Why doesn't the USA use the metric system?

Question

Why do we use Fahrenheit instead of Celsius, inches instead of centimeters, etc?

Answer 1

Actually, from an educational standpoint, we DO use the metric system.  Our schools teach metric hand in hand with the English measurement system, and students are taught to use both interchangeably.  

Historically, the English system of measurement (inches, gallons, etc) would have come to the Americas along with the European colonists when the colonies were under English rule.  The English system was developed over time based on measures of the human body and objects found in nature and standardized by members of the English monarchy around the 16th century.  The metric system was actually developed a bit later than English colonization when it was decided that the world needed a standard measurement system for the purposes of trade, etc.  

In 1866, United States Congress passed a law legalizing the use of the metric system in commerce and law, and in 1975 Congress passed another law called the Metric Conversion Act, which named the metric system as the United States' preferred measurement system.  However, it was not mandated for use because the English measurement system was already the predominant measurement system used by American society.  

Hope this helps answer your question!

Answer 2

In the U.S., we use the metric system in science all of the time.  Nobody does science using any other system (with the exception of theoretical physicists who set the speed of light c equal to one light second per second).

Some years ago there was talk of going to the soft metric system in which imperial units were translated into metric units, such as translating quarts to liters.  However, under soft metric, the volume of milk you purchased would still be a quart even if the volume were listed in liters.

Changing to hard metric, e.g., the milk would be sold in bottles that were a liter in volume, was deemed to expensive because it required physical conversions.

Answer 3

my teacher says its because we choose to be different (which i think is just plain stupid!) the rest of the world uses the metric system

Answer 4

We tend to use both.  Food packaging contains both.  Certain disciplines stick to Imperial while others have changed to metric.

In my profession, civil engineering, I have used both.  The Federal Highways projects I worked on were in metric, while all local projects were Imperial.  

I don't know exactly why, but I would wager a combination of laziness and efficiency.  Many good texts, papers, empirical research and associated constants, are in Imperial Units. Also, public educators, parents and trade unions tend to be less than literate about these issues.

The system of units has no bearing on the science, and can be easily converted when necessary.  Thus, it is usually elementary to be able to change the system of units for a project technically, but can be a nightmare logistically on larger projects.

Why doesn't the USA change?  Should we change our dollar to the Euro?  Why should we change, the system of units has no bearing on the scientific method.

Another thought is that in the metric system, the 'least count' for typical architectural projects is either a mm or a cm, where the 'least count' on an Imperial tape measure is 1/16".  Should we use 1 mm, 1 cm or 1/16 inch as a standard 'least count' to measure to?

Bigger and more realistic 'least count' is also used in civil engineering, where 0.01 ft = 3.1 mm, is the 'least count'.  Try building a highway to the closest mm.  

Besides, the carpenters would throw a fit.

Answer 5

I work as a wildlife biologist in the USA and we DO use the metric system...I actually cannot even think in feet anymore..my head converts everything to meters..but I do still have a problem with celsius..my brain does not convert it easily.  I think a few other fields use metric as well.