Should the U.S adopt the Metric system completely and why?

[Skwink]

If we did, we would have to reteach EVERYONE. Why change what works good enough, and takes less effort.

 

[bigdog5994]

Fahrenheit is way easier to wrap my head around im not gonna start using Celsius just so i look smarter with fancy decimals

 

[Joecoolyo]

I'm already to used to imperial to switch over to metric.

I don't know why, but I can't imagine a kilometer, or even a meter. But I can imagine a foot, or a mile.

So the answer is, no.

 

[Lillefix]

Except when one needs scientific precision, I've never seen anyone use decimals when they use the celsius scale(and in science, they use kelvin anyway). It's simply not necessary. The difference between 23 and 24 degrees celsius is not that big.

 

[Leonel]

Yes because Fahrenheit is the most convoluted piece of stuff I've ever encountered. What is it even based on? Celsius is based on the freezing point of water and Kelvin is based on the freezing point of molecules. What's Fahrenheit based on?

Why do you think every country, besides Liberia and Burma, dropped it?

 

[Bill3000]

I'm already to used to imperial to switch over to metric.

I don't know why, but I can't imagine a kilometer, or even a meter. But I can imagine a foot, or a mile.

Because you haven't used them?

Again, order of magnitude is excellent for intuition. A mile is roughly 1 and a half kilometers. A meter is roughly 3 feet. It's pretty easy to gain intuition from there - if you can get used to the stupid 16 cups = 1 gallon thing, you can get used to this.

The metric system is infinitely superior if you are ever going to need any precise measurements.

If we did, we would have to reteach EVERYONE. Why change what works good enough, and takes less effort.

No, you're already taught unit conversion - you just choose to forgot it. It would take even less effort once the change is already in place.

 

[warpus]

Farenheit is based on the temperature of some King's foot at tea time, I think.

 

[Leonel]

Farenheit is based on the temperature of some King's foot at tea time, I think.

Nonono I think Fahrenheit is based on the burning and freezing points of a Manchester witch after being doused with manure on a Thursday evening.

 

[dirtyparrot]

The metric system is so much easier to use for scientific work. A base 10 system makes calculations involving multiple different units much easier. Do they teach kids in high school stuff like a cell between so and so micro inches?

 

[Bill3000]

Farenheit is based on the temperature of some King's foot at tea time, I think.

It was the body temperature of Daniel Fahrenheit (100 F - he had a higher than average body temperature) and the freezing point of a brine solution. (0 F)

 

[Joecoolyo]

Because you haven't used them?

Yeah, that's what I meant, I phrased it kind of weirdly.

Again, order of magnitude is excellent for intuition. A mile is roughly 1 and a half kilometers. A meter is roughly 3 feet. It's pretty easy to gain intuition from there - if you can get used to the stupid 16 cups = 1 gallon thing, you can get used to this.

And again, the metric system is infinitely superior if you are ever going to need any precise measurements.

That doesn't help, because, even though I know that a mile is roughly one and half kilometers, I still can't imagine it. I'm too used to using a mile as a measurement, and for as long as I live, kilometers, celsius, and everything metric will be foreign to me.

 

[ZeletDude]

Maybe. I was taught the metric system in like 2ndgrade, but I definitely get the imperial system more as I actually use it.. The metric system is eaiser for math and such being multiples of 10 and such.

 

[Leonel]

It was the body temperature of Daniel Fahrenheit (100 F - he had a higher than average body temperature) and the freezing point of a brine solution. (0 F)

Are you serious? HAHAHAHAHA

 

[dirtyparrot]

I'm talking this from wikipedia (so take it with a grain of salt):

According to an article Fahrenheit wrote in 1724,[4] he based his scale on two reference points of temperature.[5] The zero point is determined by placing the thermometer in brine: he used a mixture of ice, water, and ammonium chloride, a salt. This is a frigorific mixture which automatically stabilizes its temperature at 0 °F. (A mixture of ice and water also stabilizes, either freezing or melting at 32 °F though Fahrenheit did not use this point in defining his temperature scale). The second point, 100 degrees, was the level of the liquid in the thermometer when held in the mouth or under the armpit of his wife — subsequent refinements.

rofl

 

[warpus]

That doesn't help, because, even though I know that a mile is roughly one and half kilometers, I still can't imagine it. I'm too used to using a mile as a measurement, and for as long as I live, kilometers, celsius, and everything metric will be foreign to me.

That's weird.

I have been using metric all my life until I moved to Canada. Picturing feet, inches, and miles is easy, once you figure out how long they are. Should be equally easy going the other way.

What's there to imagine, anyway? Once you know how long it is, that's all you need.

 

[gangleri2001]

Meters, Celsius, Liters > Yards, Fahrenheit, Gallons

Resistance against the international standard is futile.

 

[warpus]

Next time it's 100 degrees F I'm going to say "It feels like we're in the armpit of Farenheit's wife"

 

[Leonel]

I'm going to use that from now on.

"It's hotter than Fahrenheit's wife's armpit!"

 

[uppi]

and Kelvin is based on the freezing point of molecules.

Kelvin is based on the triple point of water. The freezing point of anything would depend on the pressure, so it wouldn't be a good reference.

And microkelvin is much more practical than anything else, for the stuff I am doing at the moment, anyway...


I wish the US would switch right away and stop selling stuff made in stupid units, so we don't have to have screwdrivers around labeled with 7/64 or other silly fractions.

 

[spryllino]

Imperial is cute and more fun to use than normal measurements. Fahrenheit is just dumb though.