Posted on 05/15/2006 10:41:02 AM PDT by Junior
Wanna bet that he is also a supporter of Esperanto? And that he wears a bow tie? I have nothing against the metric system, in fact I often use it when its use is appropriate, but this guy has either deliberately chosen a lonely and unfulfilling path, or else he is simply lacking in the common sense department.
I'll buy you an American pint of ale for every Imperial pint you give me. Converting from English to American was always the most complicated part of the traditional system for me.
It's the units that are powers of 10 of each other. No one ever expected that all common packages of everything would be an even unit. And the same is true in the old system - many drinks come in 12 oz servings - 12 oz is not an even measure of anything. 4 litres is a good size for a jug of milk, too, and neatly splits the difference between an US and an Imperial gallon.
Yes, that is very common, but it is still incorrect. There is no harm done generally unless you try to do something like a physics calculation.
Warning! Physics equations follow!! For example, you may remember F = ma, which says that the total force acting on a mass allows you to calculate the acceleration of the mass. Force is in newtons, mass in kilograms, and acceleration in m/s^2. A newton therefore is also a kg-m/s^2. So, you put the mass in as kilograms to get a force in the calculation. Weight is a force, so it must already be in newtons. As I said, it usually doesn't matter. In the equations above, though, it makes a big difference.
Don't be silly, just remember that an Imperial Gallon has one too many quarts, that's all.
By displacement, if you know the density.
By applying a known force and measuring accelleration.
SD
I prefer more practical measurements. Can, 6-pack, case. Now if I have to accommodate the Metric system, I'm OK with 1-liter cans.
They've got little ounces, but they make up for it by having more of them. 20 ounces in a pint.
I guess that makes the 20 oz. bottle of pop on my desk an "American Imperial pint."
Suddenly 40 oz. beers make sense. They're American Imperial quarts.
SD
, I think our measures make for a charming piece of American exceptionalism.
////////////////////////////////////
But a mathematical nightmare.
See, it all makes perfect sense.
The metric system is a lot easier, just don't mess with my .45 ACP or my .44 magnum.
Brent Maynard says he weighs 74 kilograms and is 169 centimeters tall.
One way is to make the mass oscillate between springs. They did something like that to measure the mass of astronauts in space. Maybe in Skylab? More massive things have a longer time of vibration.
Personally, I'd walk 1609.344 Meters for a Camel.
Mr. Lucky smokes Camels? LSMFT
I quit smoking Luckies when they cancelled the Jack Benny Program.
That's why I ask that they use decimeters. They're not as big as feet, but it's ridiculous IMHO to use units requiring the numerals be into the hundreds place.
OOhhh Rochester!
One slug is the mass accelerated at 1 foot per second per second by a force of 1 pound. So, roughly 32 pounds, equating to the roughly 32 feet per second per second acceleration due to gravity.
SD
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.