Well guys and gals,
I'm not a scientist or engineer but I am positive that if Americans REALLY
used metric---beyond with buying prescriptions---they would find it very
simple and satisfying.
I find it amusing trying to understand what some people think they are
saying when they refer to "fat grams" as if a fat gram is something other
that a measure than for "weight." We all know that it may be almost
impossible to train the American public to use the word "mass" rather than
"weight." I don't think the typical American even realizes that a fat gram
is simply a gram of fat, 1/1000 of a kilogram, or to put it another WOMBAT
way 1/1000 of 2.2 pounds---or must we say 2.204 622 6 pounds.
I like the centimeter very much. When I'm hanging pictures on walls or
even arranging furniture, I use the metric side of my tape measure and read
it and think in terms of centimeters. I find it much easier to use those
the metric measures, especially when placing pictures in exact relationships
to one another.
I find that as I see the red numbers on my tape measure such as 4.0 dm I
real it as 40 cm. Then it is a simple matter to read the next whole
number--another centimeter--as, for example, 41, 42, 43 cm. The next simple
step with my non-scientific but rather accountant's mind is to read any of
the subsequent black gradations as 1/10th of a centimeter. For me it is not
impossible but just a tad more difficult to make the mental adjustment to
switch to millimeters at this point. So I continue to calculate in
centimeters and tenths of a centimeter. That is just one of the beauties of
SI.
Norm Werling
On March 20th [EMAIL PROTECTED], Gene
wrote in [USMA:40653] Re: Leave the centimeter alone
Well stated, Tom. We should accept *all* the SI prefixes!
Gene.
---- Original message ----
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:48:54 +0000
From: Tom Wade <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [USMA:40649] Leave the centimeter alone
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
...>
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
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