Should the whole world follow 1 unit of measurement?
129 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Krinkels;35287189]I don't think any country has entirely switched over to the metric system.
Weight isn't measured in Newtons. Pounds are typically used instead.
Height isn't measured in centimetres. At least, I would be surprised if one were to consider oneself 175cm.
Power isn't always measured in Watts. Cars have horsepower and food has Calories.
Volume isn't always measured in Litres. Oil comes in barrels.
Pressure isn't always measured in Pascals. Blood is measured in mmHg and air in atm.
Angles can be measured in three units, as can temperature.
If the world is to conform to the metric system, you yourself would be inconvenienced by the imposition of new units and you'd end up learning new measurements.[/QUOTE]
Some of this was already discussed but...
Weight is used synonymously with mass. And mass is measured in kilograms where I live. When more accurate measurements are needed, grams are small enough yet easy to use together with kilograms. Actual weight(and every other force) is indeed measured in newtons. At no point in education are weight and mass confusingly mixed with weird units like pound-force.
Where I live the height of people is measured in centimeters. Generally distances are measured in meters with standardized prefixes that everybody knows. Millimeters, kilometers etc. Everything is very easy and convenient to convert around even in your head. Can you tell me in 5 seconds how many inches are in a mile? And the inconvience of measuring anything even somewhat accurately...
Power is pretty much always measured in watts. Horsepower is used side-by-side with devices containing engines; cars and such. Calories have nothing to do with power. Calories are a measurement of energy. Kilocalories and joules(SI-unit) are used side-by-side in the information in food packaging.
Volume is generally measured in cubic meters. With prefixes. Small amounts of liquid are usually measured in litres which are equal to cubic decimeters. Units like gallons, pints, cups etc. are inconvenient to convert to each other and don't reliably even fit their names.
Pressure isn't something that people usually need to deal with every day. In education and science pascals are used, air pressure included. Blood pressure is irrelevant because even to professionals it's just a "stand-alone" number that works by itself to indicate things. It doesn't really require convertibility. PSI is still (unfortunately) used in many places but only for individual purposes such as tire pressure. PSI is a great example of a stupid unit using pounds for force and square inches(try converting that into anything even inside the imperial system) for area.
With angles degrees are used in everyday life due to convenience(360 is easily divisible). Radians are taught in high school. Radians unlike most SI-units are however difficult to use casually.
Temperature is measured in Celsius which is far better than fahrenheit. Freezing and boiling points of water(at 0 and 100 degrees respectively in Celsius) are much more relevant to everyday life than whatever fahrenheit is based off(human temperature if i'm not mistaken?). Scientific measurement happens in Kelvins which are compatible with Celsius; different 0, same intervals.
So no, I wouldn't be inconvienced by a change nor should anyone else be since metric/SI units are are much easier to use and make more sense.
It's ok for me to use other stuff then Metric I use, but why the hell is there a british mile and a american mile? It's the same measure but why is there two different gallions? That's what annoying me the most.
[QUOTE=Krinkels;35287189]I don't think any country has entirely switched over to the metric system.
Weight isn't measured in Newtons. Pounds are typically used instead.
Height isn't measured in centimetres. At least, I would be surprised if one were to consider oneself 175cm.
Power isn't always measured in Watts. Cars have horsepower and food has Calories.
Volume isn't always measured in Litres. Oil comes in barrels.
Pressure isn't always measured in Pascals. Blood is measured in mmHg and air in atm.
Angles can be measured in three units, as can temperature.
If the world is to conform to the metric system, you yourself would be inconvenienced by the imposition of new units and you'd end up learning new measurements.[/QUOTE]
It's SI-system.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_System_of_Units[/url]
Weight is measured with grams and kilograms and else, newtons are for force.
We use centimetres for height and else.
We use liters or cubic metres for volume, and liters can be easily converted to cubic metres (1L=10cm^3)
[editline]29th March 2012[/editline]
Well, i'm late.
3.28 ft to 1m.
2.54 cm to an inch.
