You are sworn to secrecy. :) I'm not sure the method should be taught. Pat: I am not as hardcore as you about the evils of conversion, although I understand your position. I feel there is too much old data out there, that we can't justify remeasuring everything. We must be able to convert from Customary/Imperial to metric (similar remarks apply to other countries and their prior units, if the units were "well defined") However, teaching the reverse, from metric to Customary/Imperial, provides a crutch that delays learning to use metric going forward. Since I believe it should be a one-way street, I am in 50% agreement. :) Obviously anyone with reasonable math skills can figure out the reverse. Fortunately that rules out most people.
--- On Sun, 4/5/09, Pat Naughtin <pat.naugh...@metricationmatters.com> wrote: From: Pat Naughtin <pat.naugh...@metricationmatters.com> Subject: [USMA:44419] Algorithm To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu> Date: Sunday, April 5, 2009, 9:49 PM On 2009/04/06, at 1:01 AM, John M. Steele wrote: Mathematically: 1) Convert to decimal inches, by dividing by 25.4 mm/in 2) Record and subtract the integer inches to deal with only the decimal. 3) Multiply by the largest denominator I am willing to entertain (8, 16, 32, etc) 4) Mentally round to closest integer If I get a result that is even, I can simplify the fraction. If I feel the number is too far from an integer, I can go to the next denominator choice in step three by multiplying by 2 again (and I can repeat until I am satisfied, but I have to remember what I am doing to the denominator). Dear John, Thanks for this algorithm. I've used this technique often enough but I have not seen it written so clearly before. Cheers, Pat Naughtin PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, Geelong, Australia Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com for more metrication information, contact Pat at pat.naugh...@metricationmatters.com or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter to subscribe.
