Decimal or fractional

Originally Posted by Woodenwings

Great discussion about unit confusion! you all probably know about it!
Math Mistakes in History: The Gimli Glider 360

I'd heard of this one. If I'm not mistaken a small TV documentary was done about this but I don' recall that part about the repair crew running out of gas to.

That "Math Mistake" was clearly due to the lack of proper supervision of the ground crew.

... just my opinion for what it's worth.

tyc

The system you're gonna use depends also of your objetives. If you want to sell the plans and/or kits worldwide the metric systen is the best option. We are living in a metric world where just about every country, except the USA, uses the metric system, and other countries are now telling US companies that they don't want to buy some of the products manufactured by U.S. companies if they aren't made to metric sizes (and if they aren't labeled in metric units). Many European Union (EU) countries, which have been good customers of U.S. companies, don't allow products into their countries unless they are made to metric system standards. So... if your plan is to tale the world as your marketplace, you can't stay competitive if you don't provide metric plans. Be also in mind that, according to a survey taken in the 70's, the only countries, besides the U.S., that have not officially adopted the metric system are Liberia (in western Africa) and Burma (also known as Myanmar, in Southeast Asia). These two countries did not have an official policy of converting to metric, at least at the time of the survey.

Technically speaking, the International System of Units, or SI or “the metric system” is 10 times better. A metrication movement of US is a necessary step if your country is to continue to do well in the world economy. It is estimated that 50% to 75% of American Industry is fully metricated. The remainder is wishing to go metric but is either cautious or cannot switch due to regulations.

I couldn't bear to read all of it, but the length of this discussion shows how much we're paying for dragging our feet about converting.

When I'm working (I'm looking now), I'm back and forth between the systems all the time. Even the manufacturers of some very high end electronics sometimes still use unified threads instead of metric.

Unfortunately, my head mostly works in decimal inches.

a dollar bill is about a gram
a penny from 1983 or so and before is 3.12 grams
1 lb per cubic foot is the same as 0.263 grams per cubic inch (long story!)
a square meter is about 11 square feet

I have a decimal tape measure that I got from a Caterpillar dealer. I'll try and find the part number. It was part of a kit issued to sales and parts people for measuring the wear on undercarriage.

A call to your local Cat dealer might get you one. I doubt Cat prices have gotten any cheaper though.

Originally Posted by Canuck Bob

I have a decimal tape measure that I got from a Caterpillar dealer. I'll try and find the part number. It was part of a kit issued to sales and parts people for measuring the wear on undercarriage.

I had a tape measure I used for building some shelves in my hangar. I followed the old addage "measure twice, cut once" but still ended up with parts that wouldn't fit together. I had a hell of a time cutting and recutting without success until I finally figured out that my tape measure only had 10 inches to the foot. Well, it wasn't really inches, but the foot marks were correct. The feet were divided into 10ths of a foot (which I had assumed to be inches) and each of those were divided into tenths again, for 1/100ths of a foot (which I had assumed to be eighth inch markings). Talk about P.O.'d and dumbfounded! I have never seen a tape measure like that, don't know what it's for and don't know where I got it. Needless to say, I resorted to cutting the first piece and then layed it next to the board for measuring my other pieces, 'cause subtracting 5' 8-5/8" from an eight foot board doesn't work when your tape measure is in English decimal.

Bruce

Don't worry, the metric system is coming to USA, inch by inch!

Jan

Originally Posted by bmcj

I had a hell of a time cutting and recutting without success until I finally figured out that my tape measure only had 10 inches to the foot. Well, it wasn't really inches, but the foot marks were correct. The feet were divided into 10ths of a foot (which I had assumed to be inches) and each of those were divided into tenths again, for 1/100ths of a foot (which I had assumed to be eighth inch markings). Talk about P.O.'d and dumbfounded! I have never seen a tape measure like that, don't know what it's for and don't know where I got it.
Bruce

The tape is an engineering tape used for surveying. Civil engineering drawings are all done in tenths of a foot.

Thanks ROM... I had a sneaking suspicion that it might have to do with engineering/surveying.

Originally Posted by Yenn

... I would never want to go back to fractions, but really decimal is only the same as fractions but you are using tenths.
Once you have used decimal you will never want to go to fractions again.

As a North American (Yankee) who has over the years shifted to the metric system, I fully concur. We inherited the fractional system as I understand it from the Brittish and even they've recently converted to the metric system - except for their beer pints - CAUTION - one should not mess with a Brit and his beer! :-)

tyc

Originally Posted by Jan Carlsson

Don't worry, the metric system is coming to USA, inch by inch!

Jan

Good one!
Remember when all the mph speed signs came down and were replaced by signs in klicks? That lasted for about one whole weekend!