2.2lbs to a kg.
3.8 litres to a US gallon
746W to a HP...
That's just from my head. Nothing too challenging here but it could be simplified.
[QUOTE=Krinkels;35287189]I don't think any country has entirely switched over to the metric system.
Weight isn't measured in Newtons. Pounds are typically used instead.
Height isn't measured in centimetres. At least, I would be surprised if one were to consider oneself 175cm.
Power isn't always measured in Watts. Cars have horsepower and food has Calories.
Volume isn't always measured in Litres. Oil comes in barrels.
Pressure isn't always measured in Pascals. Blood is measured in mmHg and air in atm.
Angles can be measured in three units, as can temperature.
If the world is to conform to the metric system, you yourself would be inconvenienced by the imposition of new units and you'd end up learning new measurements.[/QUOTE]
One good thing with the metric system is how different units can be used together. For example, one decimeter³ is one deciliter. And I don't see how measuring length in meters is difficult, we do it here in Sweden. If someone is 1,75 meters tall they just say they're "one seventy-five".
We measure all weight in kilograms here, and volume in liters. Measuring temperature in celcius makes much more sense than fahrenheit, with 0-100 being freeze and boil points.
Yes, defiantly metric
I also think we should use a single currency. Not sure what that would be called but it would make things allot easier
I'm all for the idea, but it's not happening. I doubt the US wants to remake every single road sign.
But honestly, I see no point in imperial units. Personally, I much prefer just having to add a few zeroes when converting rather than having to multiply by 3, 36, or whatever.
[QUOTE=Fhenexx;35295406]Technically, the US has been a metric country since [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_Conversion_Act]1975[/url]. It's just that it's incredibly difficult and time-consuming to change all the road signs, cars, rainfall apparatuses, and everything else into metric terms, so it's not going to be a fully-metric country for a while.[/QUOTE]
That is only for commerce and trade and doesn't call for conversion of anything non-business related.
[editline]28th March 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=WingedAssailant;35339694]I also think we should use a single currency. Not sure what that would be called but it would make things allot easier[/QUOTE]
This isn't how currency works.
[QUOTE=WingedAssailant;35339694]I also think we should use a single currency. Not sure what that would be called but it would make things allot easier[/QUOTE]
I can see that completely screwing up the economy
[QUOTE=Hruhf;35341433]I can see that completely screwing up the economy[/QUOTE]
What's wrong with a single universal currency?
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;35341439]What's wrong with a single universal currency?[/QUOTE]
Euro is at it's breaking point.
[editline]29th March 2012[/editline]
Same might happen with universal currency.
[QUOTE=oskutin;35341603]Euro is at it's breaking point.
[editline]29th March 2012[/editline]
Same might happen with universal currency.[/QUOTE]
Fear of it might happening is not justified.
[QUOTE=matsta;35326362]Yes.
(it will happen eventually anyway)
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("This is not debating - Read the rules sticky." - Megafan))[/highlight][/QUOTE]
Hopefully.
But isn't settling on one unified measurement basically the same as putting all religiousness into one?
Both cases would be very beneficial to all of us imo.
[QUOTE=Bat-shit;35342417]But isn't settling on one unified measurement basically the same as putting all religiousness into one?[/QUOTE]
It's more like having everyone use the same tool so that way everyone will understand what they're talking about.
Or like having a unified language...but for measurement.
Input, because nobody's provided anything besides "I think" responses as to how its taught:
In Aurora Public Schools (Colorado), USA, it works like this:
Math -> Teaches both metric and imperial/US units
Science -> Metric
Project Lead The Way, the engineering program here, teaches everything in imperial/US units, and subsequently all architecture and engineering in America is done in imperial/US units.
Honestly I think we should be taught both and let personal preference be the determining factor in what you're doing.
Switching to metric system does not mean you should use fully metric, like kilojoules instead of calories. Calories is an inaccurate measure of how much energy can be absorbed from the food, and it does need to be converted around. Just stop fucking around with the pounds and feets.
