Why hasn't america switched to the metric system?

Question

I don't know of any other first world country that still uses the imperial system. How come america never made the switch. Joke all you want but metric makes alot more sense. 1 liter water = 1 kilogram. The conversions between measurments are easy everything is base ten. 16 ounces in a pound 2000lbs in a ton wtf? Is there a good reason the switch was never made?

How did the change happen in canada then? I know in the 70's it came about. Is it simply cause we are smaller? Greater ties to the UK?

Answer 1

It was tried in the '70's. Basically there were two reasons it didn't take: cultural and economic.

Culturally, the metric system was viewed as being "old World" and that we would be conforming to the Europeans. The US was economically dominant and this conversion was een as "giving in" if you like.

Economically, well, the US was dominant, and would cost a lot to convert all of the industrial base over to metric. Imaging having to replace all the tooling in factories from British to metric units. The think about the cost of converting signs - speed limits, height restrictions, weight restrictions, etc. All of the measuring devices for cooking, industrial baking, etc. have to be replaced. Reprinting of instructions that use British units . The list goes on. So it was deemd to hard to do from a cost standpoint.

Answer 2

American scientists use the metric system, and they're the only ones who use it enough for it to really matter. Also, nothing is holding you back from using the metric system, so have fun. If you are asking why there is not a law requiring businesses and others to exclusively use the metric system, think about how much money that would cost our economy to change everything, plus how hard it would be for the average person to adapt to the change. If you told someone it was 50 degrees Celsius outside, they'd bring a jacket, as 50 sounds cool to most people used to Fahrenheit. You are definitely right that the metric system is simpler, but the benefits are not worth what it would take to change.

Answer 3

Because the imperial system is entrenched in our culture. We know it , we are comfortable with it , and we like it. Just because everyone else uses the metric system does not mean we should. We do use it for international trade and that is fine. But for domestic purposes, we are doing fine with what we have. And yes , I do know the metric system, so it is not just a case of not wanting to learn something new. It is more like a case of not seeing the need to do something just because everyone else does.

Answer 4

America takes it's sweet time for any kind of change! Why do you think it's one of the only industrialized countries that doesn't offer any kind of benefits for new mothers? Some women can get 6 weeks UNPAID leave, but only if they've been at their job for a year and their employer has at least 50 employees.

Answer 5

it makes tons of sense. almost all of the scientific community uses it because of that.

even machinerary is mroe likely to use metric as well.

The rest could just have a hard time intergrating with the existing physical structures.

I just guess most americans are just kind of stubborn like this.

Answer 6

Mechanics need TWO sets of tools?
Machinery cost of conversion?
It wqs proposed a few years ago. The uproar was deafening.

All your points well made. We measure in inches, convert to feet, convert to yards, etc, calculate sq. ft., convert to sq, yards, etc.
We use the decimal system in money. Works the same.

Thanks to our pilgrims.
They measured shoe sizes in "barley corns". Believe it.
(My past exp. in shoe business)

Answer 7

We're stubborn and do not like change.

And no, there is not a good reason we have not changed.

Answer 8

People do not like change!

Answer 9

change = money