Why doesn't america use the metric system?

Question

Its so much better in every possible way!

Answer 1

In England we are in the middle of changing, it's not too much of a problem. My parents still use imperial, we are taught metric at school, and I can use both with reasonable efficiency. ome things have changed faster than others.

For example, weights are generally measured in kg, but when we weigh ourselves, many of us still use stone. For measurements other than our height, we use cm and m, however its still most common to give your height in feet and inches. We also still use miles for distance. Milk and beer still come in pints (but milk is also labeled with the equivalent no of litres).

Change takes time, it will be a few generations before we are fully metric.

Answer 2

Becasue we are lazy.

Answer 3

Because Americans are too stupid mathematically to change over.  They tried it once in the 1970's.

Those that start from scratch with the metric system can learn it, but it requires math for those that use the current system to convert it to metrics  (How many centimeters is an inch?)

Our stellar education system isn't capable of teaching that.

Answer 4

It is not better in any way.  Well, if you aren't good at basic arithmetic, I suppose it's a lot easier just to move a decimal when changing units, but there's absolutely nothing inherently superior about the metric system.  In fact, the Fahrenheit system is better than the Centigrade system because it's more precise.

Answer 5

,Despite what Sebastjin said, there is no 1 mm error in the metric system.   There is a tiny discrepancy in measuring liters and cubic centimeters, which is generally ignored.   To answer the question, it requires change to go metric.   People don't like to change, and it is expensive also, to change all the measuring devices now used to measure volume and weight and distance.  All the packaging equipment would need to be changed also.

Now, in case you don't know it, almost all science classes in the United States use metric units for calculation, and almost all scientific work is done in the metric system, so it is used.

Edit:   Well, Sebastjin, I taught Physics for 30 years and never heard of a 1 mm error in length.  By the way, Moritz Cantor died in 1920, and there have been changes in the definition and measurement of the meter since then.  If there is an error, it is due to the fact that it is impossible to measure anything with 100 % accuracy.  The definition of a meter has been changed over the years to make it as accurate as humanly possible, though. There is no system that I know of that is more accurate.  Do you think that when we measure distance in miles, it is more accurate?   I doubt it very much. The only discrepancy I ever heard or read of was in the liter vs 1000 cubic centimeters, and it was tiny.   In any case the example you gave was incorrect.   1 mm in 1000 meters is equivalent to 1 dollar in a million dollars.  I think the problem with the space probe was not the scientists using two systems, but with the fact that engineers and manufacturers of equipment  sometimes use non metric units.  I am in favor of the metric system, by the way.   Are you?    Feet and inches and miles, and furlongs, and rods, are certainly not more accurate, so what is your point?

Answer 6

I agree, I am american and wonder this my self. even though people are saying it would be to hard to switch, I dont agree , the metric system is much easier to use.

Answer 7

i think most Americans would actually agree with you that it is much easier and it would be wonderful to have a universal standard. (i certainly do) but b/c we have used our system for so long it would be very difficult to switch b/c our elderly arent used to it and we'd have to change all our math books and teaching ciriculums to accomadate the change and train the teachers before the teachers could train the students. the government would have to offer gov-funded classes to EVERYONE to make teh switch.

that would be very pricey. and take many years.

Answer 8

It's not particularly well-scaled to everyday life (at least not everyday US life).

Granted, if you use it all the time, it becomes second nature, but so does the traditional system.

A "foot" is based on the general dimensions of a human foot.

A "meter" is based on the dimensions of the Earth.  At least originally...the current definition is based on "1,650,763.73 wavelengths of the orange-red emission line in the electromagnetic spectrum of the krypton-86 atom in a vacuum".  

Guess which is the more "human" scale?  Superman may have an intuitive feel for krypton, but I don't.

That said, the metric system is great for computation and gets marks for self-consistency, but that doesn't make it any less awkward for daily use.

Wouldn't life be a whole lot simpler if everyone just spoke English?  I think it would, but the French, who came up with metric system would throw a hissy-fit.  Adjectives come before nouns in English, behind them in Spanish.  It's all just what you're used to, and at some degree arbitrary.

Like language, just use what is commonly locally and convert where necessary.  It's not the big deal some would have you believe.

Remember, metric time didn't catch on.  Not even the French use that, even though it would seem a mathematically natural extension of the metric system.

Answer 9

America uses imperial because it was colonised by people who used the imperial system, like the English. A mix of the two isn't bad, I've always known distance to be in yards and miles, and everything else in cm and metres, and I measure weight in stones, not kg.

Answer 10

Because we're stubborn.

And it'd be too difficult to just switch it...too many people are set using the imperial system, people would either 1) refuse to use metric, or 2) get so confused and **** everything up.

What they need to do is start putting the metric measurements on things as well...so we get familiarized. Teach children both methods in school, so once they're adults the metric system will be popular and well known.

Answer 11

because we are using the us customary system and it would be a huge pain to convert everyone.

Answer 12

because we're awesome.

Answer 13

The English standard measurement used in America actually works better due to a number of reasons. Little known fact that the meter over long distances will begin to lose it's accuracy by 1 mm per 1000 meters measured. This doesn't sound like much, but put into perspective, if you were losing $1 for every thousand saved over a life time you would be out millions. Disaster I tell you!

Do not dismiss the loss of the mm, if you do the math calculations, the mm is most certainly lost. See Doctor of Mathematics Moritz Cantor's research into the missing mm that was the basis of his doctorate thesis at Oxford.

Please explain as well If the scientific community only uses the metric system then explain the loss of the Mars Orbiter where the use of metric and standard english resulted in loss of the probe.