Centiliter too. It's commonly used.
Personally, I think arguements like this are just academic. What I
want, is for the United States to at least use metric like the UK, if
not like Europe and the rest of the world.
Quoting Tom Wade <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
The centimetr e is virtually the ONLY currently used SI unit that
is incorporates the "centi- " prefix. True, it is still recognized
as legitimate SI, but we can simplify SI still further by avoiding
(and eventually eliminating) the "centi-" prefix (al ong with deci,
deka and hecto).
I believe it was Einstein who once said that things should be
simplified as much as possible, but no further.
if we could get rid of centimeters we'd have virtually eliminated
the "centi -" prefix. It would be an archaic part of the metric
system
like >"deci-", "hect o-" and "deka-". Then we might succeed in getting
rid of >all four of them and h ave just the nice round steps of 1000.
This is what I mean by the bias against the centi prefix. SI *is not*
based solely on the so called "rule of 1000". SI is firmly based on
decimal base 10 prefixes. It is only when you get beyond 1000 times
that the need for prefixes every order of magnitude becomes
unnecessary. However between 0.001 and 1000 it is very convenient to
have closer spaced prefixes. Yes, it it a tiny bit more complex, but
lets not try to make things simple just for the sake of having
everything neat, when it makes the system more clumsy to use. This
should be particularly true when you are trying to convince your fellow
countrymen to change from something they have known all their lives.
Also, try to remember that in most countries, metric units are part of
everyday experience, and not something that is the sole preserve of the
scientist, and ease of use is more important than the fact that not
everything is neatly expressed in multiples of 1000.
Another poster quoted his height in both meters and millimeters.
Expressing your height in mm is simply laughable - it implies a level
of exactness that makes it look over-precise to someone familiar with
the concept of precision (and downright nerdy to those who aren't). Do
you honestly think that trying to standardize on heights in mm rather
than cm will enhance a metric transition ?
The plain fact is that centi is a perfectly legitimate prefix, and the
fact that it doesn't appear with most units simply means it is a not a
convenient muliplier for those entities. But that shouldn't mean it
should be dropped in the small number of cases where it is, just to
satisfy someone's over zealous sense of symmetry (others have also
pointed out the cL, dB & hPa units in common use).
And if it were to be used it w ould be called "centiamperes" (cA)
not "centi-Amps".
Only if milliamps were also incorrect (they may well be technically,
but milliamps & amps are more often heard than milliamperes & amperes,
so I guess centiamps would be OK).
The other thing to remember is the link with the only quantity that was
metric in the US right from the start, and which is familiar to all
Americans: the currency. Using meters and centimeters is as easy and
as apple-pie American as dollars and cents.
The variety of prefixes is one of the great strengths of the metric
system. You can choose the prefix that gives you the most convenient
range of values, and thanks to the fact it is based on multiples of 10,
shifting between them is trivial. Don't sacrifice this just because
something looks superficially neat.
(that's my 2 cents worth - or 20 millidollars if you really must insist).
---------------------------------------------------------
Tom Wade | EMail: tee dot wade at eurokom dot ie
EuroKom | Tel: +353 (1) 296-9696
A2, Nutgrove Office Park | Fax: +353 (1) 296-9697
Rathfarnham | Disclaimer: This is not a disclaimer
Dublin 14 | Tip: "Friends don't let friends do Unix !"
Ireland
