Should the USA switch to metric?

[1python64]

I've had the metric system nailed in to my brain since I was in 5th grade. King henry died by drinking chocolate milk.. anyone? :D

[ZXD]

I've had the metric system nailed in to my brain since I was in 5th grade. King henry died by drinking chocolate milk.. anyone?

King Henry had 6 wifes

[usb hub]

Yes (I can't remember if i posted already)

[bobheadtomato]

I think the USA should just stop measuring everything in general.

[PooZy]

I think the USA should just stop measuring everything in general.

That would undermine the whole philosophy of USA's existence, make big things!

[ProClifo]

Metric measurements only consists of meters, liters and gram. After that, they are followed by milli (divide by 1000), centi (divide by 100), deci (divide by 10), deka (multiply by 10), hecto (multiply by 100) and kilo (multiply by 1000).

It's easy to remember, and it covers all the measurements simple. Length, area, volume and weight.

[ClassyElephant_]

I think we have more problems to worry about than switching measurements :l

This.

[ASilva93]

The only time I ever needed to know anything metric related was in physics class. Since then I never use it except that I know from all the car things I read that 100 kM/H is the same as 62 MPH.

[Rammjet]

The only time I ever needed to know anything metric related was in physics class. Since then I never use it except that I know from all the car things I read that 100 kM/H is the same as 62 MPH.

Chemistry, geography, maths, and most things ending in 'ology' will require a good grasp of SI, the fact we have teenagers on this thread saying they don't understand those units is appalling.

[AC25]

I don't understand why we Americans even need to use the Fahrenheit scale, it's just plain annoying when the rest of the world is using Celsius. That isn't all that expensive since most thermometers have both Fahrenheit and Celsius scales in the US.

However, as for distance, just for the time being, keep the distance Imperial, since we don't have the money to change all the signs, AND to change all the roads to kilometer scale. That would just destroy the infrastructure for a decade at the very least.

[ASilva93]

Chemistry, geography, maths, and most things ending in 'ology' will require a good grasp of SI, the fact we have teenagers on this thread saying they don't understand those units is appalling.

I have taken Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geometry, Trigonometry, Algebra I & II and Calculus I and II. The most metric I needed was occasionally in physics (9.81 m/s^2). That's it.

[ClassyElephant_]

Chemistry, geography, maths, and most things ending in 'ology' will require a good grasp of SI, the fact we have teenagers on this thread saying they don't understand those units is appalling.

I dont understand how people understand it.

[Base]

Totally yes

[Rammjet]

I have taken Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geometry, Trigonometry, Algebra I & II and Calculus I and II. The most metric I needed was occasionally in physics (9.81 m/s^2). That's it.

So you didn't even use mol or pH in chemistry? What the hell do they teach you?

SI units have been a standard in all my science GCSE's and in the sciences I took to A level, some exams feature calculations only about equivicating units with no values or explaining the significance of unit definitions.

[ASilva93]

So you didn't even use mol or pH in chemistry? What the hell do they teach you?

SI units have been a standard in all my science GCSE's and in the sciences I took to A level, some exams feature calculations only about equivicating units with no values or explaining the significance of unit definitions.

Ah yes, we did use mol but we hardly covered pH, that's like 7th/8th grade stuff, basic or acidic. Otherwise metric is rarely used as far as Meters or Celsius is concerned. Science isn't even on the Standardized Aptitude Tests (SATs), which is the main college entry exam in the USA. Or our state performance assessments for that matter.

[Flybird]

Well I do think that everyone should use the same measurements, but I don't think the US should switch because there is a large majority of people that don't understand it. I understand it, but very very very rarely use it.

[AC25]

Ah yes, we did use mol but we hardly covered pH, that's like 7th/8th grade stuff, basic or acidic. Otherwise metric is rarely used as far as Meters or Celsius is concerned. Science isn't even on the Standardized Aptitude Tests (SATs), which is the main college entry exam in the USA. Or our state performance assessments for that matter.

The SAT has Biology and Chemistry SUBJECT tests, but some people will choose instead Mathematics or History or English. And I need some help understanding the use of quantum numbers (n,l,m sub-1, m sub-n) into making a electron configuration (1s^2 etc etc.) Still have no idea what a mol is...

[ASilva93]

The SAT has Biology and Chemistry SUBJECT tests, but some people will choose instead Mathematics or History or English. And I need some help understanding the use of quantum numbers (n,l,m sub-1, m sub-n) into making a electron configuration (1s^2 etc etc.) Still have no idea what a mol is...

The overwhelming majority of universities do not require SAT II subject tests for admission. You're talking high caliper/ivy league admissions.

[Rammjet]

Ah yes, we did use mol but we hardly covered pH, that's like 7th/8th grade stuff, basic or acidic. Otherwise metric is rarely used as far as Meters or Celsius is concerned. Science isn't even on the Standardized Aptitude Tests (SATs), which is the main college entry exam in the USA. Or our state performance assessments for that matter.

Just a guess...you've probably used kelvin, kilos, dm^3, volts, amps, ohms, J, siemens, weber, tesla, becquerel, gy, sv, farad, coulomb and hertz too. Metres and degrees C aren't the end of metric; scientific subjects are stuffed full of SI units because science is global and many of these more exotic units are composits of the base units like metres.

I'm surprised that science isn't a bigger manditory part of the USA curriculem, from what you describe, because the USA is a huge science nation. I doubt the scientific education compares favourable in the UK, since a maths and single gcse sciences are the only manditory science qualifications here, and you get those aged 16. :\

[AC25]

Just a guess...you've probably used kelvin, kilos, dm^3, volts, amps, ohms, J, siemens, weber, tesla, becquerel, gy, sv, farad, coulomb and hertz too. Metres and degrees C aren't the end of metric; scientific subjects are stuffed full of SI units because science is global and many of these more exotic units are composits of the base units like metres.

I'm surprised that science isn't a bigger manditory part of the USA curriculem, from what you describe, because the USA is a huge science nation. I doubt the scientific education compares favourable in the UK, since a maths and single gcse sciences are the only manditory science qualifications here, and you get those aged 16. :\

There is one ranking back in '09 that put the USA 17th in Science and 25th in Math or Maths out of 34 countries. Some of the teachers are not truly qualified for their jobs at that specific class, say biology or chemistry or physics. Add to that what I find increasingly immature students (Yes I'm 14, ssssshhh) and the United States gets very little done. It's a shame considering how everyone used to look up to the USA.