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The Imperial system evolved through use so is more user friendly. It is more a base 12 system. 12 is divisable by 2,3,4 and 6 while 10 is only divisable by 2 and 5 (base 16 would have been best). The metric system was concocted. No tradesman would ever come up with millimeters, certainly not before spectacles were invented, they are too hard to count. An inch is a wonderful thing. It can be divided into 1/2,1/4,1/8,1/16,1/32/1/64....it's binary!
Still, if I were dictator, I'd force the US to switch to metric for trade purposes.
edit:
This is what I would have done. Keep the inch and make the foot 16 inches (2^4), dump the yard (tape measures make it obsolete) and make the mile 65536 inches (2^16, very close to the current mile)
Is this a real post or are you just being sarcastic? It's hard to tell.
If you are being serious then I think you are confusing "numbers" with "units" .
Watch this: 12m is divisable by 2,3,4 and 6 while 10 inches is only divisable by 2 and 5. Here is another trick: A millimeter is a wonderful thing. It can be divided into 1/2,1/4,1/8,1/16,1/32/1/64....it's binary!
I'm not trying to argue for or against the metric system here, I just think your rational for why the imperial system is more user friendly has absolutely nothing to do with either system . All you are talking about is simple mathematics, which will be the same regardless of which system you use.
If this was just a joke post, then I'm sorry I couldn't tell.
This is not about American pride and our English measuring system. This is about the international community, ALL who are dedicated to increasing the quality of your product. All the major countries have international labs and standards to abide by, ours being NIST.
Again at some level there is always something lost in the conversion. Especially at the standards level. These numbers may not easily be quantified, but actually trickles down into our products and cost of goods. By using the same measuring system, that uses SI units and has had its standards calibrated and traceable to the international community you ensure that if your company makes a part it will fit in every machine it is designed for across the globe.
Whether you realize it or not, the quality of goods, especially in the past thirty years has increased dramatically. It comes from competition, consumer demand and international trade. The pressure to increase quality has skyrocketed and if you think that just because the old English system is superior than quality must be second hand.
I prefer Imperial because when dealing with comparatively small numbers it's easier to use a base-12 system. Why? Because it's easy to divide 12 by thirds and fourths. A base-10 system can only be easily divided into fifths. Try cutting a fifth of a pie. It's an awkward way of thinking about numbers because it's hard to visualize.
For very large numbers, like distances in astronomy, etc., a base-10 system (i.e., metric) is easier. It's just that most of us are not astrophysicists.
People are use to our system, but obviously the metric system is easier to use and know if you use it from day 1.
The USA would have actually been fully switched by now, but the changeover was put on the back burner when the oil crisis hit in 1974, and no one has re-addressed the issue. It's mostly a budget issue as far as why we don't change.
People are use to our system, but obviously the metric system is easier to use and know if you use it from day 1.
The USA would have actually been fully switched by now, but the changeover was put on the back burner when the oil crisis hit in 1974, and no one has re-addressed the issue. It's mostly a budget issue as far as why we don't change.
But it is a long term money saver and will increase quality, which in turn saves money.
Being a military brat I was brought up using the metric system, but once I started going to school they started shoving the Imperial system down my throat. I constantly used to **** off my teachers by referencing distance in meters, weight in kg's, etc.
Returning to my point, I support the metrication of the U.S., It's by far easier and in the long run will benefit America.
Who gives a crap about the metric system.. we went through millenniums with hundreds of different languages, i think a couple countries can deal with the already set Imperial system we all grew up into.
Returning to my point, I support the metrication of the U.S., It's by far easier and in the long run will benefit America.
But most Americans (including myself) don't want it.
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. All you are talking about is simple mathematics, which will be the same regardless of which system you use.
