We Love/Hate Metric

[Mark70]

So what is a 3rd of a meter? If I want to use a meter stick to mark cuts on a meter-length board for 3 equal length pieces, which markings on the meter stick should I use?

Meter sticks are marked with milimeters and centimeters the same way a yardstick is marked with inches and 1/16ths.

[MaximRecoil]

What exactly is your reasons against metric?

[MameJunkie]

What exactly is your reasons against metric?

[Mark70]

The metric system is the answer to a question that nobody asked. It was arbitrary, based on nothing and forced on people by governments.[/b]

Here's the real thorn in the lions paw.

[MaximRecoil]

Meter sticks are marked with milimeters and centimeters the same way a yardstick is marked with inches and 1/16ths.

[MameJunkie]

For example.

[Mark70]

I don't have any problems with fractions, but these days you can pick up a calculator that works with fractions for a few dollars at Wal-Mart. Whether you are using metric or imperial, when working with 3 large measurements you are going to want a calculator either way, since you most likely won't know what 3.786 meters + 4.216 meters + 8.978 meters (a random set of measurements;

Let's go back to that situation you were talking about earlier where you were stuck in the wild folding a vine in half.

[Mark70]

That would give me 999 millimeters. The last time I checked, there were 1000 millimeters in a meter. So, this is not "thirds". This is "thirds" plus some leftovers for [not so] good measure.

If a fraction of a milimeter is not accurate enough for you, and your measuring device will measure more accurately,  you would be best advised to choose the unit in the next order of magnitude smaller.  Micrometers maybe.  Not accurate enough? go smaller again.  You will reach a point where your discrepancy is not measureable.  It's true for imperial as well.  Fractions work the same way.  1/8th not accurate enough for you? use 1/16th or 1/32 or 1/64....

[MaximRecoil]

I dont think calculators have fraction buttons.

It depends on the calculator; which is why I said:

but these days you can pick up a calculator that works with fractions for a few dollars at Wal-Mart.

Even doing both examples on paper, I could do them both at about the same speed. The common denominator will always be obvious when working with carpentry measurements, so that part is done as you are writing them down in the first place. Then you add the numerators and the whole numbers and the last part (making 5 11/8 into 6 3/8 for example) is also typically easy to do in your head instantly with carpentry-type fractions as well.

[Mark70]

Even doing both examples on paper, I could do them both at about the same speed. The common denominator will always be obvious when working with carpentry measurements, so that part is done as you are writing them down in the first place. Then you add the numerators and the whole numbers and the last part (making 5 11/8 into 6 3/8 for example) is also typically easy to do in your head instantly with carpentry-type fractions as well.

It's not relevant whether it's easy or not.

[MaximRecoil]

Let's go back to that situation you were talking about earlier where you were stuck in the wild folding a vine in half.

[rockhopper]

What do you do if you have a 10 inch board and want to divide it into thirds??

[Mark70]

It is not a fraction of a millimeter, it is a whole millimeter; and to step things up to micrometers, which most people don't even have instruments marked in, is a bit of an absurdity just to mark a meter board into thirds isn't it?

Actually your mark at 333 milimeters would be inaccurate by .33 milimters since one third of a meter (which is what you are trying to measure) would be 333.33 milimeters with an infiniate 3 repeating after the decimal.

I agree with you on the idea you present about standard construction measurements, or the accuracy of measuring devices.

[MameJunkie]

What do you do if you have a 10 inch board and want to divide it into thirds??

measure 8.46666666666667 cm.

[AceTKK]

The solution is ever so simple.

[Hoopz]

I always go with the Cheescake rule which in the States is 36-24-36...

On a serious note, do women in countries that follow the metric system get measured in metric or inches? 
Surely, they dont have bra sizes of 100x72x100 mm's.... 

[MameJunkie]

The solution is ever so simple.

[Mark70]

I always go with the Cheescake rule which in the States is 36-24-36...

On a serious note, do women in countries that follow the metric system get measured in metric or inches?

[MameJunkie]

I always go with the Cheescake rule which in the States is 36-24-36...

On a serious note, do women in countries that follow the metric system get measured in metric or inches?

[SirPoonga]

That is another one of the major irritations of the metric system, the lack simply named single units for things we use every day. Where is the cup? the teaspoon? the tablespoon? Metric food recipes must be a blast, lol.

