Metric vs Imperial poll

[murdomack]

Originally Posted by TeddyDiver

Total sqm's x thickness mm x 7,86 = total kg

That's what I do except I take it to Cu. mtrs and get the answer in tonnes, but my point is, I need a calculator or have to do a multiplication with a pencil, etc. With Imperial it is all done with mental arithmetic.

For quick calculations the Imperial system is a lot simpler.

[ancient kayaker]

Mack, there are lots of us still standing imperiously, we just make less noise.

Teddy: that's mighty dense wood!

[Fanie]

Luckless,
There are 10 types of people in the world.
Those who understand binary, and those who don`t.


You forgot to add the roman numeric system beside those.

[ancient kayaker]

A properly marked Imperial rule or tape measure has the 16ths scale marked so the 1/2 line is longer than the 1/4's which are longer than the 1/8's and so forth. This makes finding a specific diemsion easier and reduces likelyhood of error. It can't be done in decimal, whether imperial or SI.

[Fanie]

The metric tape has a decimal scale on it you read directly.

[Luckless]

Originally Posted by ancient kayaker

A properly marked Imperial rule or tape measure has the 16ths scale marked so the 1/2 line is longer than the 1/4's which are longer than the 1/8's and so forth. This makes finding a specific diemsion easier and reduces likelyhood of error. It can't be done in decimal, whether imperial or SI.

What?

Whole numbers have their tick line at 100% length, x.5 is at 75%, x.2, x.4, x.5, x.8 are at 50%, x.1, x.3, x.7, x.9 are at 25%.

x.0 and x.5 are labeled. Add a 10% tick between all points, and you get a finer scale than standard carpenter's tapes that is just as easier to read, if not easier.

Yes, cheap decimal tapes are likely to be ticked off clearly at whole and halves, with the rest the same size, but you get what you pay for.

[murdomack]

Tapes have improved considerably in my lifretime. When I started my apprenticeship, we were not allowed to bring our own tape into the shop, there were some available from the foreman's desk that had been checked and approved. They were a relatively expensive tool in those days.

We needed to supply a wooden 3ft folding rule and a 2ft folding steel rule. One of the apprentices got sent home one day because his wooden rule had been broken for three days and he had not replaced it. He had to borrow money to go and buy a new one. There were less Human Rights back then, but you learnt quickly that your trade had a high priority in your life.

[ancient kayaker]

Luckless: I was looking at opposite sides of the same tape. Must have been made by an imperialist!

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by ancient kayaker

that's mighty dense wood!

It would be perfect for deadwood, thou Mack was loading steel plates..
Anyways..

[Boston]

my old grand dad swore by those old folding wooden tapes and hated the palm tapes when they came out
said the metal expanded and contracted to much

[Fanie]

He he... your kids are going to say the same about you guys who wants to stick to the old systems.

My grand dad swore by the imperial system and hated the metric...

[Al.]

Good morning all

Sorry to jump in with no introduction.

Originally Posted by openboater

METRIC ??

lets see, you still divide by 60 to meters per second from meters per minute.

January still has 31 days, not 10.

a year still has 12 months not 10

Do you guy's get time and a half pay for overtime over 8 hours worked or 10 hours . Oh thats right, metric countries never work more than 10 hours.

In your first example one actually works the other way in MOST applications of the metric system. m/s is a defined measurement and readily understood. m/minute would be used in only a few specialised circumstances. But you are dead right one would still multiply by 60.

Days in a week, days in a month, days in a year, etc follow lunar and solar cycles rather than either imperial or metric system.

Some fractions are certainly easier with Imperial. Decimals (almost by defintion! make more sense with Metric)

A Half is just as easy in Metric as it is in Imperial.

Plenty of people in nations with Metric systems work more than 8 hours. And just as in the US many of those are stung by 'salaried' rather than 'paid by the hour' contract, so they don't even get the benefit of being paid for that work.

I have been struck by how little annual leave US citizens are entitled to (and the complete lack of statutory maternity leave for working mothers) but I don't think that I would either
a) think that this is a good thing for the US economy
b) think that is a good thing for US citizens
c) blame it on the Imperial system.

Originally Posted by openboater

a meter is what ?? the wave length of what ?? Oh, that's readily understood by a ditch digger. If I want a ditch 3 feet deep, I just look down and at least I have an idea what 2 feet deep looks like.

In a society using Imperial (or both as in the UK) it is certainly easy to estimate with Imperial measurements. However I know people who were only brought up on metric measurements who can happily use metres to estimate.

Originally Posted by openboater

Sorry guy's just couldn't help it, but Metric is for the mathimatically challenged.

Absolute bilge. Just because you have not been brought up to use a certain system that does not make it rubbish by definition.

Originally Posted by openboater

While were talking about it, why do metric countries put the day first and the month second when they write dates ??

Why do Imperial (read: US almost uniquely) put month/day/year. That makes no sense either go small to big day/month/year or big to small year/month/day. Why mix it up?

I find the discrepancy amusing rather than abhorrent. But I confess that (just as with US citizens not pronouncing the h in herb) when someone claims that the opposite is clearly superior or more logical it does make my blood boil somewhat.

Originally Posted by openboater

and why does February get the extra day every 4 years, whats wrong with the 32nd of July ?

Again days in a week, days in a month, days in a year, etc follow lunar and solar cycles rather than either imperial or metric system.

I ASSUME that the reason for February's 1/4 day is that it does the least damage there! I quite like the sound of a 32nd July myself. How much effort would be required to get global recognition and acceptance I dont know. I also don't know what the actual benefit would be.



Al

[murdomack]

Hi Al, and welcome,

A lot of this thread is light hearted banter, but some of the points are taken seriously. We all learn from throwing our ideas, likes, dislikes and experiences back and fore. At least I hope we do.

Like you, the US way of writing the date was odd for me but I've got used to it over the years. They tend to speak the date with the month first, e.g. May 23rd, so I guess it is the American English standard way. At work I use my computer on American English and I am used to entering dates this way, but when I try to do the same at home (in Excel etc) on my UK English computer I get gobledegook.

Your last point makes me wonder how the months ended up with different amounts of days, I am sure that someone must have mentioned it in school, maybe I was off that day )

I've googled it but it's all a bit much, makes the Imperial system look simple.

http://www.wisegeek.com/why-are-the-...-not-equal.htm

[wardd]

Real men don't use metric

[masrapido]

Originally Posted by wardd

Real men don't use metric

How childlish and ignorant. Like those that use calendar to rubbish the metric system. You HAVE TO be stupid to do that...Calendar is not based on any measuring system.

There's no debating with people who only accept one side of the issue, particularly when it is a wrong one.

That's called fundamentalism. Osama is a good example how stupid fundamentalists are. Metric system is superior to "imperial" simply because it is SIMPLER.

usanian scientists only work in metric system, so ignorants making a political posture in a forum like this one look like their "imperial" system: a relic from stone age.