Feet and inches

[Annie Bynnol]

Not all. Lengths/areas/weights are the same. Volumes/capacity aren't.

 

In the US they may well use imperial weights and lengths but how many pounds do you weigh?

 

In the UK iron horse distances are still measured in chains while organic ones run in furlongs.

 

These and many more are just an example of how standardization does not always mean that we all use the same units even within the same system.

 

A doctor, a scientist and an engineer will use different units in their business, but because they are all metric they are (fairly) easily transferrable.

 

For many uses accuracy needs better measurements than 4" X 2" Metric provides the necessary accuracy which can be scaled up or down.

 

Scale are callibrated and tested in metric to prevent fraud.

[Michael_W]

Lots of UK manufacturing companies still use both metric and imperial measurements, particularly if they manufacture parts for use in different parts of the world, it's not difficult to use both or convert between the two when necessary, but I know it has led to some interesting and sometimes costly clangers being dropped over the years

[Flanker7]

I remember when there was a news item which described the first completely 'metric', house build in the UK. The bit that stuck in my memory was the horney handed old master craftsman who's advice was "Just forget all about imperial and don't refer to it at all".

 

Here we are over 40 years later and things are sold with both or either on the label. The packaging and shelf labelling picks and chooses which to display or which to give prominence to. I noticed it today in connection with jam, hoola-hoops and onions. Its confusion marketing at its worst.

 

When other countries, USA and Germany for example, change things its an all in embracing of change and much simpler for it. The British habit of compromise and keeping all sides happy only makes things worse. The regulations read stupidly and you need a degree to analyse what they mean, loop holes are numerous. Sometimes I think the writers of these endless paragraphs, sections, subsection and anomalies do it deliberately.

Oh yeah, that'll be the solicitors

 

The unscrupulous take advantage. The ordinary folks pay the price.

[davyboy]

now we are leaving the dreaded eu can we now go back to metric ? can i pop down to wickes and buy a 8x4 sheet of wood instead of 2400x1200 .when ive loaded said piece of wood on my pickup can i fill up with gallons of diesel in stead of litres. on my way home can i nip in pub for a quick half instead of 330ml. calling into the shop can i get a quarter of sweets for the kids instead of 100mg . bring back the good old days

 

you mean 100g

100mg is a 0.333333+ of an aspirin tablet or 1/3 in imperial

 

---------- Post added 10-12-2017 at 21:42 ----------

 

True. Nobody has ever visualised a metre as 1/10 000 of the Earth's circumference, I think.

 

definition of a metre:

Since 1983, the metre has been internationally defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/ 299 792 458 of a second. This definition can be realised simply and accurately using modern techniques and the speed of light is regarded to be a universal constant, making it ideal as the basis for a length standard.

 

Or about 40 inches

Edited December 10, 2017 by davyboy

[WalkleyIan]

It was an Englishman who laid down the ideas for what we now call the metric system. Look up John Wilkins

[hackey lad]

I honestly know a builder who once measured a gable end at 5 metres and 3 inches

[*_ash_*]

try working in petrochem

 

we used to order 5m of 6inch

 

I honestly know a builder who once measured a gable end at 5 metres and 3 inches

 

 

-

 

I'm half an half with the whole thing.

 

Some things, like a person's height and weight I only understand [precisely] in feet and inches, and stones.

 

Fuel, I'm used to litres now, though took a long time.

In the past I'd need a calculator to work out how much a litre was to compare with the gallon; now though, I'd need a calculator to work out precise gallon price.

 

However, I use miles to gallon to consider a vehicle's efficiency, than than litres per 100 km, which strangely, seems to the the modern alternative. If it was kilometres per litre, I probably would have grasped it by now and could quite easily compare them.

[Ontarian1981]

 

-

 

I'm half an half with the whole thing.

 

Some things, like a person's height and weight I only understand [precisely] in feet and inches, and stones.

 

Fuel, I'm used to litres now, though took a long time.

In the past I'd need a calculator to work out how much a litre was to compare with the gallon; now though, I'd need a calculator to work out precise gallon price.

 

However, I use miles to gallon to consider a vehicle's efficiency, than than litres per 100 km, which strangely, seems to the the modern alternative. If it was kilometres per litre, I probably would have grasped it by now and could quite easily compare them.

 

What's your favourite temperature? I find Celsius much colder than Farenheit:hihi:

 

---------- Post added 11-12-2017 at 05:50 ----------

 

Your first sentence seems a bit confused.

 

Besides that, UK governments started trying to switch to the metric system in the 19th century - so I don't get your hopes up about convincing them to change back to imperial.

 

In Canada, we use metric, yet we share a 3000mile border with a country that does not. Believe me when you work in the engineering industry over here , you have to be able to use both systems. I always taught employees under my supervision to use a metric tape measure on a metric job and an imperial one on an imperial one, and never try to convert during production. Of course for general sizeing up things like storage and such, many older lads would say to themselves, for example," We need 60 feet by 40 feet of room to get that thing in the yard".

[RiffRaff]

 

 

I'm half an half with the whole thing.

 

Fuel, I'm used to litres now, though took a long time.

In the past I'd need a calculator to work out how much a litre was to compare with the gallon; now though, I'd need a calculator to work out precise gallon price.

 

However, I use miles to gallon to consider a vehicle's efficiency, than than litres per 100 km, which strangely, seems to the the modern alternative. If it was kilometres per litre, I probably would have grasped it by now and could quite easily compare them.

 

I've gone along the same lines, although I use miles per £10 banged in the tank!

[TimmyR]

lets go the whole hog and go back to pre-decimal currency

 

And stop women from voting, bring back hanging and workhouses etc