# What is the purpose of the US customary system of measurement? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784 "2013-05-31T13:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/41 "2013-05-31T15:57:26Z")
As I noted last time, much of the US is surveyed in mile square “sections”, with roads along the section lines and blocks and acres in neat increments. Using metric here would be extremely messy. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/42 "2013-05-31T15:57:45Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Don’t use the in-board search, it sucks. Search using Google. These are from just the first two pages of results (omitting duplicates and non-relevant threads): Some of those are practically from before he was born. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/43 "2013-05-31T16:00:14Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > So, if I had my druthers, I’d say we should convert from decimal to dozenal and then recreate a unified metric-like system that would unify across science and everyday usage. Of course, that conversion would be way more painful and it’s incredibly unlikely to happen, so we’re pretty much stuck with some usage of both systems for a long time. I’ll go one better and suggest that we should go to a [truly funamental system of units](http://www.alcyone.com/max/writing/essays/planck-units.html). Seriously, aside from the general inertia to change and complaints about the costs (which, if implemented incrementally, are modest) is that much of our domestic heavy manufacturing and construction is still done in US Customary units for the simple reason that most common fabrication and building materials are mor readily available in those units (albeit often modified, e.g. a “2x4” piece of stud lumber is actually 1.5x3.5", sheet metal and wire in gauges or mils, et cetera). However, as an increasing volume of materials are now being sources from foreign suppliers that produce exclusively in SI measures, even that is changing. And the need for homologation (to sell products manufactured in the US in Europe and Asia) is significantly simplified by not having to perform a large amount of unit conversions, particularly when it comes to energy and power measurements. Proponents of maintaining the status quo often say things like, “The US went to the Moon on the Customary system.” The irony of that statement is that while outputs of calculations were provided in miles and feet, this was purely for the convenience of astronauts and technicians. The actual calculations done by computers on the ground and the Apollo Guidance Computer were done in SI specifically to minimize and deal with floating point errors in the memory-limited systems of the day. In other words, using miles and feet would have contributed significantly more errors to a system at was already pushing the limit of the then-state of the art in calculation, guidance, and navigation. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/44 "2013-05-31T16:01:50Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The [fluid ounce](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_ounce) is not part of that system, but is part of the common measures, with several possible equivalents. The [ounce](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ounce)itself as a measure of weight has a huge variety of historic meanings. > > What we’re talking about here is the non-standard, non-official everyday systems of weights and measures, which is far removed from scientific standards, definitions, and precisions. Aw, quit ruining all my fun! 😉 Read the post I was responding to, too: **fumster** was making the mistake, intentional or not, of thinking that the ounce must be a measure of weight because, technically, that’s what scales measure. **fumster** ’s mistake was thinking that this could be used to boost metric over customary because weight varies with location due to local gravitational conditions, which explains all of the people moving to high mountaintops to lose weight, and why Jenny Craig has built a lamasery in the most clichéd region of Tibet. Deadpan comedy is the only response to such ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/45 "2013-05-31T16:04:03Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I don’t know how young / old you are, but you may be too young to remember the U.S.'s failed attempt to get people to switch to the metric system in the 1970s. Child of the 70s here too. I remember that. Good times, some of the happiest days of our lives, but some of the worst. I also remember one horrible curmudgeon. Bastard was one of ‘those’ teachers, one of the ones who rejected the metric system and all change–and took it out on us kids. Constantly looking to heap derision on us or exposing any weakness to the other kids. He was constantly trying to find ways to hurt us any way that he could. Sorry to sidetrack, but Septimus’ post really brought the memory back: : > [@septimus](#): > > Not so hard if you break it down. 5½ yards to a rod, 4 rods to a chain, 10 chains to a furlong, 8 furlongs to a mile. I can still hear that horrible schoolmaster, with his “_An acre is the area of a rectangle whose length is one furlong and whose width is one chain_” ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/46 "2013-05-31T16:04:55Z")
