America has not converted to the metric system...WHY?

Question

America is one of the last countries to adopt the metric system (metres, kilometres, litres). I find this strange since they are arguably the leaders with most things.

Answer 1

Hey Lexie,

COST! If you were in school during the 1970's, the U.S. Government issued the directive that all students needed to be trained in the Metric System. However, many larger industries cited cost.

To re-tool industry (Lumber, Steel, Automotive, Forms, Architectural Drawings, and to some merit, Military) the costs to Industry (at the time ) were claimed to be prohibitive. Industry claimed that it would put them at an unfair advantage to bear the costs to re-tool and still remain competitive in the world markets.

If they attempted to convert today, the process would be much easier. More computers are now in use than in the 1970's. Many more parts are made overseas as well as metric parts made here in the U.S. The cost, today, while cheaper, still is a major anti-metric argument. Our older vehicles (Auto, Aircraft, Ships & Rail) our infrastructure (electrical, plumbing and lumber) and our printed materials would still need to be supported with replacement parts and conversion abilities. This would still require companies to maintain two sets of manufacturing capabilities.

On the Home front. I am pretty sure that Aunt Edna would be confused if she was used to using 1 pound of butter for a recipe and found that butter was only available as 500 Grams. I believe that she would stop baking - and let you decypher her handed down recipes.

I don't believe Americans are LAZY.... Hell, we don't care what the speed limit sign says! Some say we can't adapt, tell that to the people waiting in lines at airports! Like someone said, We've had 2 litre bottles of Soda since the 70's, Nobody's complained! We never were able to go to the banks on weekends or after hours - American ingenuity solved that little fiasco (ATM's were installed 5 years ahead of Europe!).

Will we convert to Metric ? We were told if we didn't we were going to be left out of world trading. Well, we're waiting....

I hope I helped,

James in San Diego

P.S. To the guy that said something about money -- Money is not cosidered metric! But I'll be happy to take 10 quarters for my dollar!

Answer 2

Simple instead of picking base measurements that have relivence to human experience they picked more random bases for metric than the old standards. So instead of walking off a distance knowing your foot is x close to a real foot you have to walk it off, then do multiple caluculations to get a guestimate about the lenght of say a wall or where to set home plate.

Temp wise the metric is WAY off scale. Temps in C are not scaled to human experience. Who cares what the boiling point of water is? That's all great for scientific experiments where you are dealing with much larger ranges of temps. When it comes to whether to put a coat on or not one degree Celcius is a big deal. To have meaningfull temps you have to use 36.4 or some absurdity like that. When you say it's 98 F you are giving a pretty specific temp. The equiv of C is about what 6 degrees? So it could be 92 or 104 but it's the same temp in C if you don't use decimals. The scale is just not a good fit with human beings.

When it comes to measurement centimeters have already been adopted for many tasks. If 100 centimeters equaled something close to a foot we'd adopted metric a long time ago. The problem is you go from centimeters to meters and that's a huge jump or you go inbetween to decameters. So your doing actually more work to measure something than the insane base 12 scale used in standard.

Litres are one of the few measurements that work well with the human scale. Except for milk and a few other exceptions we've mostly converted to metric for fluid volumes.

Other than that what needs to happen is for Metric to be regauged. Set on a human experience. The cubit and the yard are both based on about the same scale. There's a reason for this. It's what people use. It's easier. The metric system should reguage centimeters to be 1/100th of something close to a foot. Meters could then be 3 feet which would make it close to yards and cubits. Do that and you'd see quick adoption because it's in a human scale of practical value. Until then forget it. Too expend all the money it'd cost to change over for a system that doesn't make anything easier? That makes no sense. It would make things harder despite the obvious faults of the current standard measurements. That is why we dont' adopt it.

Answer 3

The American money system is already in the metric system. Everything is based on multiples of 10 with convenience points put in at 5 and 25 for coins and the rarely seen $2 bill. There is no need to change the name. In addition, even the French no longer use the French currency standard. They went to the Euro.

Answer 4

The metric systems was created during the French Revolutionary period, long before America was a world leader, it was philosophical and political as much as anything. The UK didn't change to metric until quite recently, even now we still use Miles, and most adults still think in pounds, feet, etc( it's quite funny seeing US TV where, even older British people are portrayed talking about kilometers, it doesn't happen, even road signs here in UK are still in miles).
However as the old system is known as Imperial measurement it fits that America, as presently an Imperialist country , should use that system- I must say I much prefer imperial measures, but owing to the EEC it is illegal now to sell things in pounds and ounces in UK, someone was even sent to prison for selling bananas in pounds-no joke. The EEC is a totalitarian organisation in many ways, sorry I went way beyond the question.

Answer 5

There's a lot of cost involved in changing. Some construction projects are bid in metric measurements. Generally they cost more, because you have to convert everything to order material. I'd say that the US hasn't converted due to resistance in the general population. However, my eight year old only knows the metric system. It's all he's learning in school.

Answer 6

Because with the metric system MOST measurements, weights convert to higher numbers. That is... 1" equals approx 2.5cm etc. It's a brain power thing! They'd look at a metric tape-measure and freak! "What are all those numbers for!?!"
No, that's nasty.
Probably because they just like to be different.

Answer 7

Because America's leaders want to lead rather than follow. I myself agree that the metric system is afar more accurate form of measurement that the "standard" system that we use in America. That is the term over here, "standard".... Go figure.

Answer 8

No metric is so stupid, To think we in the U.S. Don't have because of ignorant people. In medicine we use metric. It is simple to use,accurate all correct but again the U.S. population is ignorant and fearful of change. So on we go after all these years with a stupid system

Answer 9

Metric is so easy, everything is divided by 10's, & Americans are stuborn people to change.

Answer 10

we Have adopted it. we get taught it in our schools. the problem with the metric system is if you put them side by side (English/Metric) for one you have more possibilities. for two, If toy are working with threads (nuts & bults) they are also more percise and have more gripping power.