Why doesn't the USA adopt officially the metric unit?

[tedtim]

and don't get me started on the 10 hot dogs to 8 buns debacle

Ten? Heck, I must not have bought hot dogs in a long time. We used to get 12 in a package.

Two packages of hot dogs, three packages of buns, still a gross meal.

 

[Geoff_H]

You will say I need 500 mLt or 625 mLt .125 mLt ... I like the visual of 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 , 5/8 ... the units themselves are arbitrary it is the value in the quantity which provides simplicity to the mathamatics.

You make the incredible mistake of believing fractions are somehow not applicable to SI units. Why exactly don't you think you can refer to 1/2 a kilometre or 3/4 of a litre?

 

[Skull]

Geoff I am pointing out there is absolutely no advantage in either system. Using fractions is part of the Imperial system. The concept of a quart or a pint precisely makes my the point. The essence of the metric system is the use of decimals to simplify the math. One doesn't say that you need 1/2 liter of water you say 0.5L or 500mL of water. Or 3/4 of a km rather you say 0.750km or 750m.

Also fractions do not provide any evidence in either systems advantages. Again neither system in the age of pocket calculators and PC's owns a distinct advantage, other than most people don't want to convert to the Imperial system.

 

[dlndavid]

so why did they come up with a 9 mm, instead of a 10 mm? :gun:

 

[Geoff_H]

One doesn't say that you need 1/2 liter of water you say 0.5L or 500mL of water. Or 3/4 of a km rather you say 0.750km or 750m.

No I don't. I'm perfectly capable of saying half a pint or half a litre. I can't imagine how you can possibly think otherwise.

Also fractions do not provide any evidence in either systems advantages. Again neither system in the age of pocket calculators and PC's owns a distinct advantage, other than most people don't want to convert to the Imperial system.

Brilliant. So you have one system which needs a pocket calculator or a PC to easily convert between units and another that doesn't. And you say since everyone has pocket calculators or PCs these days there is no distinct advantage to either.

With arguments like that, I have no comeback. Time for me to exit this discussion before we ascend Mount Incredible any further.

 

[Skull]

because 9mm is .357 cal... a basis of American designed side arms

 

[BKP]

so why did they come up with a 9 mm, instead of a 10 mm? :gun:

Better question... why are some bullets measured in mm, and others in inches? (9mm vs. 38 (.38 inches) caliber... close approximate width)...

Answer... 9mm created in Europe... 38 Special (and .45) created here...

Even back *then* we had it wrong... (See? I'm not too proud to admit it).

 

[dlndavid]

my point exactly, units of measurment, are just that, units

 

[Skull]

No I don't. I'm perfectly capable of saying half a pint or half a litre. I can't imagine how you can possibly think otherwise.



Brilliant. So you have one system which needs a pocket calculator or a PC to easily convert between units and another that doesn't. And you say since everyone has pocket calculators or PCs these days there is no distinct advantage to either.

With arguments like that, I have no comeback. Time for me to exit this discussion before we ascend Mount Incredible any further.

Ok Geoff once again it is 7.958 km to costco ...you need to make 5 trips in 3 hours. How fast do you need to travel to complete this task assuming non stop round trips ...solve it in SI and then in Imperial ....which system is easier ?

Also when designing a electrical generation system for a power plant which system has an advantage SI or Imperial?

 

[dlndavid]

if you teach, educate people based upon 0.0.0.0, people will never learn, there is always the in-between, that falls out of the metric system. I have done much design work, based on the imperial sytem of measurement. It made it easier (when you understood the decimal equivalent of the fractional inch sytem) to go back and check the intent of your design. If everything is based on where the decimal place is placed ie: .01, 0.1, the idea gets lost. If you use the decimal equivallent in the imperial system, you recognize the intent imuch easier. ie: .875 OD of a piston, with a fit to its cylinder can be figured out quite easily. The number increases by thousandth of an inch, .003-.007 fit may work for some material/application/pressure. So it is all fractional, when you come down to it.