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Metric measurements?
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maj2
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I was a kid when Canada went metric, but grew up (and still live) near the Canada US border watching almost exclusively (except for hockey) US television.
As such, I use weird combinations of metric for some things and imperial for others. Speed and distance in metric because that is how our signs are. Height and weight tend to be Imperial. Scuba gear is mostly Imperial because Caanda and the US are considered the same market by most manufacturers.
For temperature, I tend to change systems with the seasons. Saying its 90 degrees just sounds hotter than saying 30 degrees in the summer. In the winter, Celsius is easier because zero is freezing instead of 32F.
Recently, I have come to realize that it would be fun to reverse my seasonality, and use Celsius in summer and Fahrenheit in winter. That way for six months of the year, when someone asks what the weather will be, I can just say "about thirty degrees."
As such, I use weird combinations of metric for some things and imperial for others. Speed and distance in metric because that is how our signs are. Height and weight tend to be Imperial. Scuba gear is mostly Imperial because Caanda and the US are considered the same market by most manufacturers.
For temperature, I tend to change systems with the seasons. Saying its 90 degrees just sounds hotter than saying 30 degrees in the summer. In the winter, Celsius is easier because zero is freezing instead of 32F.
Recently, I have come to realize that it would be fun to reverse my seasonality, and use Celsius in summer and Fahrenheit in winter. That way for six months of the year, when someone asks what the weather will be, I can just say "about thirty degrees."
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I'm tied to nautical miles as well, and speed in knots. On the one hand, it's so logical: A distance that relates to latitude. On the other hand, the whole degrees/minutes system starts with the Babylonian assumption that year is 360 days, so a circle is 360 degrees....
Generally I prefer the metric system for calculations. I could go either way on a pressure gauge and depth. But I have to say I prefer rating tanks by their effective volume if normally filled. I can still run the math to figure out consumption based on drop in PSI. When I'm buying a tank, though, I want to know how much air I can normally stuff into it.
Generally I prefer the metric system for calculations. I could go either way on a pressure gauge and depth. But I have to say I prefer rating tanks by their effective volume if normally filled. I can still run the math to figure out consumption based on drop in PSI. When I'm buying a tank, though, I want to know how much air I can normally stuff into it.
wnissen
Contributor
People in the US who know metric well are probably scientists. It stunned me that with the European heritage of SCUBA everything was done in U.S. "customary" units. The units are clearly not Imperial, since that's a different set from across the pond. They aren't standard, since all units are defined in terms of metric standards and have been for decades. Their only advantage is that we're used to them.
It does lead to some confusion because I keep my dive computer set in metric, but I always make sure I can relay information in customary units for those who prefer it.
The UK isn't some metric paradise, though. I have friends who are born in the 80s and they still have quite a mix of units.
It does lead to some confusion because I keep my dive computer set in metric, but I always make sure I can relay information in customary units for those who prefer it.
The UK isn't some metric paradise, though. I have friends who are born in the 80s and they still have quite a mix of units.
Never heard anyone on my side of the pond refer to imperial units as "standard." Regardless, I'm a little sad that I was raised on imperial units. The result is that I simply can't "visualize" metric units. As a scientist I work exclusively in metric units, but my early life experience means I still just can't inherently "see" it. As I got older, I never quite understood why here in the US we held on to imperial measures. This was never more confusing as when I had to read water gauges measured in "tenths of feet." Seriously, you mean my units are 1.2 inches?
Rolls Royce Aero Engines were the last major British engineering company to move from Imperial to metric. Whereas Airframes were for the most part metric
At the interfaces (where the engine joined the fuselage the convention was that the female part dictated the system. So if the female part was on the fuselage then the fixing would be metric and vis versa-
All well and good apart from wiring harnesses which transitioned between the two. So we had this madness where the nuts and bolts on the engine would be 5/16 on the fuselage they'd be 9mm and where there was a transition you would have a 5/16 bolt and a 9mm nut but the thread was something strange as a normal 9mm or 5/16 nut wouldn't fit. There'd only be 3 or 4 of these special nut/bolts per engine.
At the interfaces (where the engine joined the fuselage the convention was that the female part dictated the system. So if the female part was on the fuselage then the fixing would be metric and vis versa-
All well and good apart from wiring harnesses which transitioned between the two. So we had this madness where the nuts and bolts on the engine would be 5/16 on the fuselage they'd be 9mm and where there was a transition you would have a 5/16 bolt and a 9mm nut but the thread was something strange as a normal 9mm or 5/16 nut wouldn't fit. There'd only be 3 or 4 of these special nut/bolts per engine.
wnissen
Contributor
I see it all the time with tools, such as this "standard impact socket set". Maybe it's more common in certain industries, like the auto industry?Never heard anyone on my side of the pond refer to imperial units as "standard." Regardless, I'm a little sad that I was raised on imperial units. The result is that I simply can't "visualize" metric units. As a scientist I work exclusively in metric units, but my early life experience means I still just can't inherently "see" it. As I got older, I never quite understood why here in the US we held on to imperial measures. This was never more confusing as when I had to read water gauges measured in "tenths of feet." Seriously, you mean my units are 1.2 inches?
I have been working for years to get a good intuitive sense. Temperature is pretty easy: -10C is incredibly cold, 0 is freezing, 10 is chilly, 20 is nice, 30 is warm, 40 is incredibly hot. Though I still don't know what my body temperature is. Height and weight are a bit more challenging, I know my own weight and height in metric but couldn't really tell you someone else's. Cooking has been very successful with metric; I convert the units once and write them in the cookbook. It's way easier (and accurate) to make a huge batch of pancake mix with 1kg of flour than leveling off 8 cups! And what do you know, fancy kitchens in the U.S., just like tech divers, work in metric, because it's easier and less error prone.
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