Imperial vs Metric System (Is USA the only place still using it?)

[Sonic Angel Knight]

I'm just curious cause it seems that way. I know in school that we learned imperial and metric. But more commonly use the Imperial system. Sometimes is even seamlessly interchangeable. Even saying Miles per hour instead of Kilometers per minute. Using inches to and feet for body measurements instead of centimeters. Do non American people even know what I'm talking about at this point?

 

[Scarlet]

I know this isn't EoF, but the thread really reminded me of a tweet I saw a few days ago lol

Americans will measure with anything but the metric system https://t.co/m7EFYJbFAX

— Ralph (@Ralphium) August 10, 2019

 

[sarkwalvein]

I know this isn't EoF, but the thread really reminded me of a tweet I saw a few days ago lol
1160242266902061056

Very rebellious.
I wonder if the NIST also regulates the washing machine length unit.

 

[Reynardine]

The UK uses miles per hour. It's the only European country to do so.

 

[Alexander1970]

The UK uses miles per hour. It's the only European country to do so.

LEFT driving.

But one thing is good that the kept it : THEIR CURRENCY.

 

[sarkwalvein]

LEFT driving.

Well, still there are plenty more countries driving left in the world than countries using the random imperial units system.
Hmmm... not sure if that is good or bad though.

 

[Reynardine]

LEFT driving.

But one thing is good that the kept it : THEIR CURRENCY.

I remember coming off the ferry and being irritated by that the first time I'd been to the UK. Good thing I wasn't the driver.

 

[Haloman800]

Canada uses MPH.

 

[Quantumcat]

Only three countries still use the imperial system: Liberia, Myanmar, and the US.

 

[Reynardine]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_units#Current_use

I only knew about the road sings in the UK and about US/Canada, interesting.

 

[Quantumcat]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_units#Current_use

I only knew about the road sings in the UK and about US/Canada, interesting.

That was quite an interesting read! I guess the UK conversion was only recent so you can't blame people for wanting to use the system they grew up with and went to school with. I also just realised that we still measure computer screens and television screens in inches. I wouldn't have the faintest clue how big 21 inches is but I can picture a 21 inch computer monitor. Have never seen one described as a length in cm.

 

[sarkwalvein]

That was quite an interesting read! I guess the UK conversion was only recent so you can't blame people for wanting to use the system they grew up with and went to school with. I also just realised that we still measure computer screens and television screens in inches. I wouldn't have the faintest clue how big 21 inches is but I can picture a 21 inch computer monitor. Have never seen one described as a length in cm.

I guess here in Germany they even trying to get rid of that.
I mean, many/most/all? shops put both cm and inches for TVs on their ads and listings.
Still TBH, I read 55"/139cm and only the first number gives me an idea of the screen size. I guess I am old.

 

[the_randomizer]

For a country that doesn't use it, we sure love using it a lot in the medical field. Which is weird. Change everything to metric except for gas.

100 Celsius = boiling point
0 Celsius = freezing point
1000 meters = 1 KM
1000 grams = 1 KG

Easier to calculate instead of

212 F
32 F
0.62 miles
2.2 lbs

I know a meter is about 3.34 feet, but come on

 

[sarkwalvein]

For a country that doesn't use it, we sure love using it a lot in the medical field. Which is weird. Change everything to metric except for gas.

100 Celsius = boiling point
0 Celsius = freezing point
1000 meters = 1 KM
1000 grams = 1 KG

Easier to calculate instead of

212 F
32 F
0.62 miles
2.2 lbs

I know a meter is about 3.34 feet, but come on

That's what I meant with random.
Whomever came up with the scales, and with subunits and superunits based on 12x, 3x, and ?x relations must be a sadomasochist.

 

[the_randomizer]

That's what I meant with random.
Whomever came up with the scales, and with subunits and superunits based on 12x, 3x, and ?x relations must be a sadomasochist.

It's just... metric makes more sense, why do we use it for medical or food related fields, but not general use?

 

[FAST6191]

It gets worse

View attachment 171428
View attachment 171427

and this is also without doing the British Gallon - American Gallon thing.

UK wise I should also note that while milk will give some fractional litre value on the front then the sizes are still the classic 1 pint, 2 pints, 4 pints or 6 pints sizing (if pressed they will probably say it is old machinery or fridges were built with this size in mind), and saying barkeep I would like 6 counts of 568ml of your finest ale (UK pint is also different to US pint which is 473ml for liquids) will probably not get you terribly far. You can also usually go to a market stall or butchers and ask for something in pounds or ounces (I will have to look but they might have even been an exception to the law which mandated conversion).

Anyway I know what all the common units and their breakdowns are, as well as many conversions, but only because of the whole engineering thing and old cook books, and even then it is mainly because I do a lot of legacy parts engineering. Even with that I have no mental concept at all of how long, heavy, hot, fast... something is in imperial units beyond order of magnitude (I know a foot is commonly used for either human sized things, or in thousands for mountains or distance shooting sort of thing, but if someone tells me 16 feet I have no clue without first converting to just under 5 metres, or for really crude then dividing by 3 and maybe adding a little bit). If someone tells me their new baby weighed 11 lbs I have no clue how much that is and if it is big or small for a baby without converting, and even then I probably still don't know if it is big or small but that is probably more of a side effect of not caring about babies.
Such a thing also means I find it quite odd when some American politico gets trotted out and does the "it is measurements that relate to people's everyday lives" routine.
Possible exception in imperial units in that I can do normal car speeds in imperial if I am going from standstill -- if I am doing the just off a motorway and 50mph feels like standing still routine then probably not going to happen but I could still do metres per second well enough in those scenarios.

Speaking of cooking then nobody in the UK that has not interacted with Americans when it comes to cooking will know what you are talking about if you do your measuring in cups (a volume measurement) as everything that is larger than a tablespoon and more solid than honey (even then I would not be surprised to see honey done by weight) is done by weight or count.

 

[AdenTheThird]

I guess so, lol. Americans are weird (:

 

[bodefuceta]

The imperial system is far from dumb. The units actually have meaning behind them. It's not defined as a random fraction of something very intangible by some organization in a foreign country that may not exist in 50 years. Using metric is a testament to the lack of sovereignity of a country.

 

[Quantumcat]

That's what I meant with random.
Whomever came up with the scales, and with subunits and superunits based on 12x, 3x, and ?x relations must be a sadomasochist.

It actually does make sense when you're only using them for everyday things. 12 is easier to divide into groups than 10. Have a look at

 

[Alexander1970]

He looks like MARTIN SHORT in his best days.Sorry,that distracts me....