The US uses the metric system (meters, liters, Newton etc.) and the historical system of measurements called the English System (feet, yards, pints, gallons, etc). It is confusing since scientists and some engineers are trained to handle metric units where the average citizen uses English units.
It got to be a big problem with a Mars Lander that crashed on Mars and was a complete failure. The problem was finally traced down to a simple error. NASA uses the English system of units and they built and launched the probe. The Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) uses the metric system and they control the probes and Landers, including writing the software and updating it. So the Lander thought it was nearing the surface at a few hundred feet while the controls and the software in the Lander thought it was a few hundred meters (almost 3 times) from the surface. Therefore the parachute didn't deploy in time and the Lander crashed.
2007-05-05 12:08:56
·
answer #1
·
answered by Dan S 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
The U.S. does NOT use the metric system.
Our system uses feet, inches, pounds, and ounces just to name a few measurements while the metric system uses centimeters, meters, grams, and kilograms.
The U.S. is the only nation in the world not to use the metric system.
2007-05-05 19:04:41
·
answer #2
·
answered by swimming_dramastar19 4
·
0⤊
0⤋
We use a system called the "standard" system. It is based on some of the most random of measurements. Its linear units (meaning how we measure distance) are inches, feet, miles, etc. This is what we are used to in the United States.
Almost everywhere else, they use the metric system that is based on sections of a circle that is evenly divided by a specific number. And since a circle always has some constants (like ratio of circumfrence to diameter, or ratio of area to radius), it makes sense to base a system off that. From this circle, we can get linear measurements that are always constant and can be derived by anyone.
2007-05-05 19:05:37
·
answer #3
·
answered by JO 3
·
0⤊
0⤋
US University physics courses are taught using the metric system.
.
2007-05-05 19:37:23
·
answer #4
·
answered by Robert L 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
No, we(the US) don't use the metric sytstem. The sytem we use is called the "english system". This sytem uses inches, feet, yards, and miles(these are just a few), instead of meters, liters(or any prefix before them; just to name a few).
We are the only nation to use this system of measurement.
2007-05-05 19:04:47
·
answer #5
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
No they're still using the imperial system. (feet, inches etc.)
In Australia we use the metric system
2007-05-05 21:00:26
·
answer #6
·
answered by ? 2
·
0⤊
0⤋
U.S. uses customary units of measure. Everyone else uses metric units of measure.
2007-05-06 01:58:09
·
answer #7
·
answered by democrat13 2
·
0⤊
0⤋
we use the Standard System..inches, yards, miles, feet, quarts, gallons, ect. If you don't add milli, centi, deca, ect. to the front to either make the mesurment smaller or larger than its not metric.
2007-05-05 19:05:05
·
answer #8
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