Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Kaslin

Also being a scientist, I use metric all day. But metric is not more precise nor is it more accurate.
AND the concept that it is not more convenient because it works on a decimal system is false. It is very rare that one switches from mm to cm or anything of that nature. No basic constant , such as the gravitational constant, is a 10 or such; so you are never multiplying by ten. The metric system is based on just as arbitary of standards as the british system.
You may be interested in knowing that it was Nepolean the commisioned the developement of the metric system. Who needs something Nepolean commisioned? I refuse to call the British system the imperial system. Only a socialist would call it imperial system.
There is nothing wrong with the british system. You might also be interested in knowing that major companies still use the british system such as Boeing and Sikorsky.


67 posted on 06/27/2014 9:21:49 AM PDT by jimfr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies ]


To: jimfr
You may be interested in knowing that it was Nepolean the commisioned the developement of the metric system. Who needs something Nepolean commisioned?

Nope. The system was established in April, 1795. Napoleon was just another mid-rank army officer. He didn't come to power until 1799, becoming Emperor in 1804.

73 posted on 06/27/2014 9:41:27 AM PDT by Sherman Logan (Perception wins all the battles. Reality wins all the wars.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies ]

To: jimfr

I grew up with the metric system and was taught in school about it. I have absolutely no idea about the British system.


75 posted on 06/27/2014 9:45:05 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies ]

To: jimfr
But metric is not more precise nor is it more accurate.

Exactly. Ease of conversion (technically ease of switching between standard metric prefixes) says nothing about accuracy or precision or resolution.

Converting between different "metric" units is not always a factor of ten. If you measure pressure in kg/cm^2, one of those is equal to roughly 98.1 kilopascals. A standard atmosphere is 1.03 kg/cm^2 or 101.325 kilopascal.

If working on complex things, you still have to mind your units and conversion factors. The fact that there are exactly 1000 pascals in a kilopascal is trivial.

There is nothing wrong with the british system. You might also be interested in knowing that major companies still use the british system such as Boeing and Sikorsky.

Yes. Sometimes it is just more convenient. Sometimes a company's historical intellectual property is invested in systems and formulas based on standard units.

96 posted on 06/27/2014 10:32:53 AM PDT by SoothingDave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson