Who uses the imperial mesuring system ?

nicrd

nicrd

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I'm just wondering which country still uses the imperial system (feet, fahrenheit, ...) compared to the metric system (meters, kilograms, celsius,...). I know America still uses the imperial one, but do they teach the metric system in school ?

To be honest, the imperial system seems prehistoric to me, since in canada we only use the metric.
 
Ya, the US still uses the imperial system and I absolutely hate it. I'm an engineering student and it's just a headache to have to deal with it. I much prefer the SI system for everything, but we're still forced to learn how to do everything in the imperial system as well.
 
nicrd said:
I'm just wondering which country still uses the imperial system (feet, fahrenheit, ...) compared to the metric system (meters, kilograms, celsius,...). I know America still uses the imperial one, but do they teach the metric system in school ?

To be honest, the imperial system seems prehistoric to me, since in canada we only use the metric.
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ya but when's the last time in canada someone refered to your weight in kilograms?

edit: one of the mars probes missions ended in disaster when scientists from the US and europe used imperial and metric without knowing it
 
The US still uses the imperial system. I wish the imperial system would go away. I mean, whose brilliant idea was it to make 5,280 feet in one mile? It is so cumbersome to use. Yet, I can't use the metric system because everybody else in the US uses the imperial system.
 
Believe it or not, there is one significant portion of US society that uses the metric system: the United States military.

In order to be in congruence with NATO and other allied nations, the US Army and Marine Corps largely use the metric system for distances, etc.
 
Neutrino said:
Ya, the US still uses the imperial system and I absolutely hate it. I'm an engineering student and it's just a headache to have to deal with it. I much prefer the SI system for everything, but we're still forced to learn how to do everything in the imperial system as well.
Click to expand...
Are you from the US? At what level do they start teching the SI ?

I'm entering engineering school in september and I have some trouble thinking about doing some physics with the imperial system. Must be a pain in the ass.

CptStern said:
ya but when's the last time in canada someone refered to your weight in kilograms?
Click to expand...
true. we rarely use kilograms for weights, except in physics classes or in labs (or drugs :smoking: ). Some older people still uses feets when talking, because they learned it like this in school. But for the rest its mostly metric.

The metric system was invented during the french revolution and I heard once that they tried to do it with time as weel, but no one used it. Just imagine that a day is divided in 10 segments (2.4 hours). it seems pretty weird.
 
I dont know about you but I use my feets for walking not talking :naughty:
 
in the US we learn the metric system all through school. i use it more than the standard way though.
 
nicrd said:
Are you from the US? At what level do they start teching the SI ?

I'm entering engineering school in september and I have some trouble thinking about doing some physics with the imperial system. Must be a pain in the ass.

true. we rarely use kilograms for weights, except in physics classes or in labs (or drugs :smoking: ). Some older people still uses feets when talking, because they learned it like this in school. But for the rest its mostly metric.

The metric system was invented during the french revolution and I heard once that they tried to do it with time as weel, but no one used it. Just imagine that a day is divided in 10 segments (2.4 hours). it seems pretty weird.
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Ya, I'm from the US. I don't really remember at what point I began learning the metric system. I'm a senior in college now. In my engineering program a lot of emphasis is put on learning to use both systems proficiently.
 
Depends on what im talking about...I use a mixture of both because im used to it. I can understand kilometres and miles and the rough conversion between them. I normally give a large distance in miles but when its small i say metres and even smaller i say feet. Weight, again it depends. For example i say i weight 12 stone, there are 14 pounds to a stone i think. I also use imperial for weighing food items...except floor, because most fo the stuff i know that needs flour i know in metric. Liquids is yet again a mixture...Pint being the obvious imperial measure i use, 'm jus goin down t' pub for a litre....Doesnt really work. Petrol i measure in Litres because it saves a headache and for the rest of it im not really sure because i dont often measure liquids. I learnt both metric and Imperial at school but i think they only teach metric now. (I was in a private school...and before you say anything it was very poor, the teachers didnt even get minimum wage)
 
gh0st said:
in the US we learn the metric system all through school. i use it more than the standard way though.
Click to expand...


