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Old September 14, 2003, 18:56   #1
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Why some people in the US can't understand the metric system.
I am correcting a worksheet for my sister (who is learning to be a teacher). It has two tables for the metric system on it, one on each side.
Table on side 1:
Code:
Prefix   Value x Base Unit   Meters Symbol   Liters Symbol   Grams Symbol
Tera -   1,000,000,000,000         Tm             TL              Tg
Giga -     1,000,000,000           Gm             GL              Gg
Mega -       1,000,000             Mm             ML              Mg
Kilo -         1,000               Km             KL              Kg
Hecto -         100                Hm             HL              Hg
Deka -           10               Dkm            DkL             Dkg
Base Unit -       1                 m              L               g
deci -         1/10                dm             dL              dg
centi -        1/100               cm             cL              cg
milli -       1/1,000              mm             mL              mg
micro -     1/1,000,000           mcm            mcL             mcg
nano -    1/1,000,000,000          nm             nL              ng
Table on side 2:
Code:
Tera-     Giga-     Mega-     Kilo-     Hecto-     Deka-     Base unit     deci-     centi-     milli-     Micro-     nano-
Tm        Gm        Mm        Km        Hm         Dkm       m             dm        cm         mm         mcm        nm
0.000001  0.00001   0.0001    0.001     0.01       0.1       1             10        100        1000       10000      100000
Anyone else see problems with these tables?
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Old September 14, 2003, 18:59   #2
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The bottom row of the bottom table. Duh.
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Old September 14, 2003, 19:00   #3
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decameter does not equatl 10 kilometers/kiloliters/kilograms and a micrometer does not equal 1/1,000,000 of a centimeter/centileter/centigram...
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Old September 14, 2003, 19:01   #4
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Old September 14, 2003, 20:08   #5
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So, why can't some people in the US understand the metric system?

This whole thread seems quite pointless.. again.. for the 5th time.. ad nauseum... etc etc...
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Old September 14, 2003, 20:16   #6
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For the record, deci and centi are not metric.
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Old September 14, 2003, 20:21   #7
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Isn't there something smaller than nano ? I think I remember "pico" or something, but I'm unable to tell how much it is.
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Old September 14, 2003, 20:22   #8
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Because the teachers mess up and make worksheets wrong. People can't learn if they are taught wrong.
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Old September 14, 2003, 20:26   #9
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Yes, pico is smaller. Femto is even smaller.
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Old September 14, 2003, 20:29   #10
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Quote:
Originally posted by Anun Ik Oba
Femto is even smaller.
Thanks. I didn't know at all about this one.
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Old September 14, 2003, 20:54   #11
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metric system sux
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Old September 14, 2003, 20:56   #12
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Dissident
What's 49 inches in miles? Or 32 furlongs in fathoms? 16 rods to the bar?

(I think all of those are real units ...the point: standardisation in a system of measurement is good.)
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Old September 14, 2003, 20:56   #13
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Why is the US system called "Standard", when it isnt? The standard system is metric, and the US system isn't standard.
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Old September 14, 2003, 20:58   #14
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it's Standard in the US

Well, Standard is the most standard () name for it. There's English, Standard, Customary, and US or American can be pinned on to any one of those...hell, we can't even name our own system, much less learn metric
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Old September 14, 2003, 21:00   #15
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the metric system is a communist plot to undermine the U.S.
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Old September 14, 2003, 21:09   #16
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Quote:
Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
Why is the US system called "Standard", when it isnt? The standard system is metric, and the US system isn't standard.
Everyone calls the US system (inches and crap) the "imperial system" where I'm from.
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Old September 14, 2003, 21:15   #17
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Either "imperial" or "old" system are the two terms I've heard used.
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Old September 14, 2003, 21:36   #18
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Its not that we can't.

We just choose not to. :P
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Old September 14, 2003, 21:40   #19
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Quote:
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Its not that we can't.

We just choose not to. :P
Didn't that cost you many million dollars?
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Old September 14, 2003, 21:56   #20
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In the United States, men measure their cocks by inches.
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Old September 14, 2003, 22:00   #21
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Quote:
Originally posted by MrFun
In the United States, men measure their cocks by inches.
I suppose centimeters would be more impressive for this use. Instead of saying 6 one could say 15
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Old September 14, 2003, 22:02   #22
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Quote:
Originally posted by OzzyKP


I suppose centimeters would be more impressive for this use. Instead of saying 6 one could say 15
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Old September 15, 2003, 00:22   #23
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Quote:
Originally posted by Anun Ik Oba
Yes, pico is smaller. Femto is even smaller.
Both are huge compared to atto-.
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Old September 15, 2003, 00:23   #24
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dissident
metric system sux
The English System sucks.
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Old September 15, 2003, 00:27   #25
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USA refuses to adopt metric system because it is French

We prefer the system of our British Fathers
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Old September 15, 2003, 00:28   #26
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The English system has the best of both worlds. We learn and calculate everything in metric and then express it all in imperial so that our American friends don't get confused whilst Europeans do..
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Old September 15, 2003, 00:31   #27
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I like metric, but in the end it really doesn't matter.
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Old September 15, 2003, 00:35   #28
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Quote:
Originally posted by MrFun
In the United States, men measure their cocks by inches.
Speak for yourself

Some of us measure ours in YARDS
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Old September 15, 2003, 03:06   #29
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Quote:
Originally posted by mrmitchell
Dissident
What's 49 inches in miles? Or 32 furlongs in fathoms? 16 rods to the bar?

(I think all of those are real units ...the point: standardisation in a system of measurement is good.)
What moron would measure something 49 inches long in miles?
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Old September 15, 2003, 03:25   #30
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Quote:
Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
Why is the US system called "Standard", when it isnt? The standard system is metric, and the US system isn't standard.
A'course it's standard! It's what we use, innit? Metric is fer them furrinners.
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