Why does US not follow metric system?

Question

Just wondering...
Why does US not follow metric system?

Answer 1

Nearly all countries in the world uses the metric system (except the U.S. and two other nations). I also cannot understand why the U.S. don't follow that system - it's by far much easier and much better in many ways. It makes more sense for me that water boils at 100° C and freezes at 0° C.

You also might read this http://www.metric4us.com - quite interesting and educational!

Greetings from Germany! :-)

Answer 2

Well, Wher i work we do Not use the metric system in any of our US plants. The Petrolium Industry (The Equipmnet supply side) Actually Uses the Ansi Standard for Piping. Bolts are bolts. It's all numbers anyway. In manufactering it's not like we use 1/16's or 1/32's it's all in decimal form anyway... it's only a number.

Actually almost all equipment we Build is built to API (American Petrolium Institute) Standards and it's the most widely accepted standard. To me when dealing with metric fastners it can be just as confusing as English ones. some sizes have 3-5 thread pitches in metric. English has 2 untill you get up to 1" then there's 3 or 4 (depending on use) Don't even get me going on "Fits" for parts.................

Answer 3

We do use the metric system where it is easy to introduce. For example, all American cars since 1990 have been built on the metric system with metric fasteners, etc.
One of the problems is the massive change over that would be required in the middle ground - not the everyday apples, oranges, and gasoline and not the space satellites and science labs, but all the 2x4's and 4x8 sheets of plywood and sheet rock, plumbing pipes and water valves. How big would the replacement sheets be and how would you use them when repairing an older house, etc.

Answer 4

This was funny.
I remember back in the 70s when we were going to switch over to the metric system.
Labels on products started coming out in metric.
Roadsigns and speedometers were labeled in both English and Metric.
When gas got over a dollar and older pumps wouldn't go that high, some stations sold gas in liters.
Schools were teaching the metric system.
Usually you can't get any two Americans to agree on anything. But here stupidity and suspicion reins supreme.
Stupidity, 'cause it's too hard for me, even thought the rest of the world and all of science knows it's easier.
Suspicion, 'cause I know someones ripping me off when they convert over to that funny foreign system.
Never in history had so many complaint letters been written to congress on a subject.
Americans did not want the metric system. So much of the change over was abandoned.
And they say America isn't a progressive country.
Hoorah!!!

Answer 5

Interestingly, the metric system IS the official system of weights and measures for the United States - This was officially designated by acts Congress in the 70's and 80's. See link below.

In practice, however, people resist using metric because of 1) cultural inertia, 2) laziness, 3) ignorance, and probably more equally unacceptable reasons.

It may take many generations for this much more sensible system to take root. I hope that by the time I am a grandparent we will have made the switch totally.

Answer 6

The metrc system is in widespread use in the USA.

I am an engineer, educated in the USA who lived in Europe for many years. Both the metric system (SI) and the conventional system used in the USA have advantages and disadvantages.

For instance, the Fahrenheit scale seems much better to me for weather temperatures. Smaller degree size and temperatures from 0 to 100 cover most temperatures worldwide except for the most extreme.

I use both systems interchangeably.

Things such as Newtons, the SI unit of force seem strange to Europeans also.

Interestingly, there is a law over 100 years old making the metric system legal in the USA. There is no such law except weights and measures law that does the same for inches and quarts, etc.

Electrical engineering in the USA has metric standards. Aircraft are built in decimal inches.

Some ordinary things sold in Germany are also in the English system. When the faucet in my bathroom started to leak, I took out the washer and couldn't figure out what metric size it was. When I took it into the hardware store, Fritz told me that it was 3/8 inch. He had lots of them in the bin, so I bought one and took it home and fixed the leak.

Answer 7

I have no idea. When I was in elementary school, they taught us both systems, telling us "By the time you reach high school, the US will have converted over to metric."

30 years later, we're still not using it, so I have to have two sets of tools, one in standard, the other metric. It probably goes back to the line of thinking that we are #1 and everyone else should follow us, so why should we change from what we've always used, or something asinine like that.

Answer 8

Machine tools. Imagine the number of lathes and milling machines in the US used.. Each of these machines has at least two precision lead screws, arranged such that one turn of the screw is equal to some perfect fraction of in inch, say 1/20, 1/10 or 1/8. To go a full inch, it takes an even and exact number of turns. To go metric, we would have to replace every lead screw, every dial, and every measuring device on every machine tool in the country, which would be prohibitively expensive for industry.

Yes - part of it is inertia, part is pride, part is stubbornness. Recognise, however, that there are sound commercial and economic reasons for resisting the use of SI units.

Finally, we do use some SI units on a regular basis. How many BTU / Hour does your microwave use? Do you buy an ounce of heroine?

Answer 9

Actually in 1980 were all supposed to "officially" switch over, but it never caught on. We've been preparing for it though, for example by printing both inches and centimeters on maps, using it in math and science classes, printing both pints and mL numbers on beverage bottles, miles and kilometers on spedometers, etc.

I think there are two main reasons why we still don't use it. First of all, there's a bit of arrogance and defensiveness when it comes to "giving up" something that is so "American". Some Americans might actually view it as an act of conforming with the rest of the world, which is a concept that has never really sat well with our culture. But much more importantly, we're all simply used to it. For example, when driving I have a pretty good visual judgement of what half a mile is, but not what half a kilometer is. I can pick up an object and give an estimate on how many pounds is weighs, but not how many kilograms. I can step outside and tell you it feels like it's "in the mid 60s", but not what temperature it feels like in Celsius. It's easier to keep working with the old system.

I sure wish we'd switch. Metric conversions are so ridiculously easy, with everything based on powers of 10.

Answer 10

Because the population is used to the English system, and in order to convert, the entire population would have to be educated in the metric system, as well as the conversion ratios. While this may seem simple when you're talking in terms of distance (most students today know what a centimeter is, and that it takes 2.54 of them to make an inch), but when you consider that everything from bench presses to recipe ingredients would have to be converted, it can get a little confusing.

For a taste of what I mean, just imagine trying to bake a cake (from scratch) using an English-system recipe and metric measuring cups...just how many fluid ounces are in a gram, anyways...? If we don't know how many fluid ounces are in a cup, how do you expect us to be able to convert to metric?! :-)