it’s to confuse ferners and hopefully keep them at bay. in science, technical and trade both systems will be used; maybe metric exclusively. in dual system countries or recently (within a half century) transitioned people will use the system that gives a convenient range. people dislike fractions and decimals (in spite of the monetary system using it easily) and huge or small numbers. the english system gives fractional units so you can have whole numbers of a couple units. metric requires the use of a decimal quantity. people don’t like having quantities get huge. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/47 "2013-05-31T16:06:08Z")
Americans Against Metric, how many pennies in a dollar? How many nickels? How many dimes? How many quarters? How many 10-dollar bills make 100? How many 100s make 1,000? Many of you may remember the U.K.'s pre-decimal, base-12 currency. Who in the U.S. didn’t think that was crazy? If metric is so awful, why doesn’t the U.S. use base-12 money? Because it would be as crazy as having to remember 5,280 feet make a mile and two pints make a quart and four quarts make a gallon. Come to that, U.S. liquid measures, from ounces to barrels, have always shortchanged Americans anyway. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/48 "2013-05-31T16:06:37Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > I suspect a whoosh. Gold is measured in [troy ounces](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_weight), which are almost 10% heavier than avoirdupois ounces. Yes, but the question was a pound: one pound troy is twelve troy ounces. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/49 "2013-05-31T16:11:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 1: You have a rectangular fish tank, and you want to know its volume. OK, so you get out your yardstick, and measure its length, width, and height, and multiply them. But that’s its volume in cubic inches-- How many gallons is that? > > 2: You have a recipe for cookies or brownies or something that you really like. A lot of the ingredients are measured in teaspoons or tablespoons. But that’s only for a single batch. There’s a bake sale coming up, and you want to make a whole bunch of batches. It’s too inconvenient to measure out all of those things in tablespoons, so you want to measure using cups instead. How many tablespoons are in a cup? > > 3: You’re training for a marathon by running on the track at your local gym. The track is 200 yards long. How many laps around the track do you need for a mile? > > 4: You’re interested in buying a vacant lot. You know how many feet long and wide the lot is. What is that in acres? > > 5: (bonus question) You go to Ireland and stay in a bed and breakfast. They serve a really good bread at breakfast, and you ask for the recipe. The recipe is measured in quarts, teaspoons, and tablespoons. What is that in quarts, teaspoons, and tablespoons? (this one actually happened to me) 1. a gallon is 231 cubic inches 2. 16 3. about 9 4. an acre is 4840 yards squared 5. um, the exact same amount? I know these offhand. Granted, knowledge of acres and cubic inches in gallons is probably not typical, but I’m pretty sure most people know there are 16 tbsp in a cup, which is the one that most likely for most people to encounter. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/50 "2013-05-31T16:12:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 1: You have a rectangular fish tank, and you want to know its volume. OK, so you get out your yardstick, and measure its length, width, and height, and multiply them. But that’s its volume in cubic inches-- How many gallons is that? Imperial gallons or U.S. gallons? > [@](#): > > 2: It’s too inconvenient to measure out all of those things in tablespoons, so you want to measure using cups instead. How many tablespoons are in a cup? Imperial tablespoons and cups or U.S. tablespoons and cups? > [@DCnDC](#): > > 1. a gallon is 231 cubic inches Imperial gallon or U.S. gallon? ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/51 "2013-05-31T16:12:51Z")
Yah, ask some Canadians about the conversion to metric sometime. It helps that basically, a majority government is a 5-year dictatorship in a parliamentary country. Trudeau could pass the laws and all had to obey, or feel the full wrath of big brother. For cheese, or meat, or other groceries: the same laws used to ensure that scales in retail stores were accurate (for consumer protection) now were used to force grocers etc. to replace their scales with metric ones. When the law was being passed, the argument was “that won’t cost much, just paste a new number scale over top the pounds.” Oddly enough, nobody who made scales were interested in changing the numbers on an existing scale when they could sell you a brand new one. Gas pumps also had to be metric to comply with consumer laws. The famous “Gimli Glider”, a 757 (?) made a dead stick landing half way across Canada when it ran out of gas because someone made a mistake converting litres to gallons when deciding how much gas to put in. The sign outside Sault Ste Marie said “120 miles to Wawa, or 200 Goose Steps” (with a picture of a Canada Goose). Soda cans were (are) 288ml or 280ml rather than 10 oz. because that was simpler than changing all the can vending machines, but most items are measured in