Why is it easier to convert meters to centimeters or or millimeters than it is to change yards to feet or inches?
2007-08-29 12:22:34 · 7 answers · asked by Jill 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
americans alwaays want to be different than the british. have you ever wondered why our steering wheels are on the left side and almost everywhere else in the world it is on the right??
2007-08-29 12:27:43 · answer #1 · answered by MnM23 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The metric system is easier to convert because you convert by tens.
For example: To get from millimeters to centimeters, you divide the quantity given by ten, it doesn't matter if there's .5 mm or 200 mm or 23 mm, you just move th decimal point one place to the left: .05 cm, 20 cm, and 2.3 cm.
When using yards, feet and inches, it isn't that easy.
Lets say you have 2 yards that you have to convert to inches, you have to multiply 2 by 36, to get 72 inches. If that's easy, think about converting 5 inches back to yards, because then you have to resort to long division, as opposed to dividing and multiplying by 10, 100, 1000 or other powers of ten, where you can easily just move the decimal place and not have to think twice with pesky remainders and the like.
The metric system in that sense, is more convenient.
2007-08-29 12:33:43 · answer #2 · answered by Colt A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reason is because the conversion factors for centimeters and things like that are all multiples of 10.
The conversion factors for yards, feet, inches, and stuff that like are all random numbers.
2007-08-29 12:30:29 · answer #3 · answered by its_victoria08 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The metric system is all based on 10.. It's 10 times or 10 divided into..... The english system isn't really based on any number that is easy to work with, it's mostly all memory work and then applying the numbers to dimensions etc... This is all because of that English king that decided to have himself measured and have it become a dimension system.
2016-05-21 02:42:53 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because all metric units are in multiples of 10, 100 1000 etc. the old imperial system (which I believe only the US still adheres to) is inconsistent in how many ounces in a pound, how many inches in one foot, etc
2007-08-29 12:29:57 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have you tried using Dimensional Analysis? You can covert any thing that relates to one another!
Lets say you have 20 meters.
We know that there are 39.37008 inches in 1 meter.
20 meters X 39.37008 = 787.4016 inches
I illustrated it here:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g51/ktm866/dimenanalysis.jpg
Or you can go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimensional_analysis
That should help.
2007-08-29 12:31:04 · answer #6 · answered by CK 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the metric system is based on powers of 10.
2007-08-29 12:28:00 · answer #7 · answered by Mathsorcerer 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