Why do we moan about the metric system of measurement?

Question

Has anyone tried doing any engineering calculations without using SI units ?- all those conversions aaarrrgh! Inches and fahrenheight....

Answer 1

There are some engineering calculations which work quite effectively using the Imperial or U.S. Customary system, e.g. 1 BTU is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 lb. of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.  

There are also times when Imperial makes for easier calculations with conveniently round numbers.  The foot is easily divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6, for example.    Most basic Imperial units grew from everyday use and are therefore convenient for measuring everyday things.   Even "metric" France still uses the "pousse" (inch) for plumbing fittings and the "livre" (pound) for some foods, although admittedly it differs somewhat from the pound avoirdupois, but the fact is that it was, and still is, a convenient quantity.

Metric has plenty of uses in engineering calculations, and I use it whenever appropriate in such work, even though I prefer to measure out cake ingredients in pounds & ounces and measure lumber in feet & inches.  Both are capable of similar degrees of accuracy, and each system has its pros & cons.

When it comes to the FORCED use of metric, however, as is happening in the U.K., it's another matter entirely, and I am totally opposed to the government threatening and intimidatin people who wish to continue using Imperial measurements.   If a customer wants a pound of apples and the shopkeeper is happy to sell him a pound of apples, then the government has no business to be poking its nose into a private transaction, other than to ensure that the shopkeeper is not giving short measure.

Answer 2

i wish they taught us metric system in the US. were gonna have to know someday if we travel to places.....

Answer 3

I grew up using Imperial and Metric,but I always think in Imperial and £.s.d.Maybe it's a generation thing,I'm 48.

Answer 4

The Metric system is really good. It makes things a lot easier and less confusing.

Answer 5

Ok  I knew the old  but now also the new.  Metric is better Millimetres easier than  sixteenths or whatever,

Answer 6

Because its c**p.  

Fancy going down your local with your mates for a "Litre"?

No neither do I.

TBH although we were taught metric at school (I'm 36) I still think in feet, inches, miles etc, because thats what my parents did.  I never use metric in everyday life, I can't really tell you how much a "Kilo" is.  I just feel more comfortable with the Imperial system.

Answer 7

people like to have something to moan about apparently!

metric has been taught in British schools since at least 1970 and I've always used it. It's so much easier for one thing. It's crazy that some things have been sold in metric units since the 1970s (eg wool, material) but that some things still come in pints.... although I can understand not changing road signs..etc to km because that could cause chaos.

when the shops changed one old woman I know didn't whinge, just got on with it, had a laugh with assistants when she asked for 100g of something... shame everyone can't be like that, although taking people to court for not having metric signs/scales is taking it a bit far.

Whenever I buy stuff like meat or apples I always ask for them like this: '2 slices of ham' or '4 apples' - I can see how big the slices and apples are, and this just makes more sense to me. And I 'm sure if any old people asked a butcher for a pound of sausages (or whatever a typical amount would be) the butcher would just get on with measuring out whatever that is in kg and price it and not make an issue of it.

Answer 8

The system you use doesn't really matter, BUT it would be very easier for the whole world if they use the exact same system.

As far as i am aware about, metric system is the most used one and the less annoying (base 10 for everything).

The problem comes to stuff like physics where some constants are system dependant, or in intra-countries exchanges (i heard about an airplane who got a huge problem after taking off because he asked for gallons and got filled in liters).

Other than that .. people are stubborn :D

Answer 9

I much prefer metric. I was of the generation where school teachers confused everyone due to not knowing if imperial or metric was the correct form of measurement. What is even more confusing is that we are still like that here in the U.K. Roads are in miles, we tend to talk about our personal height and weight in Imperial, we drink pints in pubs, but wine by millilitres, we buy litres of milk in some shops and the pint equivalents in others! Very confusing. I would much rather metric all the way, how hard is it then to remember everything is a percentage (not a fraction!) of 100!

Answer 10

Well I grew up using the metric system and moved to the US having to relearn how to measure stuff, I'm a quick learner but it was ridiculous that so few countries use the Imperial system and the fact the US refuse to switch baffles me.

but then everything is in both now so i'm not too worried, but for buildings and such, like I used to plate metal and we measured things from the thousandth of an inch to millionths, and it's funny because we're using a metric way of doing inches!

oh well crazy country sometimes.

Oh and for the record

Current System Was made by the English and Metric is French.

brief History, US fought against the English in War of independence and French ASSISTED the US in the WAR of INDEPENDENCE by giving guns and military support to US.

look it up.

Answer 11

Because it's not what we're used to.

Answer 12

No need for it.Nothing wrong with the old system that was based on human reference points.Study up on the history of that masonic boondoggle.

Answer 13

because people are stubborn and stupid.

Answer 14

Because Americans think they're right...even when they're wrong.

Sorry just had to type that.

Answer 15

I can use both  easily! so i don't moan!..

Answer 16

Because you just can't stand the idea that the French have had a good idea and you'd rather use a different system to the rest of the world than let your foolish pride be hurt.

Even the U.K. have accepted the metric system.

Answer 17

I don't really understand the problem in calculating in multiples other than 10 when there are computers around to do it for you.  In addition, when everything is in 10s, it is easy to get confused about the scale of things - having worked with ares, hectares, square metres, etc.  Is 1000 m² bigger than a hectare? or an are? or smaller? No, don't answer.  I can always look it up, just like you would have to for inches and fahrenheit.

Historically, measurements were easy ways of determining the sizes or quantities of things and so horses were measured in hands, small distances in feet and even smaller lengths in inches (thumbs).  The only problem came when people (for one reason or another) wanted to convert horses heights to inches or feet or barrels of beer into quarts or gills.

This argument is similar to the other one that says that there should only be one language in the world so it saves learning anything else.  What a sad place that would be...

Answer 18

because it was forced on us and it's foreign

Answer 19

why do we weigh baby's using pounds and ounces, familiarity with either or, depending on your age maybe.

Answer 20

Well, because the metric system does not have a basis in physical reality. The foot, the inch, and all other types of Imperial measurements are ancient forms of measurement that are subdivided units of physical reality, including the earth and things on the earth.  Metric is just a bunch of units that all go by tens, but the tens are not tied to anything in nature.  Sure, they are regimented and uniform, but they are not ideal.  They are the system that most people now use, but I disagree that it constitutes the best system.  You are the ones with the small minds, because you need an easy system to keep you happy.

Answer 21

Beats the h**l out of me. Breaking everything down into 100's, 10's and 1's makes infinitely more sense than the old Imperial method.

Answer 22

I grew up using metric too, and it seems that some people don't like it as it's attributed to Napoleon.

It's over 30 years now, anyway.  There's no way any school would teach its young people the Imperial system, and thank goodness for that.