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On December 09 2011 13:40 Keyboard Warrior wrote:Show nested quote +On December 09 2011 13:35 Nothingtosay wrote:
Standard because the US is nonsensical and refuses to adapt.
Edit: Also people say half a meter, half a kilometer, etc, all the time. but then it is not technically appropriate, because the metric system is designed to have specific measures for fractions, like 500 meters or so. saying half a kilometer borrows from the logic of standard system, though there is nothing wrong with it
Couldn't we argue then that saying "half a foot" isn't appropriate either, since you have "6 inches."? Fractions are in both systems >_>
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math and physics using the metric system is much more elegant and intuitive as it goes up by 10s, and as such makes for conversions using mental math.
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As a math educator, I can definitely say that metric makes a hundred, a thousand, or even a million times more sense than standard measurements.
Unfortunately, I also live in America, so I have to simultaneously teach kids to get confused about 12 of these and 5280 of those -.-'
Also, I disagree with the OP when he says that standard goes more naturally with fractions. When you set up any multiples of 10, it's easier than anything from standard to cross out zeroes to reduce fractions. Also, your second advantage for standard is incorrect too... people still buy liters of drinks lol. We're more accustomed to seeing everything in standard (like mph, rather than km/h), because we live in America.
I've tutored mathematics for a pretty long time, have a bachelors in it, have a masters in math education, and am going for my doctorate in math education at the moment... and I gotta say that metric overall outclasses standard measurements.
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I really don't see the advantages of "Standard" that you've listed. You can easily say half a meter, and I buy milk in volume ,as in one liter of milk, I don't see the convenience here. And for the argument with wood, you specified dimension with feet, but not with meter, what?
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Learned to use both, but still more accustomed to standard.
edit: OP should change "standard" into the imperial system.
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You do understand that what seems standard to you might not be standard in other countries?
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I am from the States so I was forced to learn standard, even though all of the increments used in standard seem to be arbitrary. I am trying to get myself more familiarized with the metric system. but no matter how hard I try my brain always seems to revert measurements back to inches, feet and miles. It's almost like learning a foreign language in the sense that one system will always be used instinctively over the other.
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Metric for absolutly everything except football.
Basiclly this poll is asking
Where are you from?
United States of America
Somewhere else
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For height I use standard ie: 5'11'', but everything else I use metric
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I'll never understand the purpose of the standard system. It is much like a child where you associate a measurement with a tangible object. It makes conversion a nightmare and is inefficient. There have been major disasters caused by the standard system, one example which cost NASA multi millions as a space lander was destroyed upon landing because it was programmed for pound-Newtons. Temperature is another nightmare if you don't work with Celcius because Ferinheit doesn't convert cleanly into Kelvin. I can't imagine working with any system not metric.
Those "advantages" of the standard system are just convienient because people are used to those measurements. It takes time, but if you switched over to metric it would feel just as natural if everything was standardized to it.
I think this comic is extremely appropriate.
+ Show Spoiler +
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On December 09 2011 13:32 Keyboard Warrior wrote:
Advantages of Standard
1. Standard goes more naturally with fractions - quarter of a pint, half foot, etc. Technically, you don't say half meter but rather 50 centimeters or 500 millimeters.
2. Standard units are more practical and convenient. No one goes to the grocery to buy 400ml drink, instead, they buy it in 12 ounces. No one buys 5 meters of wood, instead, they buy it is 1x1x12, all in feet.
Both those advantages aren't true.
We say half a metre, as well as number + unit
I don't know anybody who buys drinks in specific units, but I don't see the difference between 400mL drink and 12 ounces
Also I'm sure a lot of people buys 5m of wood, compared to 1x1x12. The metric system is the only system we know, so obviously there's no real alternative.
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On December 09 2011 13:44 Mordoc wrote:
Well, it depends.
For academics (the sciences), I would only ever use Metric: the scientific world IS IN metric.
Otherwise, I use 'standard', for normal conversation (simply because most people would talk in feet, pounds, etc).
As far as I know, it's the same for most people living in 'standard' countries. the United States-
Of developed nations there are not 'standard' countries, there is us, and the countries that use metric, no one else is silly enough to use a system that as the oatmeal put it nicely, is based on making ambiguous associations with tangible objects - much like a child would.
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metric only
i hate the standard method. if someone tells me they are 5'7", I have to convert it to metric before realizing how tall the person is. If I'm told the person is 178cm tall I know exactly how tall the person is hehe
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On December 09 2011 13:43 Keyboard Warrior wrote:Show nested quote +On December 09 2011 13:38 Ryndika wrote:I'm from country that doesn't use standard but when I'm drawing I think about things in feets and inches. I have no idea why, though, heheh. I wonder if in USA where you use standard, you also use metric? No one buys 5 meters of wood, instead, they buy it is 1x1x12, all in feet. but that's using 3rd dimension also, right? please tell me where i can buy 0.3x0.3x3.6 meter wood
canadian home depot
and i say half a meter...i haven't seen anyone say 50 centimeters as opposed to half a meter
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When meter is converted into feet it's* not a whole number, too much of a hassle for imperial users.
edit: Everyone dislikes fractions and rationals  But as a personal opinion measuring distance, length, etc is much more efficient for me using the metric system.
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Americans only use the standard, metric is worldwide
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On December 09 2011 13:45 Malikari wrote:Show nested quote +On December 09 2011 13:40 Keyboard Warrior wrote:On December 09 2011 13:35 Nothingtosay wrote:
Standard because the US is nonsensical and refuses to adapt.
Edit: Also people say half a meter, half a kilometer, etc, all the time. but then it is not technically appropriate, because the metric system is designed to have specific measures for fractions, like 500 meters or so. saying half a kilometer borrows from the logic of standard system, though there is nothing wrong with it Couldn't we argue then that saying "half a foot" isn't appropriate either, since you have "6 inches."? Fractions are in both systems >_>
the key word there is technically
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I use both, for distance feet and inches are just more common for me.
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Standard. But I don't like it. I much prefer metric but since it barely exists in my day-to-day life, I'm forced to use standard.
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Because I live in the U.S., I grew up using "standard" all the time. Once I started doing math/physics/chem problems, I learned to despise the idiocy of this system. Metric makes so much more sense; however, I can't help but continue using English units in every day conversations because I'm too accustomed to it (plus, no one I talk to would be able to easily convert it). And as others have said, metric is standard everywhere except America.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://s3.amazonaws.com/theoatmeal-img/comics/senior_year/science.png)
