Is there a reason for american units of measurement to make no sense at all?

[Tro]

I was wondering why the hell they made it so unnecessarily complicated,  I mean, It doesn't make any sense. I understand that americans are used to it so this topic.

Anyways, what do you guys think of this way of measuring things and stuff, another example is Fahrenheit or whatever, I think Celcius makes so much more sense since 0 degrees = freezing point and 100 degrees = boiling point for water.

I'm not trying to insult any americans, only the american that came up with these units of measurement. I'm just asking for your opinion about it.

[KieranFretwell]

They just like to be different, leave them alone. 

[Wtalk2]

Another thing that I hate is having to use both systems in school. There is only like 5 countries (Don't quote me on that) that still use the imperial system. Just drop it already!

[Bogica]

When has the US ever been practical or logical?

[Scionyde]

REAL MEN MEASURE TEMPERATURE IN RANKINE!

 

But yeah, it is silly. Unfortunately, it's just what people are used to. Still, what I'm a little puzzed about is why some places like the UK mix and match. Speed limits in miles per hour, but selling petrol in pounds per litre, etc...

[cae]

Well, Fahrenheit wasn't American. I use the metric system whenever I can. Problem is I'd look like a tosser if I were talking with someone and they asked for unit conversions.

[TheArium]

Ha, I've thought about this as well. Traditions die hard, I guess. But really the system makes no sense compared to the linear units-of-10-based metric system.

 

Do Americans weigh Stones or have I misunderstood something+

[Wtalk2]

When has the US ever been practical or logical?

Pew pew, shots fired! 

 

[Scionyde]

Somewhat on topic, there's also been something I've been a little curious about. Why do we measure time the way we do? 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in a hour, 24 hours in a day? I understand what a day and a year is supposed to represent solar system-wise, but isn't it theoretically possible to divide up time's smaller units to fit into a base 10 system?

[BrandedUpontheGrave]

I don't know, why did Britain like it?

 

It was the British Imperial system of measurement after all.

[Thorium19]

The UK is weird, but I like using inches and feet for height measurement of people, but kilos for weight. Also, I use Miles for long distances and measure it in Metres, and use Metres and CM for shorter distances up to a mile.

[NInety]

#KELVINMASTERRACE

 

I think Kelvin is better because the coldest temperature reachable on planet Earth is 0 according to the measurements of Kelvin.

[Speedstack79]

dont h8 m8

[cae]

Somewhat on topic, there's also been something I've been a little curious about. Why do we measure time the way we do? 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in a hour, 24 hours in a day? I understand what a day and a year is supposed to represent solar system-wise, but isn't it theoretically possible to divide up time's smaller units to fit into a base 10 system?

 

Atomic clocks. It's fine until you try and mix atomic measurement with our planetary movement, which isn't accurate. It's close, but why we also have leap years.

[Trik'Stari]

Why are we having this argument again? We use it every day, and have no trouble with it, so it's obviously not better or worse, just different.

 

I could make the same argument that english is better.

[threadysparrow]

The imperial measurements came from England. The reason why the U.S. uses them is because we splintered off from England a long time ago. We didn't switch to European measures because we are across the ocean from Europe. Interestingly, part of the reason why our military is so powerful is because we're isolated over here. It's also partially why our politics are center-right. If we were close to England, we would have switched to metric units long ago.

 

If we were closer to England, we would not be independent because the English Navy and Army would have demolished us in the American Revolution. The reason why they stopped sending troops over was because they couldn't keep it up since it would take months to get people over from England. They decided to cut their losses.

 

What were we talking about again?

[Santa_Dwarf]

They just like to be different, leave them alone. 

So how many MILES per hour does your car do?

I still don't get why everything in the UK is in miles.

The only person that I can accept that uses miles an hour, is Jeremy Clarkson.

In Jeremy we trust.

[MoonSpot]

Every time the united states tries to change over to the metric system some people start screaming about how the metric system causes autism or something.

 

P.S.  most Americans are using metric, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean(most of it), and South America.

[juretrn]

Didn't we have one of these threads just a few days back?

[Trik'Stari]

Didn't we have one of these threads just a few days back?