round metric now unless they are imported from the USA and relabelled. After subsequent governments relaxed on the rules, a lot of groceries are advertised in pounds today (that’s allowed now) because they seem cheaper, but the checkout receipt and the fine print still say metric. Of course, some things, like 4x8 plywood, 2x4 lumber, etc. don’t change because it’s impossible to change the construction market, and unnecessary to carry 2 different sizes. Land was surveyed in pioneer times in Acres and that didn’t really change. Houses are advertised in square feet, just like the USA. Medical applications, science, etc. have been using metric for ages. Meanwhile, of course, most North American mechanics already have metric tools, even in the USA, because so many vehicles come from Japan or Europe (or Korea now) and use metric. When Chrysler uses Mitsubishi parts, do you think they make a Japanese factory learn British units or does Chrysler adapt? And also, there are Troy and Avoirdupois (weight) ounces, and British and American fluid ounces… 4 different ounces. Canada used to use mpg with British gallons, which soundd good because the gallon was bigger; now we see ads with L/100km. Converting mileage was easy - multiply by 6, divide by 10. Technically 100km was 62.5mi not 60, but when you’re driving for 4 hours, who cares about 10 miles plus or minus? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/52 "2013-05-31T16:13:58Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > I suspect a whoosh. Gold is measured in [troy ounces](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_weight), which are almost 10% heavier than avoirdupois ounces. 12 troy ounces per troy pound. 16 avoirdupois ounces per avoirdupois pound. (Admittedly the troy pound measure may be obsolescent except for gold dealers deliberately confusing their customers. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/53 "2013-05-31T16:14:28Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > I suspect a whoosh. Gold is measured in [troy ounces](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_weight), which are almost 10% heavier than avoirdupois ounces. Yes, it is. And under the troy system, a pound is 12 ounces, not 16. > [@](#): > > Precious metals such as gold are measured in troy weight. A troy pound is 12 troy ounces, and each troy ounce is 480 grains, making a total of 5760 grains to the pound of gold. > > Most materials use pounds and ounces from the avoirdupois system, and such a standard pound is made up of 16 ounces, where each ounce is 437.5 grains, making a total of 7000 grains to the pound of feathers. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/54 "2013-05-31T16:22:22Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Yah, ask some Canadians about the conversion to metric sometime. > It helps that basically, a majority government is a 5-year dictatorship in a parliamentary country. Trudeau could pass the laws and all had to obey, or feel the full wrath of big brother. :rolleyes: Of course, some things, like 4x8 plywood, 2x4 lumber, etc. don’t change because it’s impossible to change the construction market. . . . [/quote] Not impossible. 2X4s hadn’t been 2X4s long before metrication. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/55 "2013-05-31T16:24:31Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Imperial gallon or U.S. gallon? I’m in the US so I use US gallons, or, as I like to call them, FREEDOM gallons. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/56 "2013-05-31T16:27:32Z")
> [@Anonymous User](#): > > Metric is much more intuitive and used by pretty much the whole world except the United States. > > What makes more sense or at least seems more intuitive (rhetorical question)? 0°C and 100°C being the freezing and boiling points or 32°F and 212°F? What do you mean by “intuitive”? What makes one system of measurement more intuitive than another? As others have said, it has a lot to do with what you’re used to. But it also has to do with what units are easy to imagine or visualize, and yield convenient numbers when you measure the kinds of things you want to measure with them, ideally relatively small whole multiples of the unit itself. That’s why we don’t give the outdoor temperature in Kelvin, or why, if you wanted to know how far someplace was to walk or drive to, you might give the distance in miles or kilometers, but not in inches or centimeters or light years. By that standard, it may, arguably, be more intuitive to measure outdoor temperature in Fahrenheit rather than Celsius, or to measure how tall someone is in feet rather than meters. “Five feet tall” and “six feet tall” are easily visualizable benchmarks, more so than any nice, whole number of meters. It’s also why we had so many more old units of measurement that have fallen out of use, like furlongs and ells and roods and leagues and pecks: because, when they were in common use, they were convenient for measuring the kinds of things they were used to measure. > [@](#): > > So why was it established in the first place Why it was established: you can look up the history, but it sort of evolved naturally, and is older than the metric system, which is a more artificial, “invented” system (sort of like Esperanto). > [@drewtwo99](#): > > I remember trying to explain this to my grandpa and he just couldn’t get it. > > I was telling him, “In the american system, it’s difficult to convert between smaller and larger units. For example, off the top of your head, how many feet are in 3.5 miles? Well in the metric system, I could easily tell you that there are 3500 meters in 3.5 kilometers. It’s a huge advantage.” Okay, I’ll bite: when would you need to know how many meters are in 3.5 kilometers? And the whole “being able to convert between smaller and larger units” thing strikes me as less compelling nowadays, when just about everyone’s within easy reach of a calculator or computer or smartphone that can easily do the conversion no matter what unit you have to multiply by. