Metric system?

Question

Why doesn't the US start using the metric system when it is so much simpler and quicker than imperial?

1000mm = 1m 1000g = 1kg 1000ml = 1l
1000m = 1km 1000kg = 1t

Whats up 1760 yards in a mile? Surely that's just an unnecessarily awkward number. Wouldn't using the metric system save US industry loads of money in the long run.

Answer 1

They nearly put the moon lander six feet under

because of mixed units in the landing computers

US gallons, pints, fluid ounces?
Miles?
feet and inches?
US tons, cwt, pounds and ounces?

totally archaic

250g of butter looks ok to me
as does 100g of coffee

Answer 2

As other contributors mentioned, the imperial system has been in use in the US and UK for several centuries, and old habits die hard.
The metric system was introduced in the early 1800's, it was supposed to be a simple system, however, the big drawback for its introduction to the UK and US was that it was developed under Napoleon Bonaparte. There was no way that the English, and Americans, would accept a system from a dictator they had been at war with.

Changing systems won't necessarily save money. Changing from one system to another will cost money, just think of all the machines and displays that would need to be modified or replaced. And most people will resist change. They're used to working with a system, changing it will mean they have to discard all their automatisms, and learn a new system, even if it is "easier". They'll find something problematic with it, to slow down their learning process.

Answer 3

I have to read and understand US and Canadian vehicle design legislation. Most of the US Federal stuff is already cited in both Imperial and metric units, so they are getting there.

The best conversion utility (officially sanctioned by my employer's IT department) that I know of is written by an American - Josh Madison, as link below.

Meanwhile, the metric system isn't perfect IMHO - it's far too easy to get your "powers of ten" wrong. When I was doing my A-level (16-18 years old) physics, my teacher used to mark down more for powers of ten, e.g.:
Correct answer = 3.2 x 10^3
Student 1 = 3.2 x 10^4 gets less points than
Student 2 = 3.4 x 10^3

Answer 4

There is absolutely no point whatsoever in conversion, one way or the other. Once you are comfortable with a system you do things automatically.
(There are, in fact, advantages in using duodecimals.)
Which metric system, anyway? I had to learn to work in metric and imperial in the 1940s and the metric units were, in many cases, quite different to those of today.
UK went metric because treacherous politicians were brown-nosing our enemies and rivals in Europe. And don't forget that it cost lotsa money and created lotsa non-productive jobs for council numpties.

Answer 5

It is easy and I have seen it done. All you need is a letter from the company president and a little booklet mailed to each employee with some conversion factors.

Oh, then, you will have to go to every tool box in the country and give them a new meauring tape, new drill bits, new screws and bolts, new wrenches, new lathes, new sheet metal stock, new wire. Just re-tool the entire nation is all.

So, it is what you might call cheap talk, the province of politicians and managers.

Answer 6

Metric is too easy when kids were taught in the old imperial way it gave them something to think about and a grasp of awkward figures,now it's too easy, like using a calculator instead of your brain.I'm a spare time joiner and I still work in feet and inches 3/16 of an inch is more to my line of thinking.

Answer 7

As an engineer you should use your time solving the problem than calculating conversions, so the SI units are simpler to use, reduce the conversion mistakes and the rest of the world use them for many reasons.
As an example, my height is 1,80 m, but why in english system it is 6 feet, why not 2 yards?
And for everything related to linear measurements we use meters: visible light wave lenght, nanometers, cell size, micrometers; person height, meters; road distances, kilometers... whe you measure an area, it is just square meters, to volumen, cubic meters... simple and to the point!

Answer 8

Probably for the same reason that we don't like soccer!

Personally, I'm too old a dog to learn new tricks!
Besides, do you know how many new tools I'd have to buy
if we went totally metric???

Check out the links, below; some of the info may surprise you!

Answer 9

I agree in principle. However, the Imperial system is very old and has been in use for many, many years and old habits die hard.
The UK and the US are slowly converting to metric but for older people in particular, the change-over is difficult and many shops etc..still use the old system in conjunction with metric to make things easier.
I'm 73 now and an Englishman but, having worked in different countries I've become used to using US, UK and Metric systems and their conversion from one to another but, I understand the difficulty experienced by others.

Answer 10

Because the imperial system is better. To me metric just makes people lazy. I was brought up with the metric system but i went and learned imperial on my own back and i prefer using it i find it so mucher easier to work with. Its easier to work with and comes together better. I'm no genius at maths but i'm glad i learned imperial because its helped me with some complicatited additions. I know another boy who was brought up with metric and he had to use a calulator to convert milligrammes into kilogrammes. Also keeps us unique from the rest of the world. Anti globalisation!

Answer 11

it seems odd, especially as the imperial system is associated with the British Empire, with whom America fought so bitterly against.

However, the imperial weights and measures are more intuitive and related to everyday objects.

It would be a bugger to change the system. I think for science and engineering, if we all used the metric system it would be easier to transfer from one country to another. But for everything else (pound of mince, walking a mile, ten yards for a first down) why bother changing?