[itsborken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielCox /img/forum/go_quote.gif A lot of SI units are based on natural variables in the universe (such as the speed of light).

The metre is the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1⁄299,792,458 of a second.

Oh dang, there's another of those pesky fractions again with a completely fudged number to make it equal to the agreed upon meter based on earth distances. Oh, and seconds are derived from a rotation of the earth, another nice arbitrary number rooted in nature on our planet; hardly a universal constant. Another planetary body's measurements would most likely be completely different.

 

[logwed]

And the Kilogram has yet to be rooted in any scientific constant, however contrived. I believe that it is a ball of platinum and iridium in a hermetically sealed environment.

Discover Magazine

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by appophylite /img/forum/go_quote.gif I honestly find it disturbing that nations of the world would use the printing of imperial units on a package as grounds to forbid the import of said products. Especially if the metric measurements are on it as well.

I wasn't defending it. Just stating it. I was pretty surprised. I agree that it's stupid to forbid imperial measurements. I do understand requiring the country's standard.

Quote:

Originally Posted by itsborken /img/forum/go_quote.gif You do realize that .1 is 1/10th? In an octal base, one could represent .1=1/8 .01=1/64. Base 10 does not have unique properties from the perspective of mathematics. In my generation kids got over their 'fear' of fractions in the 6th grade. I assume with today's curriculum, it is a lot earlier.

I'd assume later because today's curriculum doesn't encourage comfort with arithmetic, just the use of calculators. I was shocked when I found out kids don't have to memorize multiplication tables any more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by itsborken /img/forum/go_quote.gif The metre is the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1⁄299,792,458 of a second. Oh dang, there's another of those pesky fractions again with a completely fudged number to make it equal to the agreed upon meter based on earth distances. Oh, and seconds are derived from a rotation of the earth, another nice arbitrary number rooted in nature on our planet; hardly a universal constant. Another planetary body's measurements would most likely be completely different.

The meter was oringally based and the size of the earth as well 1/10,000,000 of the distance from the equator to the north pole. Interestingly, the current inch and foot are defined in relation to the meter, and the US is not the same as the international standard

Quote:

Our English foot has not been so constant. The U. S. Congress legalized the use of the metric system in 1866 on the basis that one meter is exactly equal to 39.37 inches. In 1959 a number of English-speaking countries agreed that an inch is exactly equal to 2.54 centimeters so that the International foot is exactly equal to 0.3048 meters. The United States retained the old 1866 equivalency and called it the U. S. Survey foot so that 1 U. S. Survey foot equals 1.000002 International feet.

The Standard Meter

Another interesting fact I found

Quote:

1 inch = 25.4 millimeters 1 pound = 453.592 37 grams 1 gallon = 3.785 411 784 liters

Metric 4 US - Why Metric is the Better System

Quote:

Originally Posted by logwed /img/forum/go_quote.gif And the Kilogram has yet to be rooted in any scientific constant, however contrived. I believe that it is a ball of platinum and iridium in a hermetically sealed environment. Discover Magazine

Like the meter, it was originally defined as a natural measurement, the weight of 1dl of water at 0C, later changed to 4C. The ball was made based on this measurement.

 

[Seamaster]

But why a lot cable company charge same price for both 1.0 m and 3 ft? I'd get shorter cable with standard.

 

[cwell2112]

I would love to see the metric system as the standard in the US. But, like most people, I don't know if I'd want to go through the transition. In the manufacturing industry, there are drawings still in use from many decades ago for which there have not been digital copies made in CAD yet. To digitize every drawing the Department of Defense uses in millions of different systems would cost a ridiculous amount of time and money.

That being said, when I want to measure something in general, I flip to the metric side of my ruler.

 

[itsborken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seamaster /img/forum/go_quote.gif But why a lot cable company charge same price for both 1.0 m and 3 ft? I'd get shorter cable with standard.

The companies I buy cables from sell in one measurement or the other, not both. I don't order cables to the exact length between components so a 3ft or 1m cable is functionally equivalent to me.

 

[fenixdown110]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielCox /img/forum/go_quote.gif A lot of SI units are based on natural variables in the universe (such as the speed of light). Should Aliens come and visit they should have no problem comprehending the uni system. If they do then Plank units might be a useful way of getting out of that problem. If the US was to switch to metric at least do it properly. We're stuck with a bizarre system in the UK. We buy our beer in pints, our fuel in litres, roads are in miles and yards while everything else (like bridge height) is in metres or both, temperature in celcius, human weight in stones and pounds while everything else is in kilos.

That sounds like an absolute nightmare.

 

[logwed]

Stone is definitely the most hilarious measurement.

 

[appophylite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wasn't defending it. Just stating it. I was pretty surprised. I agree that it's stupid to forbid imperial measurements. I do understand requiring the country's standard.

No worries: I realize you were just posting a factoid you found online. I just think personally that it is one thing to limit education on one system in a region or require another system, but forbidding one just sounds outright stupid especially in this day and age of the mighty calculator and the loss of the general public to do basic math in their head...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seamaster /img/forum/go_quote.gif But why a lot cable company charge same price for both 1.0 m and 3 ft? I'd get shorter cable with standard.

It's barely a 0.09 meters--not even once centimeter. If you were to go to a deli that sells chicken tenders by the pound and order one pound of meat, are you really gonna sweat it if the meter weighs in a 0.1 pounds more or less on the scale? It's an amount that's damn near negligible...at least IMO

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenixdown110 /img/forum/go_quote.gif That sounds like an absolute nightmare.

agreed

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by appophylite /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's barely a 0.09 meters--not even once centimeter. If you were to go to a deli that sells chicken tenders by the pound and order one pound of meat, are you really gonna sweat it if the meter weighs in a 0.1 pounds more or less on the scale? It's an amount that's damn near negligible...at least IMO

A meter is 3 1/3 inches longer than a yard, but other wise I agree.

 

[appophylite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif A meter is 3 1/3 inches longer than a yard, but other wise I agree.

My bad, I was looking at the wrong numbers - you are correct!

 

[deadhead12]

I vote the rest of the world scraps the metric system and comes to their senses.

Obviously we pwn over here.

 

[apatN]

Wow! Because of the metric system. Check out the big brains on Redo!

The metric system will be a step forward considering there will be one system used worldwide. Also we work with precise millimeters and not 1/4 or 1/8 inches.

 

[itsborken]

Sigh. It doesn't matter if you are measuring in millimeters or fractions of an inch as long as the measurements are consistent. When you measure a room for carpeting, how often do you take it to millimeter precision? When you purchase your equivalent of a 4x8' plywood panel, are you worried about millimeters? When you fill up your car, are you concerned about the number of liters or gallons or do you just want to fill it full? A good cook isn't measuring the ingredients of their recipes, they flavor to taste. Precision is not needed for the most part in daily life.

Science needs precision, but even the, maybe precision is not quite so importat. A 3/8" vs 10mm bolt/nut manufactured with the same materials and process is going to have approximately the same failure properties. If an application called for a little more strength it can be increased to 7/16", and viola, stronger than 10mm. Measurement is only about scale; it doesn't make an end product any better.

Now if we are talking scientific measurements at CERN, yes, imperial is of no use there. At that level, metric is completely appropriate, and the scientists/engineers all have adequate training and intelligence to deal with such trivialities when needed.