[QUOTE=Sniperm0n;35494114]Honestly I think we should be taught both and let personal preference be the determining factor in what you're doing.[/QUOTE]
Personal preference should not be allowed for pretty much anything important with regards to measurement. All factories or roads and lawbooks should state things in and use metric, otherwise it screws up things later. For example if one factory produces goods using imperial measurement, it will cost a lot of time and money to allow those goods to be used in a place using metric. Metric is used worldwide and practically only the USA and Britain still use imperial to a large degree.
[IMG]http://www.guzer.com/pictures/countries-using-metric-system.jpg[/IMG]
Of course not all those use metric only, but it gives you the idea. America, stop trolling the whole world with your weird units.
Yes, Metric is way easier, accurate and overall better.
Imperial gives you a "rough" estimate, Metric gives you the exact size, length and such.
[QUOTE=Maucer;35494893][IMG]http://www.guzer.com/pictures/countries-using-metric-system.jpg[/IMG]
Of course not all those use metric only, but it gives you the idea. America, stop trolling the whole world with your weird units.[/QUOTE]
woahwoahwoah, dem brits use Metric? Didn't they like, invent Imperial?
[QUOTE=Krinkels;35287189]I don't think any country has entirely switched over to the metric system.
Weight isn't measured in Newtons. Pounds are typically used instead.
Height isn't measured in centimetres. At least, I would be surprised if one were to consider oneself 175cm.
Power isn't always measured in Watts. Cars have horsepower and food has Calories.
Volume isn't always measured in Litres. Oil comes in barrels.
Pressure isn't always measured in Pascals. Blood is measured in mmHg and air in atm.
Angles can be measured in three units, as can temperature.
If the world is to conform to the metric system, you yourself would be inconvenienced by the imposition of new units and you'd end up learning new measurements.[/QUOTE]
I can't tell if you are trolling or being serious...
[editline]11th April 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Aerkhan;35525649]Yes, Metric is way easier, accurate and overall better.
Imperial gives you a "rough" estimate, Metric gives you the exact size, length and such.
woahwoahwoah, dem brits use Metric? Didn't they like, invent Imperial?[/QUOTE]
They invented SI after that to punk themselves. :v:
It'd be great if everyone followed the SI system.
However, despite having grown up with metric units, after living in the UK for half my life I'd say some imperial units would be nice to partially retain in certain contexts, e.g. a pint of beer just sounds better than five hundred millilitres or half a litre of beer.
At work today I think I overheard some people in the kitchen arguing about how many cups were in a quart so they could convert it to gallons.
There'd be no argument in Metric. It's all 10 and makes sense.
YEAH LUL I'LL USE MY DIK FOR TEH MEASUREMENT OF 1 METRE LOL
CUZ MY DICK B HUEG
The change from F to C would probably be the most jarring.
I imaging there will be tens of thousands of meals being burnt to a crisp because people cooking their dinners aren't used to the new measurements :v:
I see no reason for why we should have a standardised system of measuring things, I mean what is the point in being able to easily communicate measurements you make with others?
The UK still uses units like Miles and yards in some places, but we only teach SI.
[QUOTE=Madman_Andre;35531713]I can't tell if you are trolling or being serious...
[editline]11th April 2012[/editline]
They invented SI after that to punk themselves. :v:[/QUOTE]
He IS partially right though.
[editline]14th April 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=danharibo;35566000]I see no reason for why we should have a standardised system of measuring things, [b]I mean what is the point in being able to easily communicate measurements you make with others[/b]?
The UK still uses units like Miles and yards in some places, but we only teach SI.[/QUOTE]
You're being sarcastic, right??
The main problem with it would be getting used to the new measurements.
I think that, officially, things should be standardised. However, the convenience of inches, feet, etc is just too great to drop.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;35566062]I think that, officially, things should be standardised. However, the convenience of inches, feet, etc is just too great to drop.[/QUOTE]
I find them very inconvenient tbh.
[editline]14th April 2012[/editline]
They're only convenient because you're used to them.
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