Indeed. For some reason the supposedly more "tolerant" cultures of the world, can't accept that we want to use a system of measurement different from theirs. Furthermore they don't get that metric's only advantage is in engineering and scientific circumstances.

[AlexGoesHigh]

i dont understand why this topic is getting brought up so often these day, we already flamed on it, from both points of view, its getting annoying now since this will probably end in a flame like the last time  <_<

[Raid]

Indeed. For some reason the supposedly more "tolerant" cultures of the world, can't accept that we want to use a system of measurement different from theirs. Furthermore they don't get that metric's only advantage is in engineering and scientific circumstances.

Do tell what advantages the imperial system has.

[dalekphalm]

Indeed. For some reason the supposedly more "tolerant" cultures of the world, can't accept that we want to use a system of measurement different from theirs. Furthermore they don't get that metric's only advantage is in engineering and scientific circumstances.

Those advantages are pretty huge. Can you name some advantages of Imperial aside from "you already know it"?

 

For basically every practical instance, it's either just as easy, or simply straight up easier, to use the metric system. Everything is logical and the step ups make sense. The fact that there are 5280 feet per mile, or 1760 yards per mile is ridiculous. I would have to memorize all of that information, rather then being able to logically deduce it.

 

In Metric, you have 1000 meters in a Kilometer (Kilo meaning 1000, makes total sense). And you can't even say that a yard is a meter, because it's not quite. There are 1760 yards per mile, but there are 1609.34 meters per mile.

 

Also the Celsius system is logical, with 0 being freezing, 100 being boiling of water. And it's equal to the Kelvin scale, in that they increase at the same rate. Kelvin is simply the same number, plus 273.15.

 

@Raining_Pixel I'm not entirely sure what you mean by:

 

I think Kelvin is better because the coldest temperature reachable on planet Earth is 0 according to the measurements of Kelvin.

 

Because that's not 100% right. 0 Kelvin is absolute entropy (Known as absolute zero), or where, hypothetically, energy transfer stops. It's not just the coldest possible temperature on earth. It's the coldest possible temperature in physics (Although there is some new research that suggests this may not be the case). In fact, aside from perhaps a research laboratory, I don't think any location on earth has ever reached 0 degrees kelvin. But who knows, maybe some crazy natural phenomenon made it happen before?

[13CA350]

I'm from the US (Born and Raised) and I would make the argument "Why doesn't the metric system make any sense at all?

[Trik'Stari]

Those advantages are pretty huge. Can you name some advantages of Imperial aside from "you already know it"?

 

For basically every practical instance, it's either just as easy, or simply straight up easier, to use the metric system. Everything is logical and the step ups make sense. The fact that there are 5280 feet per mile, or 1760 yards per mile is ridiculous. I would have to memorize all of that information, rather then being able to logically deduce it.

 

In Metric, you have 1000 meters in a Kilometer (Kilo meaning 1000, makes total sense). And you can't even say that a yard is a meter, because it's not quite. There are 1760 yards per mile, but there are 1609.34 meters per mile.

 

Also the Celsius system is logical, with 0 being freezing, 100 being boiling of water. And it's equal to the Kelvin scale, in that they increase at the same rate. Kelvin is simply the same number, plus 273.15.

 

@Raining_Pixel I'm not entirely sure what you mean by:

 

Because that's not 100% right. 0 Kelvin is absolute entropy (Known as absolute zero), or where, hypothetically, energy transfer stops. It's not just the coldest possible temperature on earth. It's the coldest possible temperature in physics (Although there is some new research that suggests this may not be the case). In fact, aside from perhaps a research laboratory, I don't think any location on earth has ever reached 0 degrees kelvin. But who knows, maybe some crazy natural phenomenon made it happen before?

Roughly 300 million people have already memorized this information and use it every day without much difficulty. Your just hating.

 

Funny how you call us stupid for being different and using a more difficult system of measurement. I honestly prefer imperial because I find using fractions to be easier in my head, than decimal points.

 

Furthermore, it's easier to "eyeball" imperial measurements, there are instances where being "less accurate" is actually an advantage.