How many acres are in a square mile? How many feet are in an acre? How many fluid ounces are in a quart? How many fluid ounces are in a pint? Why in God’s name do we still use this stupid system?
2006-09-04 12:31:22 · 9 answers · asked by legionmk59 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Probably for the same reason that we had "freedom fries" - Americans hate the French, and anything so completely French as Système International d'Unités (more commonly known as SI or the metric system) cannot possibly be allowed to defile our pure American lifestyle. *cough*
Now, if only I could work out why Americans hate the French. I mean, they built the statue of liberty and fought the british during the American revolution, so rationally we should like them...
2006-09-04 12:37:23 · answer #1 · answered by Pascal 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Americans don't necessarily "hate" the metric system. People just use what they're used to. Even if people can't do the conversions in their head, they can easily conceive what a "pound" or what a "gallon" is if they come across these quantities in their everyday lives. Switching to metric would mean having to convert pounds to kilograms and gallons to liters for a few years, and most would just rather say "screw it!" then take the effort, especially if they aren't too impared by using the US customary units. People in other countries have resisted similar changes themselves but there's been a greater force upon them to switch to metric plus the US is a rather large and somewhat isolated country. If the US bordered a bunch of metric-official countries and couldn't manufacture nearly everything itself, it would probably switch a lot faster out of necessity.
As for your other questions...
There are 640 acres in a square mile
The second conversion doesn't make sense (feet is length, acres is area)
A quart has 32 fl oz
A pint has 16 fl oz
Your last question, while suggestive, is similar enough to your first that I would just be repeating my first answer.
2006-09-04 12:49:28 · answer #2 · answered by Kyrix 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A very good question, and the answer is often misunderstood. As a practicing engineer, I can provide a little insight into a system that has persisted for many years despite many opinions to the contrary.
Over the last hundred years, many buildings, ships, airplanes and cars have been designed using the English units system (also called the FPS system for feet-pounds-seconds). These drawings have been used to program various machines, computers and production systems to make parts from raw materials, and turn them into finished products.
While some countries made the switch to SI units long before the computer manufacturing revolution of the 60s-80s, and some have spent considerable sums recapitalizing their production capability in the ensuing years, the cost of changing the entirety of the United States's engineering and industrial production data set would be staggering. Even worse, at this point, it would serve very little purpose within the U.S.
Of course, this change would greatly benefit companies in foreign countries, as it would enable them to use their existing design and production methods when they make components for later integration into larger products made in the U.S. Even so, this cost savings would never be realized by U.S. manufacturers, so the resistance to change (headed largely by U.S. manufacturing industry) has been able to largely derail efforts by the U.S. government to force the change. Indeed, even in government procurement of buildings, land and complex systems, the government must pay a premium in order to specify the system of units that will be used in fulfillment of a government contract.
2006-09-04 12:46:44 · answer #3 · answered by tillmas 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The American system was to be changed to the metric system centuries ago but it would have been way too costly to change the entire system so we Americans just stuck with our own system.
2006-09-04 12:43:44 · answer #4 · answered by jhackie85 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People are resistant to change. I personally like metric units more than the american units, much easier to convert.
2006-09-04 12:37:18 · answer #5 · answered by Kirby 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that measurments in general are confusing to people. Having to remeber all sorts of conversions can be intimidating. If schools focused more on teaching measurements at a young age, then it wouldnt be so hard for people now.
2006-09-04 12:38:33 · answer #6 · answered by heygirl1914 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
because we're arrogant? i'm not sure...the metric system does seem to be quite simpler and much more concise.....but I didn't grow up learning it and so it's easier just to stick with what I'm most used to
2006-09-04 12:33:52 · answer #7 · answered by egyptsprincess07 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We are too lazy and too much in our old ways
2006-09-04 12:32:51 · answer #8 · answered by whackiejackies 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
because americans don't need a reason
2006-09-04 12:38:16 · answer #9 · answered by Megan 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