Do Americans use metric system?
- Thread starter The Basket
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MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
We use Metric when we have to and American (can't call it English no more) when we have to. The local AWOS station at the airport reports wind speed in knots, visibility in miles, cloud heights in thousands of feet, atmospheric pressure in inches of Mercury, and temperature in Celsius. Speed of passing aircraft, when provided, is in furlongs per fortnight.
As for Deg F and Deg C, conversion is incredibly easy.
16C = 61F
28C = 82F
So all you have to do is swap the numbers and you have it!
As for Deg F and Deg C, conversion is incredibly easy.
16C = 61F
28C = 82F
So all you have to do is swap the numbers and you have it!
Yeah, here too. But if someone tells me it's 50ºF, I have no idea how hot or cold that is... (unless it's -40)
The British use deg C for cold and deg for hot. So minus 10 is cold and 90 is hot, only the weather forecasters ever actually name the units. The linesmen at Wimbledon can take their jackets of at 90F.
That's because most pipe is manufactured to U.S. specifications (which is imperial, but metric nominal), so 25mm pipe is actually 1 inch (25.4mm).
I needed to buy 6mm copper pipe once, and it took almost a week to actually find some that wasn't 1/4 inch.
mikewint
Captain
If it were only that simple. You missed: Roman mile, Italian mile, Arabic mile, Irish miles, English mile, Welsh mile, Scots mile, Irish mile, International mile, U.S. survey mile, Geographical mile, Metric mile, and Scandinavian mile
In 1754 Daniel Fahrenheit wished to exclude negative numbers since they made little sense,i.e. less than no temperature. In addition they were difficult to use correctly in mathematical formula. Therefore he made his zero the coldest temperature he could achieve at the time which was a concentrated salt, ammonium chloride, and ice mixture. His second fixed point was the blood temperature of a healthy man which he determined from a earlier temperature scale to be 90 on his new scale. He then adjusted his scale to make ice melt at 32 degrees and that put body temperature at 96. Using his new thermometer he found that water boiled at a constant temperature of 212 degree. After Anders Celsius published his metric temperature scale with fixed points at freezing/melting point of ice and boiling point of water the Royal Society fixed Fahrenheit's scale at the same points +32 degrees for the freezing point and 212 degrees for the boiling point. That gives the Fahrenheit scale 180 degrees between the two point rather than the 100 degrees on Celsius' scale and humans an oral temperature of a bit above 98 degrees
Well sort of, that's the way it used to be, its just in conversation it is much easier to discuss in inches without making a misunderstanding. It is just a nominal size anyway the actual size on the technical documents isn't usually any precise inch size. For insurance on most contracts the pipe must carry the API logo and that determines the use of "Imperial" sizes on documentation, Depending on how they are made they are sized on the outside or the inside which is a bit of a nightmare when you have to weld them together as sometimes happens.
MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
Actually, for use in aircraft I made a Knots to MPH conversion chart, since ASI gauges can be either one. Cessna 150's usually have MPH and Cessna 152's have Kts.
Then, for conversion challenges not well met, we have the case of the Gimli Glider.,....
Then, for conversion challenges not well met, we have the case of the Gimli Glider.,....
wuzak
Captain
That article touches on the fact that all main imperial units are no defined by their relationship to metric units.
Yeah, and now the metric system is being redefined to align with physical constants, e.g. a metre is determined by the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299792458 of a second. A second is determined by the time it takes for a caesium atom to oscillate 9,192,631,770 times. The kilogram has just been redefined in terms of Planck's constant.
Apparently they found that the reference kilogram was gaining mass (or all the others were losing it).
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
When I was in southern/eastern Europe several years ago, I was asked what I thought of the 130 kph speed limit for most of the highways there by a local because they heard we had lower speed limits and I smiled and said "that's only 80 miles an hour...that's about the same for many of our highways" 
We do in our job, but that is because we have European Helicopters in our fleet.
I prefer metric. It is easier and better.
I prefer metric. It is easier and better.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
By the way, in the world of mechanics, there is a slight difference between SAE tools and Metric tools.
It's the 10mm socket that always disappears. Always.
However, in the realm of SAE, it's always the dang 7/16" socket that gets drawn into the mysterious void of missing socks and car keys....
It's the 10mm socket that always disappears. Always.
However, in the realm of SAE, it's always the dang 7/16" socket that gets drawn into the mysterious void of missing socks and car keys....
buffnut453
Captain
I just wish my fellow Americans would learn how to spell metre!
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
*meter 
special ed
1st Sergeant
- 5,139
- May 13, 2018
I thought it was metre only in France. My spell check prefers meter.
I work on a lot of old cars, so I have to keep my SAE tools handy, as well as metric.
I've had a new mechanic ask me which is bigger ? 7/8ths, or 15/16s.
The new ones have a easier time with metric, but sorta lost with the fractions of SAE sizes.
I've had a new mechanic ask me which is bigger ? 7/8ths, or 15/16s.
The new ones have a easier time with metric, but sorta lost with the fractions of SAE sizes.
MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
I'll tell you one thing that makes no freakin' sense whatsoever in Metric.
Screw threads!
Example: 1/4 -28 - anyone can understand that. 1/4 in dia, 28 threads per inch, fine thread, We also have 1/4 - 20, course thread.
But Metric screw threads? Fugetaboutit!
Screw threads!
Example: 1/4 -28 - anyone can understand that. 1/4 in dia, 28 threads per inch, fine thread, We also have 1/4 - 20, course thread.
But Metric screw threads? Fugetaboutit!
MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
My Volt Ohm Metre uses Metric measurements..
mikewint
Captain
if someone tells me it's 50ºF, I have no idea how hot or cold that is
Gum-
You can get reasonably close if you recall that from freezing to boiling (water) there are 100 degree intervals Celsius and 180 degree units Fahrenheit Sooo...a Fahrenheit degree is about half a Celsius degree or the reverse a Celsius degree is about twice a Fahrenheit degree. The single point of complication is that 32 degree Fahrenheit tail, i.e. the zero marks do not align. Sooo... remove the tail -> 50 - 32 = 18 then divide by 2 -> 18 / 2 = 9 So 50F is about 9C. Pretty darn close. In actual fact it is 10C.
Since the actual ratio is 1.8 the error increases as you get higher on the Fahrenheit scale 212F - 32 = 180 / 2 = 90 Whereas it should be 100
Gum-
You can get reasonably close if you recall that from freezing to boiling (water) there are 100 degree intervals Celsius and 180 degree units Fahrenheit Sooo...a Fahrenheit degree is about half a Celsius degree or the reverse a Celsius degree is about twice a Fahrenheit degree. The single point of complication is that 32 degree Fahrenheit tail, i.e. the zero marks do not align. Sooo... remove the tail -> 50 - 32 = 18 then divide by 2 -> 18 / 2 = 9 So 50F is about 9C. Pretty darn close. In actual fact it is 10C.
Since the actual ratio is 1.8 the error increases as you get higher on the Fahrenheit scale 212F - 32 = 180 / 2 = 90 Whereas it should be 100