Metric units used in everyday life.

2 liter bottle of soda
3.5L  V6 engine (Chevy Monte Carlo)
40W light bulb

So both systems get used in everyday life.

Here's a paragraph that uses BOTH as quoted from an american company!  From Harley's screaming eagle fatboy main page.
"Give us vast landscapes. Big gulps of fresh air. And 103 cubic inches of counterbalanced Big Twin to enjoy it all. One eyeful of the FLSTFSE

[MaximRecoil]

It is not a fraction of a millimeter, it is a whole millimeter; and to step things up to micrometers, which most people don't even have instruments marked in, is a bit of an absurdity just to mark a meter board into thirds isn't it?

Actually your mark at 333 milimeters would be inaccurate by .33 milimters since one third of a meter (which is what you are trying to measure) would be 333.33 milimeters with an infiniate 3 repeating after the decimal.

You would be off by a millimeter in total for the whole meter board.

[MaximRecoil]

What do you do if you have a 10 inch board and want to divide it into thirds??

10" boards pretty common at your lumber yard are they?

[shmokes]

I cook a lot, and cooking with imperial sucks.  How many cups in a pint, how many pints in a quart, how many quarts in a gallon.  I need a pound of flour.   Let's see, 16 oz. in a pound, 8 oz. in a cup, so I must need 2 cups of flour, right?

There's no rhyme or reason.  There are just a bunch of arbitrary rules that must be memorized.  How many times in your life have you thought, "Wait, is it two pints in a quart and four quarts in a gallon, or four pints in a quart and two quarts in a gallon?" 

[SirPoonga]

You would be off by a millimeter in total for the whole meter board.

Probably no further off if you measured a yard using 3 feet.  If you were using scientific instuments, then it would be dead on for a yard.  But you keep talking about everyday usage.  In every day usage the marking device will give you a tolerance.  You will probably not mark exactly 1 yard with a foot ruler.

[MaximRecoil]

Metric units used in everyday life.

2 liter bottle of soda
3.5L  V6 engine (Chevy Monte Carlo)
40W light bulb

So both systems get used in everyday life.

That isn't what I was saying. I was talking about handy units, such as cups, tablespoons, etc., units that relate to real life applications and are thus named; that the metric system lacks.

BTW, I especially dislike the metric system when it comes to the naming of engines and gun calibers. Which sounds better, 350 ci or 5.7 liter? The only thing I think of when I hear "liter" is soda, lol. How about Colt .45 or Colt 11.25 mm?

[MaximRecoil]

I cook a lot, and cooking with imperial sucks.

[Hoopz]

I cook a lot, and cooking with imperial sucks.  How many cups in a pint, how many pints in a quart, how many quarts in a gallon.  I need a pound of flour.   Let's see, 16 oz. in a pound, 8 oz. in a cup, so I must need 2 cups of flour, right?

There's no rhyme or reason.  There are just a bunch of arbitrary rules that must be memorized.  How many times in your life have you thought, "Wait, is it two pints in a quart and four quarts in a gallon, or four pints in a quart and two quarts in a gallon?" 

I cook a lot too and never run into such issues. You must be trying to quadruple (or whatever) a lot of recipes. When I cook, if it says a tablespoon, I get out a tablespoon; same deal for a cup, etc.

You would prefer to have it all in grams and milliliters? Then what, get out the laboratory beaker and the postal scale?

I think the point is not just getting out the right size unit to measure, but when you are trying to remember how many ounces are in a cup. As a matter of fact,  I was making bbq sauce yesterday and had to try and recall how many ounces are in a cup.  And I had to go get a cookbook out to figure it out.  I like the imperial system, dont often have issues, but in all fairness, trying to remember that 16 oz make a pound but 8 oz make a cup is a pain.

[Jabba]

That would be the point where I offer a sporting good handshake and congratulate you on an exciting debate and we head off to the pub for a pint or liter of beer as you prefer.

Well said!

I have no problems with adding fractions when doing carpentry. I never have built anything using millimeters or centimeters for instance. 5 and 3/16" is close enough for me. Heck, you're a master carpenter when you can get everything close to 1/16th  tolerance...

But I agree that it takes more "computes" to add things up using imperial when doing carpentry, just something you have to learn I guess.

