why do americans still use the customary unit of measurment?

Question

thanks if you can help. im doing a report and need ideas. thanks again

Answer 1

All of our existing machine tools, all of our existing production machinery, our entire transportation industry, our chemical plants, our defense industry, etc., etc. etc. and all their plans and drawings, future, present, and historical (along with all their spare parts and part manufacturers) are based on our present system.
It boggles the mind to think of the mess we'd be in if we tried to switch systems. We would have to work with 2 systems for generations before being in the clear.
The way things are now, all students have to learn to deal with the metric system in school so it looks like we are thinking about changing, but when you go out there in the working world you are going to have to forget all that metric stuff, unless you get into research or teaching work.

Answer 2

In all honesty, I think it's because of arrogance. It's like when people tell Mexican people "Speak English!". People here in America refuse to learn other languages because "people in other countries should learn English instead."

What I'm trying to say is that some Americans (not all, most people in the field of science and technology have switched to SI) are just too used to their system. There's a type of intuition telling how long or hot something is that must be linked to the units system they use. I'm from South America and moved here 7 years ago. Then, I could never tell what temperature it was in Fahrenheit. Now after using Fahrenheit every day, I can't tell the temperature in metric! Now if I really wanted to be elitist, I could say: Let those in other countries convert our units.

To this, you have to add that America never FORCED the switch to the metric system like other countries did.

Answer 3

countless the undemanding gadgets of degree interior the U. S. have been inherited from super Britain. they're of countless beginning - some useful, some humorous. An inch is the size of three barley corns placed facet-by using-facet. A foot ... ok - that one is particularly glaring, nevertheless the foot in question belonged to 3 king or yet another. A cubit become defined because of the fact the gap from that comparable king's elbow to the top of his middle finger, and a backyard become the gap from the top of his nostril to the top of his middle finger (subsequently the practice of "smelling a backyard"). All of those measurements have been at last normalized in terms of one yet another. that isn't any longer an extremely particularly commencing up, yet there you have it.

Answer 4

Its a matter of nationalism and upbringing now. When i or any other american measures or estimates any measurement, we do it in feet and inches and ounces and pounds because thats the way we were brought up. All of our road signs are in miles, all of our cars have MPH as their primary measurement of speed on the speed dial. Everyone here finds it easier and most Americans find no need to change our system of measurement when it works perfectly well. We arent arrogant, its just what we grew up with and if foreigners want to complain, well then they dont have to come to America. :)

Answer 5

because all of our current supplies in the U.S are based on the customary and we need to learn the metric anyways because all other countries are based on it also were to lazy to change pretty much

Answer 6

It is a hassle to transfer EVERYTHING into metric units.

Have you tried getting inches to centimeters?

Not fun.