Metric vs Imperial poll

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.

 

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

Teddy: that's mighty dense wood!

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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...

 

Good morning all

Sorry to jump in with no introduction.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

 

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-number-of-days-in-a-month-not-equal.htm

 

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.