I have to say something about FrankP's article about the metric system not being scientific. I dunno about how accurate the metre was when it was first made, but it now has a pretty precise standard for defining it. The metre is now defined using the distance light travels in a vacuum. One metre is the distance light travels in 1/299 792 458 of a second. I know this probably doesn't mean much, but it is extremely accurate because the speed of light doesn't change in a vacuum.

I do know that when I'm pissed off working on something or other, metric is sure easier to use. When I grab a 15 and it's a little too big, i know to grab a 14. Now when I got English stuff, we got a 3/4 that is a little too big, so I have to stop to think that 11/16 is the next step down. eHeh, guess that would be a reason to keep all the old wrenches organized.


If it don't go Vrrrooom Vrrrooom, I don't want it!!

 

Here's another little thing I found about the cubit and the metre. It was actually proposed to base the metre on the radius of the earth as illustrated in the little diagram for the cubit, but they determined the shape of the earth to be oblate, meaning flattened at the poles. This would make quite and error for the length a measuring unit I would guess.

If it don't go Vrrrooom Vrrrooom, I don't want it!!

 

Neither system is better than another. l ife would likely be easier if we had all learned to be like the rest of theworld and use the metric system..but we didn;t. we all know how to use it, so we can if we need to. The chef lost me on the micrometer thing asi thought it was a tool for measuring other things, but i guess i'm a little unfamiliar with stuff like hectares and nanostuff...etc.
Whoever said that a meter is the distance light travels in a vacuum in a given time, thats no longer acurate. we have determing light to be somewhat affected my magnetism as photons somprise light and are themselves affected. anyways, it is the lenght of one wavelength white light under a set of circumstances that i have long since forgotten. anyways, its a good thread we have going here. just goes to show you us red-neck grease monkeys can debate topics relavent to the unenlightened.
---Peacock

If it hasn't broken, let your girlfriend drive it...it'll break real quick

 

u4ia4, it´s pretty simple. You are correct when saying a micrometre is a tool for measuring stuff, and tadaa, the scale is micrometres. A millionth (?) of a metre./wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

Member of the secret sbc400 club

 

Peacock, an engineering student who doesn't know a that a micrometer is a unit. It is 10^-6 meter and is signified by mu, the greek letter that looks like a "u". When you graduate, tell me if you like the metric or british system better.

Nich Kenny
'89 K1500 350/700r4

 

Everywhere that I have read has the metre being officially defined in 1983 as the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second. I'll keep lookin for some info on the white light thing. I could be wrong, I frequently am.

If it don't go Vrrrooom Vrrrooom, I don't want it!!

 

Well, I wish I would have been around here to voice my oppinion at the start of this post but I just got back from a 1 week fishing trip up north (about 1600 km's north of Detroit) .

Anyway, about the post....Personally I am stuck in the middle. When it comes to what I learned in school it was metric and I really like it. Its super easy to figure out and everything and on the distance scale as in KM's I like it alot better than IMP. Also when measuring volume its alot easier for me. BUT...when I am doing the trade I learned on my own which is woodworking I am stuck in inches. I can figure out 5/16+3/8+11/64's in no time and it comes quick to me but only for woodworking and construction and stuff. I am also not to bad with 1000th's but I still prefer mm's.

Living up here in Ontario we only learn metric (its been that way since the late 70's) and I am one of the few that I know that knows IMP just as well as metric.

One other thing I do have to say...when it comes to nuts and bolts....I prefer IMP

Ryan

93 GMC Yukon
Chevy SuperStock 4x4 Truck Puller
Great Lakes Truck & Tractor Pulling Association
http://www.greatlakespull.com

 

Here It is
The Standard English system isn't better or worse. I'm saying both work fine, maybe even the metric is easier. But Its more than a measuring unit. The Standard system is almost away of life. I'm sure that alot of farmers, Carpenters, Americans, and hard-working people have a set of standard wrenches in theier garage and the still use the inch, foot, and mile to measure distance. Meanwhile a democratic, liberal, tree hugging, guy is in his garage fixing his electric scooter with metric wrenches. What I'm trying to say is take the easy way out and don't try to ever think of fractions and maybe they'll go away or you can use the standard system and stand for America and its American people.


Ryan

 

There are a lot of newer scientists and engineers who are Americans and work in metric and standard units. I'm an American and I use both the english (imperial) and metric system. I'm the last person in the world you could refer to as a "democratic liberal tree hugging electric scooter operating" individual. The point is that progress is a good thing. In some aspects. Newer technology can be good, computers for example. About all of the parts that are in them were designed and based in the metric system. Sometimes the easy way out is the best. I'm sure you'd agree that most of the time torching an old worthless exhaust off is way easier than struggling to get the bolts off of the system. That is considered taking the easy way out. Are you against it? /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif I'm not saying you need to give up the standard system, but the metric system truly DOES make things easier, and hence it's better and more efficient for many things.

Yup I still need my calculator or a conversion table to understand most metric measures, but I'm getting better at it. I'm sure most people could do that easily if they needed to. With metric fasteners I can pick exactly what size socket to grab most of the time. Most can with some practice.

Incidentally I also prefer metric fasteners since they're easy to determine the size of because they're basically numbered. If you pick a 15 out of the bin and it's just a touch too big you need to simply locate the 14 mm and you're all set. My tool box is a mess, and so it's more of a pain to determine standard fasteners if I'm just off by a little bit because I've not memorized the fractions used. /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

It's ludicrous to say that real Americans use only the standard system of measures, and anyone that uses anything else is a liberal tree hugger or any other insulting concept or words. To me anything that can save time and be just as good as the old way of doing something without sacrificing anything is better than the old way. /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif For some things I prefer the english system, such as temperature, speed, but measuring things and other such lab or drafting/engineering related tasks for me it's more efficient to use metric measures... I'm not saying you need to but do not imply that anybody that starts to embrace a measuring system other than you're used to is not an American. /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

Tim "Sandman"

ORC Land Use columnist:
My May Column

 

I do understand that it is easier and I guess I don't mean that your not american. I'm just saying that Standard is what we use and who wants to change. I dopn't want to know how many km per mile I'm going. Isn't strange though that how slowly yet surely were all changing over? slowly a set of metric wrenches has made it's way into everyones garage. And why? Probably because imports. But thats besides the point. No one wants a change but slowly its happening and no one relizes it. First wrenches and pop bottles(2 liter), then maps, then speed limits, Whats next? We already have 8 language instruction booklets and whatnot. We might soon have a Canada/Quebec situation. If America keeps tolerating We will fall its acceptance that destroys not with standing. (I'm sorry I'm kind of all over the place with my subjects.) Yeah thats about all for now.

Ryan

 

"Kicking at a dead horse pleases you"

Hrmmmm, You know, I do honestly believe that metric is best and kicks standards ass. Conversely, I'm hardwired to standard, and my truck is all standard. Maybe if we kill all the people who use standard and abolish everything standard and burn every document mentioning standard and then and ONLY then adopt the metric system will best. We would also solve the population problewm quite nicely.

 

I just thought of something else.

You wanted all things to be the same and have a standard sytem for everything and keep it that way.

I HAVE THE ANSWER !

First off, everyone will speak one launguage, lets say German. Then let's make schools to teach the values of our society. Then let's find everything that doesn't conform, books, flags, stores. Keep all the good looking people, and kill the rest, keeping the strong dor work. Now let's burn all of those things. Then change the flag to one design, maybe red and a symbol of some sorts, and keep it that way. Any of the inferior people left over can work cheaply to help us make everyone conform. If they work themselves to death it's a plus. Maybe we acan find cures for diseases by experimenting with the inferiors. Anyone who trys to stop us will be deemed inferior and be fought and killed. Sound good?

J/K, I hate metric too. Sorry If I pissed you off./wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

 

Congrats R/J, you just described the Nazi's./wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif

1992 Blazer Sport, 350 TBI, 4L60, 3" Flowmaster, K&N, Rancho 2.5" lift, 285/75R16 AT's/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif

 

Yep, I like history. Very interesting things those crazy [censored] did. The doctors were worse than Hitler himself. Sick sick sick.

Home Of The SSFC! - http://rj.coloradok5.com

 

I'm big on history too, especially Military History. My grandfather was in WWII, and fought the Nazi's. Not my favorite people. I'd have to rank Nazi's last on my "people to save if the world was going to blow up and I had a really, really big spaceship" list. Communists would be right in front of them, and Facists would be right in front of them. EVERYONE else would be in front of them.

1992 Blazer Sport, 350 TBI, 4L60, 3" Flowmaster, K&N, Rancho 2.5" lift, 285/75R16 AT's/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif