Why America is anti-metric
- Thread starter Quattro Pete
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Globally boat speed is still measured in knots, take that metric system.
Both systems work, I really don't see a need to change.
Both systems work, I really don't see a need to change.
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I remember being taught in early education that the metric system will hardly ever be used and therefore was mainly taught standard up until basically college when I was forced to learn it. Temperature conversion is easy for me thanks to chemistry classes, but it is hard for me to put a visual on say 10 kgs whereas the lbs equivalent would be pretty easy to think of.
Tire sizes still boggle me. width in mm, % of said width in a percentage and size of rim in inches..
Tire sizes still boggle me. width in mm, % of said width in a percentage and size of rim in inches..
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
I like the metric system. But temperature scales is another story. Farenheit rules king there.
What is so special about Fahrenheit scale?
More graduations. The Celsius scale is too grainy.
About 2.5 times more precise.
I suppose you must love kilometers also? It has more graduations. The mile scale is too grainy.
About 1.6 times more precise...
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
I like the metric system. But temperature scales is another story. Farenheit rules king there.
What is so special about Fahrenheit scale?
More graduations. The Celsius scale is too grainy.
About 2.5 times more precise.
I suppose you must love kilometers also? It has more graduations. The mile scale is too grainy.
About 1.6 times more precise...
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
When I data log my Hyundais the temp is in one degree Celsius graduations from the ECU. If I convert that to Fahrenheit on a display,the temp jumps 1.4F to 1.8F when ever the Celsius changes one degree.
Right, but as I was trying to explain earlier, this isn't an issue with Celsius per se. It's an issue with how Hyundai chose to report the data. They could have gone for more granularity, but didn't.
Also, your example doesn't really make sense, unless you miscalculated something. A difference of 1 degree C is equivalent to a difference of 1.8 degrees F. So, if you started with the temp of 1.4F and increased it by 1C, you would get 3.2F.
When I data log my Hyundais the temp is in one degree Celsius graduations from the ECU. If I convert that to Fahrenheit on a display,the temp jumps 1.4F to 1.8F when ever the Celsius changes one degree.
Right, but as I was trying to explain earlier, this isn't an issue with Celsius per se. It's an issue with how Hyundai chose to report the data. They could have gone for more granularity, but didn't.
Also, your example doesn't really make sense, unless you miscalculated something. A difference of 1 degree C is equivalent to a difference of 1.8 degrees F. So, if you started with the temp of 1.4F and increased it by 1C, you would get 3.2F.
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Also, your example doesn't really make sense, unless you miscalculated something. A difference of 1 degree C is equivalent to a difference of 1.8 degrees F. So, if you started with the temp of 1.4F and increased it by 1C, you would get 3.2F.
Of course it's also possible that somewhere between 1.4F and 1.8F, your Hyundai indicated that the temp jumped from -17C to -16C. In reality, it would have been a jump from -17C to -16.8C only, alas, since your Hyundai is not reporting the decimal for the Celsius scale, it makes it look like it jumped a whole one degree C. I still blame it on Hyundai and not on the metric system
Also, your example doesn't really make sense, unless you miscalculated something. A difference of 1 degree C is equivalent to a difference of 1.8 degrees F. So, if you started with the temp of 1.4F and increased it by 1C, you would get 3.2F.
Of course it's also possible that somewhere between 1.4F and 1.8F, your Hyundai indicated that the temp jumped from -17C to -16C. In reality, it would have been a jump from -17C to -16.8C only, alas, since your Hyundai is not reporting the decimal for the Celsius scale, it makes it look like it jumped a whole one degree C. I still blame it on Hyundai and not on the metric system
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Tire sizes still boggle me. width in mm, % of said width in a percentage and size of rim in inches..
I mentioned it before - if you want Imperial (love that word, it's so unAmerican) you need crossply tyres, then you can get a 6.50x13. Radials are metric because Michelin were the first to produce them, a French country and so metric.
Tire sizes still boggle me. width in mm, % of said width in a percentage and size of rim in inches..
