The metric system sucks
in [Math]
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From: Andrew Usher on 3 Feb 2010 01:01 On Feb 2, 11:39 pm, "Peter Webb" <webbfam...(a)DIESPAMDIEoptusnet.com.au> wrote: > I needed to buy some chemicals for my pool. The man said I needed about > 0.05% concentration. It was too much trouble to multiply 1.25m x 10m x 4m in > my head to get 50 cubic metres of water = 50 tons so I would need about 2.5 > kgs. > > Knowing that it doesn't make any difference to the calculation, instead I > decided that my pool was 0.4 chains long, 1.6 chains wide, and about 0.4 > chains wide. Then I multiplied this out, and converted to gallons capacity. > Then I worked out how many ounces of the chemical I would need per gallon, > multiplied it out, and divided by 16 to get the weight in pounds. Same > thing. Is this some kind of a joke? No one would ever use chains here, those figures are clearly wrong, and there are two unnecessary conversions there. The way I would do it is surely 4.25 ft * 13 ft * 33 ft * 62 lb/ft^3 * 0.05% ~ 5.6 lb which is hardly more difficult than the metric formula (considering my converted numbers were harder to calculate with). Although I did this in my head, anyone really doing it would use a calculator. I really shouldn't have to respond to ridiculous stuuf like this! Andrew Usher
From: Heidi Graw on 3 Feb 2010 05:38 "Ken S. Tucker" <dynamics(a)vianet.on.ca> wrote in message news:2d8ea280-58fb-41da-900d-8c6777b446c6(a)n33g2000yqb.googlegroups.com... >Ken wrote: > I build houses, and very much respect an old 1940's decision > to base housing construction on 4" x 4" square, leading to > such things like 4'x8' plywood... ....that is 5/8" thick... >... and 2"x4" studs, and much more. ....like those 2"x10"? > That decision resulted in building high quality low cost homes, > that fit together with a minimum of customized thinking. Well...instead of building by the square foot, you could build by the square metre. > The base 12 of the foot is divisible by 2,3,4,6, the number > 10 cannot be divided by those without screeeching decimals. 2.5 doesn't involve all that much screeching...no worse than trying to finangle something that is 3/16" of whatever. > > My wife finds MEtric to be annoying, when cooking, when table > spoons, ozs etc work fine. Cups, quarts and gallons works ok. I use metric measures and metric recipes. Works just fine. > > In Canada kms are too small cuz miles is what a big country > needs, 60 mph is a mile a minute. Hey, I like driving 120 km/hr down the freeway. It gives me the impression I'm going much faster than I'm actually driving. ;-) > I figure ya gotta be bi-measureable now a days. Yes, it comes in handy knowing both, especially when it involves cross-border trade and tourism with the US. 70F also sounds a lot warmer than 20C. No wonder the Americans think Canadians live in igloos. > Common units work extremely well, but if you want your house > built in MeTric I'll add 25% to the cost, and you've got it. No need. I wouldn't be hiring you anyway. My husband built the house I designed. Custom? Very...and rather quite unique. Take care, Heidi <...whose house is a mishmash of German metric and British standard.
From: Ken S. Tucker on 3 Feb 2010 06:35 Heidi, I red your post, nifty... On Feb 3, 2:38 am, "Heidi Graw" <hg...(a)telus.net> wrote: > "Ken S. Tucker" <dynam...(a)vianet.on.ca> wrote in messagenews:2d8ea280-58fb-41da-900d-8c6777b446c6(a)n33g2000yqb.googlegroups.com... > > >Ken wrote: > > I build houses, and very much respect an old 1940's decision > > to base housing construction on 4" x 4" square, leading to > > such things like 4'x8' plywood... > > ...that is 5/8" thick... You're an expert. Went in to order some 5/8" during the MEtric conversion and the guy asks if I want 16mm ply, ok that's the same, then a few months later I went back and placed an order for 16mm, and guys asks, do ya mean 5/8" ? Canucks are really screwed up. > >... and 2"x4" studs, and much more. > > ...like those 2"x10"? Code on our floor calls for 2"x8" stud, I like a bit of bounce. > > That decision resulted in building high quality low cost homes, > > that fit together with a minimum of customized thinking. > > Well...instead of building by the square foot, you could build > by the square metre. > > > The base 12 of the foot is divisible by 2,3,4,6, the number > > 10 cannot be divided by those without screeeching decimals. > > 2.5 doesn't involve all that much screeching...no worse than > trying to finangle something that is 3/16" of whatever. My max tolerance is 1/8", the thickness of my carbide saw blade. I draw two lines and cut between them, so my error is less than a 1/64". > > My wife finds MEtric to be annoying, when cooking, when table > > spoons, ozs etc work fine. Cups, quarts and gallons works ok. > > I use metric measures and metric recipes. Works just fine. But a gazillion cook books use, teaspoons, etc. stuff right off the table. > > In Canada kms are too small cuz miles is what a big country > > needs, 60 mph is a mile a minute. > > Hey, I like driving 120 km/hr down the freeway. It gives me > the impression I'm going much faster than I'm actually driving. ;-) "120 klicks" you must be a hot-rodder. Are you that person yapping into a cell while breezing past me in a sports car? > > I figure ya gotta be bi-measureable now a days. > > Yes, it comes in handy knowing both, especially when it > involves cross-border trade and tourism with the US. 70F also > sounds a lot warmer than 20C. No wonder the Americans > think Canadians live in igloos. Yeah, 0F is cold and 100F is hot. (there are 180 degrees between 32F and 212F, that's how temperature was unitized, later Celius plagurized the degree, and screwed it all up. > > Common units work extremely well, but if you want your house > > built in MeTric I'll add 25% to the cost, and you've got it. > > No need. I wouldn't be hiring you anyway. My husband > built the house I designed. Custom? Very...and rather > quite unique. OK!, wife and I would like to see some pix's. I'm trying to get a design together, have a look, http://www.flickr.com/photos/46333912(a)N06/4260035955/ The Architectural consultants inform me that we have a lack of washrooms, so I'm redesigning the plumbing. > Take care, > Heidi <...whose house is a mishmash of German metric and British standard. Looking forward. Ken
From: jmfbahciv on 3 Feb 2010 07:42 Bart Goddard wrote: > "Heidi Graw" <hgraw(a)telus.net> wrote in news:tC4an.64378$PH1.2203(a)edtnps82: > > >> He prefers the metric. It's easier to learn and easier to use. >> I also prefer metric for those same reasons. > > Which is also a reason for choosing Cosmetology school > over Engineering. > > B. > Now try cooking. Before you respond with another snotty post, think chefs. /BAH
From: Bart Goddard on 3 Feb 2010 07:53
jmfbahciv <jmfbahciv(a)aol> wrote in news:hkbq66327kt(a)news3.newsguy.com: > Bart Goddard wrote: >> "Heidi Graw" <hgraw(a)telus.net> wrote in >> news:tC4an.64378$PH1.2203(a)edtnps82: >> >> >>> He prefers the metric. It's easier to learn and easier to use. >>> I also prefer metric for those same reasons. >> >> Which is also a reason for choosing Cosmetology school >> over Engineering. >> >> B. >> > Now try cooking. Before you respond with another snotty post, > think chefs. Don't tell me what to do, whippersnapper. I cook a lot and I brew a whopping amount of beer. And I gotta say that beer made with metric units just doesn't taste as good. Malt in pounds, water in gallons, hops in ounces... the way God meant it to be! B. -- Cheerfully resisting change since 1959. |