Edit: Grammar/Typos

[SirPoonga]

I cook a lot, and cooking with imperial sucks.  How many cups in a pint, how many pints in a quart, how many quarts in a gallon.  I need a pound of flour.   Let's see, 16 oz. in a pound, 8 oz. in a cup, so I must need 2 cups of flour, right?

There's no rhyme or reason.  There are just a bunch of arbitrary rules that must be memorized.  How many times in your life have you thought, "Wait, is it two pints in a quart and four quarts in a gallon, or four pints in a quart and two quarts in a gallon?" 

I cook a lot too and never run into such issues. You must be trying to quadruple (or whatever) a lot of recipes. When I cook, if it says a tablespoon, I get out a tablespoon; same deal for a cup, etc.

You would prefer to have it all in grams and milliliters? Then what, get out the laboratory beaker and the postal scale?

I run into it alot.  Since I am single I usually make half batches of stuff.   That can get difficult.

[geomartin]

The answer is easy.  Americans will switch to the metric system when they finally send the last manufacturing job overseas and everyone here is working in the service industry...or is that the subservient industry?

Geo

[Dartful Dodger]

First New Orleans, then France.  The metric is system and Qu

[DrewKaree]

Actually, most American cars have been using metric parts for probably the last 20 years.

-S

The problem there being MOST, not ALL.  So every american has to own two sets of sockets and wrenches. 

....actually buying more tools is always fun.  Maybe we should convert back to imperial.

Thanks for the tip.  Tomorrow I'm gonna tell my wife I only have an imperial jigsaw and I need to buy a metric one too

[DrewKaree]

There is no consistency or logic to the imperial system. For example it's ridiculous that there are 14 pounds per stone, 12 inches per foot, 3 feet per yard, and 220 yards per furlong. It's fine for everyday use but too cumbersome for anything complex.

I dunno about YOUR "everyday", but unless I'm watching the strongman competitions on ESPN, I've NEVER heard "stone" used, and the only reason I even know what the hell a "furlong" is is because my mom is a fan of horse racing.

Oh, and in MY "everyday", a "yard" is a measure of volume

Tag, you're it!

[shmokes]

 but in all fairness, trying to remember that 16 oz make a pound but 8 oz make a cup is a pain.

And just to be clear, two cups of flour, while 16 oz., does not equal a pound as ounces can be two completely different types of measurement. 

[MaximRecoil]

 but in all fairness, trying to remember that 16 oz make a pound but 8 oz make a cup is a pain.

And just to be clear, two cups of flour, while 16 oz., does not equal a pound as ounces can be two completely different types of measurement.

[Jess--]

time for me to try and derail the thread by introducing another system....

we all know how decimal and imperial are based... but who in the hell came up with this

4 bits = 1 nibble
2 nibbles = 1 byte
1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte
1024 kilobytes = 1 megabyte
1024 megabytes = 1 gigabyte (unless its a hard drive when 1000 megabytes = 1 gigabyte)

[Harry Potter]

For example, if I buy a board that is a yard long, using a standard yard stick, I can easily mark it out to be cut in half, in thirds, in quarters...you see, the standard system is based on something, the most elementary and logical method of division; i.e. folding something in half.

You can do this just as easily with metrics. What's your point?

Where is the 3rd of a meter mark on a meter stick?

There is no such thing as a 3rd of a meter in case you hadn't noticed.

333mm 

[MaximRecoil]

1024 megabytes = 1 gigabyte (unless its a hard drive when 1000 megabytes = 1 gigabyte)

That was the attempt to "metricify" the binary system, LOL. It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not because; "HEY! WE LIKE IT BETTER THAT WAY!" A binary gigabyte, i.e. a true gigabyte is 1024 megabytes, period. Hard drive and other digital storage media manufacturers love the metric system, because they can slap a "100 GB" label on a 93 GB drive.

[MaximRecoil]

For example, if I buy a board that is a yard long, using a standard yard stick, I can easily mark it out to be cut in half, in thirds, in quarters...you see, the standard system is based on something, the most elementary and logical method of division; i.e. folding something in half.

You can do this just as easily with metrics. What's your point?

Where is the 3rd of a meter mark on a meter stick?

There is no such thing as a 3rd of a meter in case you hadn't noticed.

333mm

[Harry Potter]

Joke. And I skimmed through the rest of it. It seems nothing new has been added since then.

I should have said 333.33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 mm