Dust wrote: ↑Sat Nov 20, 2021 12:46 pm
I've heard that unit systems that arise organically often have units close to the same value, developed independently. The example given was weight, most local systems had something within about 10 percent of a pound. When China was forced to adopt metric, a new named unit arose that was equal to half a kilogram, ~1.1 lb. Even there they reverted to something close.
This isn't uncommon I imagine. Before NL switched to metric (in 1820!) the pound was ~480g and the ounce was 1/16th of a pound or ~30g. Approximately, because depending on where you were in the country it was anywhere between 430g and 490g. Since then a pound is considered 500g and an ounce is 100g. These aren't official units but everybody knows them. The legal status is interesting: because it's not a legal unit you have no standing if you ask for a pound but get something else.
Dust wrote: ↑Sat Nov 20, 2021 12:46 pm
Some metric units are just painful to work with. No one wants to measure in thousands of mm. Meters are decent for some things, but not a lot. Decimal values are tougher to estimate by eye than half and quarter values. You can do it, it's just a pain.
Doctor. Doctor. It hurts when I do this! Well, don't do that then.
You don't measure the distance to London in inches either. That's why we have different units, choosing the most appropriate for the task at hand. And I'm sure you know that half and quarter of a metre are also known as 50cm and 25cm respectively.
I use half and quarter centimetres all the time.
The main advantage of metric is the easy conversion between units and unique definitions. And to be honest, it feels like people not used to the metric system have some really strange ideas about it. It's not nearly as prescriptive as you make out.
How many litres in a cubic metre tank? 1000. How many gallons in a cubic yard tank? That depends if you're in the US or the UK, and the answer isn't pretty either way.
Dust wrote: ↑Sat Nov 20, 2021 12:46 pm
And with modern computers, working in feet and inches isn't a big deal. The computer does all the dividing by 12 and such for you. There's no reason not to go back to units that are easier on the humans...
I'm sorry, Our numbering system is base-10 and that's not going to change. Being able to switch units in your head halfway a calculation is incredibly valuable. You have 12cm tiles, how many fit in a wall 4.8m long?