Why does the US use the metric system?

Answer 1

To my knowledge the US does not at present use the metric system as its standard system.

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American scientist and engineers do, where necessary for international study or trade purposes. It is creeping in, with a struggle, as the desperate blizzard of homework questions on conversions elsewhere on this web-site shows!

Answer 2

Scientists use the metric system because of it is based on groups of 10s and 100s, etc. The metric system makes it easier to convert different forms of measurement (where as measurements of the standard system are random, such as the twelve inches in a foot and three feet in a meter etc.) The metric system is also beneficial because it is more commonly used around the world. sometimes the metric system is considered more complex than the standard system but it is really much simpler.

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It goes further. Science now uses the Systeme Internationale, (there should be accents in "systeme" but Answers' text-editor is too basic for that). SI uses a very few basic units, all metric and mutually coherent, although at cost of some clumsiness when trying to use certain ones for ordinary, everyday purposes. To compensate to a point for that, SI allows a few "non-preferred" additional but still mainly metric units for everyday purposes. Its designers also decided to name the compound units after pioneering scientists, which is all very well as a point of honour, but useless for dimensional analysis!

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OH, and there are NOT 3 ft in a Metre, if you meant that as a conversion! 1m is approximately 39 inches, a significant difference. 3ft = 36 ins = 1 yard, instead.

Answer 3

Australia uses the metric system of measurement because it is more practical to use the system used by almost all the rest of the world.

This simplifies trade and commerce considerably and, importantly for the individual, the metric system is far simpler than the imperial system of measurements which is still widely used in the US and to some extent in the UK.

Based upon units of ten, mathematical problems using metric measurements may be calculated mentally. The imperial system requires far more complex methods of calculation, as well as a knowledge of, or constant reference to, imperial equivalents.

Australia legislated for metric measurement in 1947, and began officially converting from imperial to standard metric units in 1970; the changeover was complete by 1988.

Australia changed from British-style currency in 1966, adopting of dollars and cents: again a far simpler system based on tens as opposed to the British system of fourths, halves, twelves, twenties, twenty-ones, and so on.

The old currency, and especially the imperial system of measures, took up an incredible amount of time when teaching these systems to children and to those from countries not using the same systems. Before any calculations could begin, the student needed to learn the many and varied units involved.

Switching to units of ten means anyone can learn the basics in literally minutes, and then only needs to learn which units of currency are in operation - dollars and cents, and the basic units of measurement in commonnest use.

For most practical purposes, we need only to learn millimeters, centimeters and meters for linear measure; milliliters and liters for liquid measure; milligrams, grams, kilograms and tonnes for weight, and hectares for area. Names of other units can be quickly referenced if required, though I can't recall when I last needed to do so.

Millions of Australian children have cheerfully and effortlessly learned about their local money and measurements without ever being aware of the boredom and frustration they missed by being born after 1970.

Even spelling of metric units is unimportant: dollars and cents are words used globally, as are the metric terms; the US spelling with the -er ending (meter, liter) and the international spelling with the -re ending (metre, litre) are both understood perfectly well worldwide.

It should be noted that as in many other countries, older measurements are used or alluded to in various circumstances. In Australia, for example, monitors and television screens are frequently measured in inches; measuring tapes, rulers, containers, and so on, are generally calibrated in both imperial and metric. Newborn babies, too, are for some reason measured by friends and relatives in pounds (medical staff use kilos), and if an Australian describes someone as six feet tall, we know how high that is.

There are also many colloquial terms in use involving old measures and currencies and despite fears expressed by a few people, back when the changes were making themselves felt at street level, nothing bad happens to those who want to talk about "making a quid" (earning a dollar) or "downing a pint" (drinking a big glass of beer) or "driving for miles" (driving a long way). Even today, you could ask the butcher for a pound of meat without being arrested, provided you remember to pay for the just-under-quarter-kilo the butcher hands over.

Everyone knows what the old terms mean and, while many of us still use them in speech and writing, probably all of us remain quietly thankful that we no longer need to calculate distance by remembering the length from some old king's toe to his heel and multiplying it by the time it took to make His Majesty's boots. I'm afraid there's a slight historical inaccuracy there, but every Australian born before 1960 knows what I mean. For those born later, it's really true: some imperial measurements are indeed based upon bits of various English monarchs, just as other measurements are based on things such as how much land a yoke of oxen (two even-tempered bulls) could plough (plow) in a working day. That's an acre, by the way.

And some people are still scared of metric measurements, because they think it's all too difficult...

Answer 4

It's not needed ... but it would make things convenient with more and more items purchased from overseas.

Answer 5

Liberia is one of the very few countries that has not officially adopted it.