The metric system ...

American scientists have used metric from about 1850 !! But since few learn science in school here we still have English. Of course we solved the argument by making cars with both metric and English !
 
mete said:
American scientists have used metric from about 1850 !! But since few learn science in school here we still have English. Of course we solved the argument by making cars with both metric and English !
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That is why we have slip-joint pliars and crescent wrenches. They do the conversions for you.
 
I don't see why anybody wouldn't want to be at least familiar with both. It never hurts to learn something new, and you never know when it could come in handy. I just recently started borrowing my father's car instead of driving my own because I never learned to drive a stick and thought it would be nice to know. My wife is of the mind that since it's easier to just stick with our automatic she doesn't feel like trying the stick. I'm of the mind that "it's easier this way" isn't a valid reason not to learn all I can. YMMV.
 
When it comes to metrics or calculations, it's a lot easier and faster to work in the base 10 metric system then the hodgepodge of U.S. measurements. The bane of my existence is converting the half dozen units of measurement that manufacturer's provide for their product into a single unit of measurement so I can run the numbers. My pet peeve is when they round off the freaking measurements to two significant digits, and then complain when the results don't match up with the calculations.
 
I suppose having to add 5/32" + 3/4" + 5/8" + 1 3/8" + 15/16" + 1' 8" would tax any man, as well as his $5 electronic calculator. Luckily metric can be entirely done in your head.
 
Greetings!

I've been a Federal Weights & Measures Inspector for Measurement Canada for the past 30+ years. All systems work equally well just don't try to mix and match when doing calculations. If anyone is interested, a great conversion guide is, "Units For all People for all Time", by J.A.M. Gaboury. It will give you just about any conversion factor you would need.
 
Gollnick said:
The other helpful one to keep in mind is that an inch is about two and one-half centimeters.

A kilogram is about two and one-quarter pounds.

One cup is about a quarter of a liter.

A change of one degree-Celsius in a change of almost two degrees-Fahrenheit. Because degrees Celsius are much larger, fractional degrees are used more often when temperatures are expressed in Celsius. In the US, for example, it is rare to see ambient temperatures expressed in anything but integers. The sign at the bank will tell you that the outdoor temperature is 86 or 87, but never 86.5. Degrees Fahrenheit are small enough that we don't need to split them. The average person can't feel the difference between 86 and 87, much less 86 and 86.5. But the difference between 30 and 31 degrees-Celsius is almost the difference between 86 and 88 degree-Fahrenheit which is a definitely-palpable difference and so at least half-degrees-Celsius are needed.

In addition to knowing that water freezes at 0C and boils at 100C, it is handy to keep in mind that comfortable room temperature (about 70F) is about 21C. A warm day (86F) is 30C (again, 16 degrees of Fahrenheit change, 70 to 86F, caused only nine degrees of Celsius change, 21 to 30C). And normal body temperature is exactly 37C. From these few reference points and using the two-to-one approximation, you can get a good "feel" for practical temperatures in Celsius.
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Gollnick: Please don't forget the Kelvin temperature scale, always fun to introduce in science classes. I have told students many times that their myopic, worn out teacher is really "hot" because his body temperature is 310 Kelvin
(37 degrees Celsius or normal body temperature) but they still think that Brad Pitt has me beat.

It is also interesting to try to explain the starting point for Kelvin or 0 K. I seem to do best when I say that a science teacher's bank balance is almost always "absolute zero". :D
 
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If we want a really effective system of measurements, we should use a metric style, but based on twelve (duodecimal) rather than ten (decimal).

Base 12. That's gross. :D
 
What is metric for a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper? :confused:

300Six said:
I suppose having to add 5/32" + 3/4" + 5/8" + 1 3/8" + 15/16" + 1' 8" would tax any man, as well as his $5 electronic calculator. Luckily metric can be entirely done in your head.
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My German calculator does fractions. Yours doesn't?
 
I had a BSA motorcycle a long time ago, so I had to get a set of Whitworth sockets and combination wrenches to go along with my metric and SAE wrenches. I hung all the combination wrenches on stand in order of increasing size. There isn't a nut on this planet that I can't handle.
 
tiguy7 said:
There isn't a nut on this planet that I can't handle.
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Have you been in W&C recently. :D

It seems that most distilleries have switched to the metric system. That should confuse people who are already confused.
 
300Six said:
I suppose having to add 5/32" + 3/4" + 5/8" + 1 3/8" + 15/16" + 1' 8" would tax any man, as well as his $5 electronic calculator. Luckily metric can be entirely done in your head.
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But that one is easy. 5/32 is just that. 3/4 is 24/32. 5/8 is 20/32. 1 and 3/8 is 32/32 + 12/32 = 44/32. 15/16 is 30/32. And 1' 8" is one foot and eight in inches. Let's deal with those 32nds first. It's 5 + 24 + 20 + 44 + 30 of 'em = 123 / 32nds. And that's 3 and 27/32. Now add on the eight inches and you get 11" and 27/32". Add the other foot and you have 1" 11 & 27/32". That one was easy; I didn't even need a calculator for it.

But they are all easy. Just convert all of the fraction to the same precision, that of the most-precise. If the most-precise is 32nds, then convert all to 32nds. Add 'em up as 32nds, and you're done. Had you thrown an one in 64ths, I would have had to convert 3/4 to 48/64 and 5/8 to 40/64, but the process would be the same.
 
Because this is October, I cannot resist mentioning that an essential but very misunderstood scientific unit is the "mole". It is used to count atoms, molecules and other extremely small particles.

A mole stands for 6020000000000000000000000 particles - write this in scientific notation and you can see why the 23rd day of the 10th month is celebrated by chemists and other scientists. Look for Mole Day on the internet, and you will find all sorts of information about this unit that really only works with the metric system.
It also requires that a substance expressed in "moles" have a chemical formula.
For example, 12 grams of charcoal is a mole of charcoal - and a liter of water is 55.6 moles of HOH. I would not ask for 55.6 moles of water at the local convenience store, however.:D
 
300Six said:
Entire Metric system is based on the properties of water. ... How much does a gallon of water or gasoline weigh? Never learned that in school or even have the ability to hazard an educated guess....
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An Imperial gallon of water weighs exactly 10 pounds. Metric enough for ya? :D
 
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