I checked NIST SP811. The table uses only seven figures for the pound,
long and short ton. However, the exact conversion for the pound is given
as footnote #22. You have to extend it it yourself for tons of 2000 and
2240 lbm.
----- Forwarded Message ----
*From:* John M. Steele <jmsteele9...@sbcglobal.net>
*To:* pat.naugh...@metricationmatters.com; U.S. Metric Association
<usma@colostate.edu>
*Cc:* UKMA Metric Association <secret...@metric.org.uk>
*Sent:* Thu, November 11, 2010 7:22:04 AM
*Subject:* Re: [USMA:48837] Re: The United States does not use the
metric system
Pat,
NIST SP811 generally uses only seven figures so if the "exact" is
longer, exact is not shown, except by exception. However, they "bold"
figures which are exact. There may be issues of whether this clearly
displays on a web page, but the pdf version seems to agree with printed
copies.
NIST SP 447 which is a history of US metrology by NIST in Appendix 5
quotes the original Federal Register publication from 1959 defining the
new yard, inch, and pound. However, as the long ton is 2240 lbm, I
simply cascaded the definitions in a calculator with sufficient
precision. NPL might be a better source for the long ton, as it is not
really used in the US. (Please note these typos exist in your history of
the inch)
I have not seen a good summary of the 1958 meeting other than the 1959
Federal register announcement. I have never seen any reference to a
"secret spelling agreement" at the meeting. I would frankly be surprised
if we cared how the British spell "gram," and even the NIST director has
to use US GPO spelling if he wants his documents printed. The NIST or
NBS officials at the meeting would not have had the authority to decide
spelling, but could decide the size of an inch. :)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* Pat Naughtin <pat.naugh...@metricationmatters.com>
*To:* U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
*Cc:* UKMA Metric Association <secret...@metric.org.uk>
*Sent:* Thu, November 11, 2010 1:14:42 AM
*Subject:* [USMA:48837] Re: The United States does not use the metric system
On 2010/11/11, at 01:47 , John M. Steele wrote:
Pat is (nearly) correct.
Thanks John. You are right my "foot" error was of the "/reverso-typo
with decimal point transition step/" form, so the section should have read:
I have noticed that even while denying that the metric system exists,
all of the population of the USA routinely use:
* metric inches (defined as 25.4 mm exactly)
* metric feet (defined as 304.8 mm exactly)
* metric yards (defined as 914.4 mm exactly)
* metric miles (defined as 1609.344 metres exactly)
* metric pounds (defined as 453.592 37 grams exactly)
* metric short tons (defined as 907.184 74 kilograms exactly)
* metric long tons (defined as 1016.046 908 8 kilograms exactly)
For pound, short ton, and long ton, I used NIST resources but it now
appears that NIST is inconsistent with these numbers from web page to
web page. This time I used
http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/Publications/upload/AppC-10-HB44-Final.pdf
/Oh how our minds we do pervert,/
/When first we practice to convert./
Could you direct me to a page where I can find the definitive conversion
factors for pound and tons.
You also wrote:
Because our foot, inch, etc differed slightly from the UK's and other
English speaking nations, a conference was held in 1958 which lead to
the International foot officially adopted by the US, July 1, 1959, as
0.3048 m exactly
Wasn't that the same meeting where a "/gentlemen's/" agreement was
reached that the spelling of "metre" would be "metre" in the USA if the
UK agreed to change the spelling of gramme to gram. The UK did its part
of the deal. Go to
http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/Spelling_metre_or_meter.pdf and
search for "Chester H. Page".
I have just re-read most of the rather long document that I wrote at
http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/Spelling_metre_or_meter.pdf and I
was not kind to promoters of the meter spelling as a unit for length!
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
Author of the ebook, /Metrication Leaders Guide,/ see
http://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html
Hear Pat speak at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lshRAPvPZY
PO Box 305 Belmont 3216,
Geelong, Australia
Phone: 61 3 5241 2008
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