I mentioned it before - if you want Imperial (love that word, it's so unAmerican) you need crossply tyres, then you can get a 6.50x13. Radials are metric because Michelin were the first to produce them, a French country and so metric.
Yes, having been immersed in a metric country for over a decade, yet I still have no idea how tall I am in centimeters without using a calculator to convert from inches. But I would much rather deal with grams and milliliters rather than ounces, fluid ounces, and pints - never mind specifying the diameter of a small twist drill.
But, oddly, I think nearly everyone on this board knows what their own car engine size is, in liters, and do you ever see cubic inches specified for new cars anymore?
But, oddly, I think nearly everyone on this board knows what their own car engine size is, in liters, and do you ever see cubic inches specified for new cars anymore?
Originally Posted By: dishdude
In the late 80's BMW did sell a car in the US with wheels that took metric diameter tires. I think it was a 6 series but not entirely sure. Obviously replacement tires were a little difficult to find!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_TRX
In the late 80's BMW did sell a car in the US with wheels that took metric diameter tires. I think it was a 6 series but not entirely sure. Obviously replacement tires were a little difficult to find!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_TRX
Two words...Ronald Reagan
I haven't read the entirety of this thread, so apologies if this has already been posted. In Canada we have a fairly famous example of a (near-)disaster resulting from someone goofing up metric versus imperial measurements: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider
Originally Posted By: finmile
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
I like the metric system. But temperature scales is another story. Farenheit rules king there.
What is so special about Fahrenheit scale?
More graduations. The Celsius scale is too grainy.
About 2.5 times more precise.
I suppose you must love kilometers also? It has more graduations. The mile scale is too grainy.
About 1.6 times more precise...
My thoughts exactly!
Same thing with centimeters vs. inches or feet, etc.
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
I like the metric system. But temperature scales is another story. Farenheit rules king there.
What is so special about Fahrenheit scale?
More graduations. The Celsius scale is too grainy.
About 2.5 times more precise.
I suppose you must love kilometers also? It has more graduations. The mile scale is too grainy.
About 1.6 times more precise...
My thoughts exactly!
Same thing with centimeters vs. inches or feet, etc.
Originally Posted By: spackard
Originally Posted By: eljefino
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider
That's a scary read!
It is indeed. I had no idea about that until I read this thread.
Originally Posted By: eljefino
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider
That's a scary read!
It is indeed. I had no idea about that until I read this thread.
Here in the UK we are stuck between two systems.
Tape measures all have inches and centimetres on.
We buy fuel in litres, but drive in miles and mph.
Official government efficiency figures for cars state fuel economy in miles per gallon but CO2 emissions in g/km.
We buy groceries in kg and litres, but beer and milk in pints.
Most people know their weight in stones (one stone = 14 lb) and their height in feet and inches.
Car speedometers must show (or be able to show) mph and km/h.
I grew up in a metric educational system but with imperial parents, so can convert at will. I know my height in metres and feet, my weight in stones, lbs and kg. If I am talking to someone who is not British or from the US I discuss distances in km but if I was chatting about stuff with friends or family I would make references in inches, feet/yards and miles.
At work it is all metric and I consider metric to be the 'grown-up' and scientific system - imperial measures feel old-fashioned and colloquial. And don't get me started on this vague concept of 'cups' for recipes!
Tape measures all have inches and centimetres on.
We buy fuel in litres, but drive in miles and mph.
Official government efficiency figures for cars state fuel economy in miles per gallon but CO2 emissions in g/km.
We buy groceries in kg and litres, but beer and milk in pints.
Most people know their weight in stones (one stone = 14 lb) and their height in feet and inches.
Car speedometers must show (or be able to show) mph and km/h.
I grew up in a metric educational system but with imperial parents, so can convert at will. I know my height in metres and feet, my weight in stones, lbs and kg. If I am talking to someone who is not British or from the US I discuss distances in km but if I was chatting about stuff with friends or family I would make references in inches, feet/yards and miles.
At work it is all metric and I consider metric to be the 'grown-up' and scientific system - imperial measures feel old-fashioned and colloquial. And don't get me started on this vague concept of 'cups' for recipes!
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