my car keys and ran over my dog.
This is where it gets complicated. When you say 'imperial ton', you probably mean 'US ton' or 'short ton' (2000lb). What you probably don't mean is 'imperial ton' or 'long ton' (2240lb). Then there is the 'metric ton' or 'tonne'.vxicepickxv said:
I'm American, and yes, Metric makes more sense, but we're never going to change. I can visualize how much a pound is in my head, but I have no idea how much 100 grams is. The change would involve a lot of problems for people who grew up with the system.
11/15 socket? Find me one of those. It goes by 32nds, 16ths, 1/4s, 1/2s...ApeShapeDeity said:I'm an engineer. Imperial measurement is crap. It's nowhere near as useful as a simple base 10 numeric system.
'Pass me an 11/15ths socket please...?'
Come to think of it, it's not just distance. Weight also. Grams. So simple. It translates well through from tiny amounts to colossal masses.
Measure temperatures in centigrade. It's so much more practical! 0 deg C, is freezing, 100 deg C is boiling (water @ 1 ATM) If you don't like that, then at least use kelvin.
Surely the American scientific community use metric? Why can't the rest of America just get on board with the rest of the world?
In short, imperial sucks. Let it die.
P.S. I have no problem with the conversational use of imperial units. It's where, I believe we need a standard, global system for engineering and science.
Edit: there you go spell, nazis... happy? I've fixed the odd mistake and typo. BTW C.o.l.o.u.r.
Edit 2: For further reading.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication - Metrication
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_system - Metric system
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_system - Imperial system
I'm of the mind to leave it more or less how it is now. Metric is valuable when dealing with measurements as they are applied to equations - so in science, manufacturering, etc. This is attributed to its decimalised system.
The problem become for normal every day use. The Imperial measurements are all based on real world approximations. A foot is roughly two lengths of your hand. A yard is an average person's step or length of an arm. The stone, a measurement still in wide use by a lot of you complaining, is likely based on similar real world applications. The mile is about how far someone can walk in hour. This means the common person can make quick, easy and rough approximate measurements without resorting to a tool.
You want to know what metrics is based off of?
The metre was originally 1/10,000,000 distance between the North Pole and Earth's equator as measured along the meridian passing through Paris. Now it's defined as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1⁄299,792,458 of a second.
The gram is currently defined as 1/1000th the weight of a object kept in a secure vault in France.
Yep, those are really practical...
The problem become for normal every day use. The Imperial measurements are all based on real world approximations. A foot is roughly two lengths of your hand. A yard is an average person's step or length of an arm. The stone, a measurement still in wide use by a lot of you complaining, is likely based on similar real world applications. The mile is about how far someone can walk in hour. This means the common person can make quick, easy and rough approximate measurements without resorting to a tool.
You want to know what metrics is based off of?
The metre was originally 1/10,000,000 distance between the North Pole and Earth's equator as measured along the meridian passing through Paris. Now it's defined as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1⁄299,792,458 of a second.
The gram is currently defined as 1/1000th the weight of a object kept in a secure vault in France.
Yep, those are really practical...
Good for you. The imperial system is much better then saying "I HAVE TO WALK FIFTY KILOMETERS!" What is easier and makes much more sense is this "I have to walk a few miles"
So if the rest of the world were to start slaughtering people....and America was against it....we should join then ;} lets not use peer pressurewill1182 said: