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Dave Smith[_2_]

wrote:
>
>
> I understand decimal just fine, thanks, but there are *some* advantages
> to 12 inches in a foot, etc. You can divide 12 by 2, 3, 4, and 6 so it's
> easy to know what 1/3 of a foot is, or 1/4, or half. These are handy
> for woodworking and some other things. What's 1/3 of a meter? Yes,
> I know what it is, it's a repeating decimal. As someone else pointed out,
> clocks are divided into 12s and 60s. No one seems bothered by that.

The clock could also be divided into 100. For that matter, dividing it into
8 would have been just as easier as 12.
>
> Now, please understand, I'm not saying Imperial measurements are better
> or even that we should not switch to metric, just that they aren't totally
> nonsensical. It's just different.

AFAIAC it doesn't matter what you call something. A dimension is a
dimension no matter what system of measurement you use. Calling it a metre
or calling it a metre or 39.37 inches doesn't change the size. What metric
does make simpler is accounting for conversions within the system.
Consider this example...... cloth is sold by the yard. If someone is
making banners that are a yard wide and 8 feet long you have to first
convert the total number of feet to yards to know how much material you
need. With metric measurement you don't have to do that. If dealing with
weights and you want to make something that weighs 6 ounces and the
material is sold by the pound you have to total the ounces and divide by
16. With metric weights you just take the number of grams and multiply by
the number of items you want to produce.

> > Temperature is more meaningful IMO in metric. One degree C. is a more
> > discernible difference than 1 degree F. and the freezing point of water is
> > 0 instead of 32, and there is a big difference in weather when you hit the
> > freezing point.
>
> I'm sort of annoyed that they decided to rename the scale from centigrade
> to Celsius, but other than that I can deal with either. Believe me, if
> you are measuring temperature in a pool, shower or hot tub, 1 degree F
> is quite noticable. Though C is really just as arbitrary when it comes
> right down to it.

True, water temperature differences are more noticeable than air
temperatures, but still, a 1 degree C difference is easier to detect that a
1 degree F difference.

COnverting to the metric system is not a big deal. I coped with it and I
prefer it.