Heh....thats funny. Because when I went to school and they started doing the whole "we need to teach these kids metric!!!!!!" thing, When it came time to start learning it the teachers just kind of forgot to teach us that. I remember one teacher trying to nail it into our heads, but he was an ass and a horrible teacher. No one ever learned anything from his methods. (and this was all in junior high) so then when it came time for high school and the teachers there are like "ok....how many grams is this?" and we're like.............eh, what the hell?....

So they gave up too.

And that my friends is the story of how I never learned the metric system. Or how to spell....... stupid low standards.............
 
Letters just has that way with words... Always seem to find the essence in a thread...
 
Metric system is just so much easier....

I don't understand why does the US keeps the imperial while the UK already dropped it, and they were the original creators....
 
Because americans like to be diffrent... :) Also I do the same thing farrow does...it's actually easer for some reason.
 
Sprafa said:
Metric system is just so much easier....

I don't understand why does the US keeps the imperial while the UK already dropped it, and they were the original creators....
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Because us Americans are too lazy to change. Plus, really, I dont want to have to relearn everything, I am perfectly happy with Farenheit, inches and miles. Metric is easier do things probably, but I just dont think we want to use the time to learn. Plus american schools say they teach it, but they really dont, so the future generations keep falling into the Im too lazy now that Im older category.
 
Bah, Imperial is so goddamn arbitrary :flame: SI is so easy, it's in a 1:10 scale. Including all the unused labels of measurement, like Decimeters.

And this has always bothered me: what comes after inches? Milli-inches?
 
I work in a D.I.Y store and because people of all ages shop there I have to be pretty familiar with both systems, but metric is the 'standard' for England to the point where it's even illegal to sell stuff in the old system.

For example our store would get in trouble if a piece of wood was sold as 8ft x 4ft instead of 2400 x 1200, but when someone buys a piece we refer to it as "eight by four" because its simpler than saying "twenty four hundred by twelve hundred"
 
stigmata said:
Bah, Imperial is so goddamn arbitrary :flame: SI is so easy, it's in a 1:10 scale. Including all the unused labels of measurement, like Decimeters.

And this has always bothered me: what comes after inches? Milli-inches?
Click to expand...
Fractions, the bane of anyone ever to use a socket wrench.
America already tried to switch metric all at once, but everyone hated it. Now its just slowly seeping into society as people find it useful.
 
The imperial system is such a pain. It's interesting how the Americans are on the cutting edge of things, yet they still use an ancient measuring system.

I think the problem is with their power. They are the biggest market in the world, so switching to the metric system (even though it would make things easier) would cost them billions.

The Americans are stubborn in that way and they do like being unique, but they are going to have to upgrade sooner or later.
 
A True Canadian said:
The imperial system is such a pain. It's interesting how the Americans are on the cutting edge of things, yet they still use an ancient measuring system.

I think the problem is with their power. They are the biggest market in the world, so switching to the metric system (even though it would make things easier) would cost them billions.

The Americans are stubborn in that way and they do like being unique, but they are going to have to upgrade sooner or later.
Click to expand...

Well, as far as the cutting edge of things goes, most engineers and scientists know how to use the metric system just fine. It's just the general public that has a hard time converting.
 
After you've mastered the imperial system, then switching to the metric system should be a cake-walk. I couldn't tell you though.
 
What's wrong with the imperial system? I'm more familiar with it than with the metric system
 
These days anybody in America who has taken a high school science class should know the Metric system. Really in about twenty years or less the majority of the US population should be primed for the switch.
 
Well, in Australia I've only ever been taught the metric system. I am a little fluent with imperial, though. Just so I can talk with older people (like grandparents) about length/distance, but I have no clue about imperial weights or volume.

My mind is still a little bit of an odd mix, putting metric and imperial in the same sentence without thinking about it. My Dad looks at me funny when I say something is "two inches long and a centimetre wide." That's just how it looks to me.

I can convert feet-metres and miles-kilometres pretty easily. And I know how much is in a pint :cheers:

But other than that, imperial is just a headache.
 
Everyone in the world switched I thought except for the Americans.

As well as the Kyoto Accord. Everyone signed except the Americans.

grrrrr

Metric is just so much better.
 
A True Canadian said:
The imperial system is such a pain. It's interesting how the Americans are on the cutting edge of things, yet they still use an ancient measuring system.

I think the problem is with their power. They are the biggest market in the world, so switching to the metric system (even though it would make things easier) would cost them billions.

The Americans are stubborn in that way and they do like being unique, but they are going to have to upgrade sooner or later.
Click to expand...

I'd like to say they are going to have to as well, but, they really don't have to do anything they don't want to do.

Who's going to make them?
 
Not true about Kyoto.

Australia also didn't sign. Our Prime Minister gets the copies of his speeches from the same team as Bush.

Seriously, in the time since Bush was elected, John Howard (Aus Prime Minister) has not deviated one iota from the policies espoused by Bush.
 
There are two reasons we havent gone completely metric: The cost of converting everything, and the familiarity issue. It would cost billions, even trillions to make and buy new metric machinery for companies that use imperial measurements. As far as familiarity, 99% of Americans are raised using the imperial system. We can calculate how far something in miles is quite easily, but hardly anyone could tell you how far away something is in kilometers.
 
Lethal8472 said:
There are two reasons we havent gone completely metric: The cost of converting everything, and the familiarity issue. It would cost billions, even trillions to make and buy new metric machinery for companies that use imperial measurements. As far as familiarity, 99% of Americans are raised using the imperial system. We can calculate how far something in miles is quite easily, but hardly anyone could tell you how far away something is in kilometers.
Click to expand...


I think the point that was made earlier was that Americans in Science and Technology are already working in metric (or both). And that this more precise method of measurement is slowly seeping in to more mainstream areas.

Thereby increasing the possibility of a changeover in the future.
 
Hehe,
I work at Sears, selling (you guessed it) tools. We've got a section for standard and a section for metric. I really don't see what is so bad about using imperial labeled sockets and stuff. I see a fraction the same way you see a 10th of something (doesn't really make sense, but whatever). It's definately good for businesses that sell tools, because it effectively doubles their income.

The only thing bad about it is that when my dad had to buy a whole toolbox full of tools, he had to buy a ton of metric stuff and a ton of imperial stuff. Not just a little toolbox like some of you might be thinking... one with drawers, standing about 5 feet tall.

Ah well, tools are nice to have around. In fact, I have to go to work in 1/2 hour!!! w00t :/
 
I would like to use the Apples Vs. Oranges analogy if I may.

Apples (representing the Metric System) are easier to grow and do not need consistanly warm temperatures to do so. They are less acidic, and they can be stored for longer periods of time.

Oranges (representing the Imperial System) only grow in warm climates when compared to the mostly fridid areas of the rest of the world. They are very acidic, and it takes a short time before they become bad or sour.

Of course both fruits are still good for you, It's just that since Oranges are grown in a small area, while Apples can be grown almost anywhere, Apples are more popular.
 
Paintballer said:
It's definately good for businesses that sell tools, because it effectively doubles their income.
Click to expand...


But wouldn't that also mean doubling their costs? Since they need to acquire double the amount of tools?
 
I only use the metric system because that's what we use here in Finland. Although I do understand Miles (English), since they are used in navigation.

1mile=1852m.
 
But wouldn't that also mean doubling their costs? Since they need to acquire double the amount of tools?
Click to expand...
they sell the tools for profit. since the consumer has to have both imperial and metric tools to repair varying things, he/she has to buy both. when it doubles the profit of the stores because it doubles the number of products being sold to a static number of people.

metric is much easier than imperial(if the person learning knew nothing of either), but metric is inhuman. its mechanically perfect, everything is uniform and precise, impersonal. use it for science, science needs precision, but imperial is varied, its cool. it keeps society diverse, interesting, and on its toes.

ill be using both of them until i die.

as for me, i started learning about metric shortly after i started learning about imperial, i was like six or seven. so they are both extremely easy for me
 
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