Wondering why the metric system has never been converted to by the US

[RedAngie]

The exit numbers on Delaware Highway Route 1 are based on kilometers. The road wasn't fully finished until about 2003, but was planned in the early 70's.

I remember a few baseball stadiums had the distance to the outfield walls in both feet and meters for a while.

As for the Apollo moon missions, about half of the measurements used were metric.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Simple weights and measures are one thing. They're relatively easy to convert and figure out in your head. The thing I don't understand from my physics was energy/force/torque. I remember trying to convert in physics class and it was a nightmare. I mean - what's a ft-lb? At least in metric, newtons is pretty easy to figure out. I found myself converting to metric first to do the calculations.

Meh, I didn’t think that was difficult & 35 years later I still know what a foot*pound is, but couldn’t even begin to convert to Newtons.

I remember in HS all our running events in track were moved to meters, but long jump, shot put, high jump, etc are still in feet. My kids’ swim meets were in meters.

Oh, and as a side note, anyone using KG for weight is technically doing it wrong as KG is a unit of mass, not weight.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I remember when I was in grade school there seemed to be a big push for us to learn metric stuff.

 

[ronandannette]

Meh, I didn’t think that was difficult & 35 years later I still know what a foot*pound is, but couldn’t even begin to convert to Newtons.

I remember in HS all our running events in track were moved to meters, but long jump, shot put, high jump, etc are still in feet. My kids’ swim meets were in meters.

Oh, and as a side note, anyone using KG for weight is technically doing it wrong as KG is a unit of mass, not weight.

Um, mass is weight. Are you sure you're not thinking of litres, which is a measure of volume? Metric weight is measured in grams. Imperial measure uses ounces as both a measure of liquid volume and weight which can get confusing.

 

[maddiel]

Um, mass is weight. Are you sure you're not thinking of litres, which is a measure of volume? Metric weight is measured in grams. Imperial measure uses ounces as both a measure of liquid volume and weight which can get confusing.
View attachment 330180

Mass and weight are different, but most of the time mass can be a proxy for weight with out it making a difference. Weight the downward force of Mass when affected by gravity.

Your mass would remain the same if you traveled to the moon, but your weight would change because of the difference in gravity. Since the amount of gravity in most of our kitchens is similar, the of relative mass of ingredients is directly analogous to their weight.

M.

 

[ronandannette]

Mass and weight are different, but most of the time mass can be a proxy for weight with out it making a difference. Weight the downward force of Mass when affected by gravity.

Your mass would remain the same if you traveled to the moon, but your weight would change because of the difference in gravity. Since the amount of gravity in most of our kitchens is similar, the of relative mass of ingredients is directly analogous to their weight.

M.

There is no common measure for weight in the metric system beside grams. Scales weigh in grams/kg and in the marketplace grams/kg is the standard used for price-per-unit. Thanks for the interesting physics lesson though.

 

[alldiz]

Not using metric makes you think you’re better? Pretty low standards..

View attachment 330060

Not using metric makes you think you’re better? Pretty low standards..

Ok the part of my quote that you both are referring to was completely 100 percent sarcastic!
My 2nd point was only slightly sarcastic and my 3rd I was dead serious.
Peace
Kerri
Edit and after reading whole thread my other points seems to be correct... seems very difficult for a conversion and a big expense to change it.

 

[Cubbiecakes]

Reasons the metric system isn't used in the U.S.

1. Inertia
2. Laziness
3. $$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[bcla]

Meh, I didn’t think that was difficult & 35 years later I still know what a foot*pound is, but couldn’t even begin to convert to Newtons.

Well - I do understand what a ft-lb is, but it just seems kind of bizarre that it means the equivalent force of 1 lb of mass applied using a 1 ft lever.

One newton-meter always made more sense to me. It's 1 kg*m/sec^2. It works logically with metric units of mass, acceleration, and energy. There's a fairly simple conversion factor though with ft-lbs.

 

[tvguy]

Reasons the metric system isn't used in the U.S.

1. Inertia
2. Laziness
3. $$$$$$$$$$$$

You left one out.
Need.

 

[declansdad]

To be fair, I am pretty sure that the price per pound priority in our flyers is a marketing ploy. When they advertise by pound it looks much cheaper!

The packaging is also shown in metric.

 

[declansdad]

I'm pretty good at mentally converting (estimating, not exact) between the 2 systems. Except when you start talking about Celsius to and from Fahrenheit. I definitely need a calculator for that one.

Quick and easy conversion for Celsius to Fahrenheit - double the number and add 30....gets you pretty close.

 

[tvguy]

Quick and easy conversion for Celsius to Fahrenheit - double the number and add 30....gets you pretty close.

LOL.
I can hear a chorus of Meteorologists I have worked with over the last 43 years....."not close enough"

 

[DebbieB]

I went to India for work in 2009 and wished I would have paid more attention in school.

 

[Domo]

I remember, I did my GCSE Physics exam in imperial, insisting on feet and inches rather than centimetres and metres. Probably cost me a grade.

 

[longboard55]

They tried but finally gave up. I work in construction. Adding a string of dimensions in feet inches 1/4” and 3/16” is a total pain.

 

[longboard55]

Um, mass is weight. Are you sure you're not thinking of litres, which is a measure of volume? Metric weight is measured in grams. Imperial measure uses ounces as both a measure of liquid volume and weight which can get confusing.
View attachment 330180

Your mass is the same on earth and on the moon. Your weight is different.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

They tried, starting in 1971. National Bureau of Standards. Congress made it voluntary.
.

That was the problem. Congress should have made it mandatory back in the 70's. There would have been problems at first but by now everybody would be used to it.

The same with dollar coins. The Treasury should have just stopped printing dollar bills and FORCED the use of dollar coins.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I think most guys in the USA would eagerly embrace the metric system if they knew the benefits. 15 centimeters sounds much more impressive than 6 inches.

 

[UncleMike101]

I think most guys in the USA would eagerly embrace the metric system if they knew the benefits. 15 centimeters sounds much more impressive than 6 inches.

Neither is very impressive...............