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/57 "2013-05-31T16:30:15Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Aw, quit ruining all my fun! 😉 So much error, so hard to keep straight. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/58 "2013-05-31T16:40:29Z")
I once lived in a place where it got down to -40. the question is everyone would ask is … is that Celcius or Farenheit? Do you care? I’ve been exposed to Celcius temperatures (in Canada) and I grew up in Farenheit, so I understand temperatures in both systems instinctively even though I have to think to convert - unless we get into higher temperatures we don’t usually get in Canada. It does not matter. 45 degrees in Luxor, Egypt or 43 in Death Valley (according to my car) is what is known as “really f\*\*\*ing hot”. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/59 "2013-05-31T16:42:10Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Okay, I’ll bite: when would you need to know how many meters are in 3.5 kilometers? Perhaps I am a physicist with a habit of measuring speed in meters/sec? ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784/60 "2013-05-31T16:53:30Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Don’t use the in-board search, it sucks. Search using Google. These are from just the first two pages of results (omitting duplicates and non-relevant threads): > > [Use of non metric units in the US for scientific purposes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=649354) > > [Why we need the metric system](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=578651) > > [The USA and the metric system](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=174391) > > [The Metric System in the US of A](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=63956) > > [Metric system in the US… what happened?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=194679) > > [The metric system](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=1672) > > [Metric System](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=334935) > > [Metric vs \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=78521) > [@voltaire](#): > > LOL! Yeah, no. > > Before stating it so conclusively, did you really not consider the possibility that your search might have been flawed? And if you used the board’s search function, that possibility becomes probability. I mean, just a passing familiarity with this board’s nature should be enough to realize that this topic had to have been discussed ad nauseam. I stand corrected. I did search using Google, but incorrectly. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > What do you mean by “intuitive”? What makes one system of measurement more intuitive than another? This: > [@Chronos](#): > > OK, that would be a great argument for keeping metric. What’s your argument for instead keeping a system that most people _don’t_ understand? > > For those who don’t think conversions actually come up that often, I can give a few examples: > > 1: You have a rectangular fish tank, and you want to know its volume. OK, so you get out your yardstick, and measure its length, width, and height, and multiply them. But that’s its volume in cubic inches-- How many gallons is that? > > 2: You have a recipe for cookies or brownies or something that you really like. A lot of the ingredients are measured in teaspoons or tablespoons. But that’s only for a single batch. There’s a bake sale coming up, and you want to make a whole bunch of batches. It’s too inconvenient to measure out all of those things in tablespoons, so you want to measure using cups instead. How many tablespoons are in a cup? > > 3: You’re training for a marathon by running on the track at your local gym. The track is 200 yards long. How many laps around the track do you need for a mile? > > 4: You’re interested in buying a vacant lot. You know how many feet long and wide the lot is. What is that in acres? > > 5: (bonus question) You go to Ireland and stay in a bed and breakfast. They serve a really good bread at breakfast, and you ask for the recipe. The recipe is measured in quarts, teaspoons, and tablespoons. What is that in quarts, teaspoons, and tablespoons? (this one actually happened to me) > > Can anyone in this thread who’s a fan of the American system answer all of these questions? Better yet, can you answer them without a calculator? Because if we were using the metric system, most people would be able to answer all of the equivalent questions, in their head. Basically, what I mean by “intuitive” is easy to remember certain values (like freezing and boiling points) and conversion factors or easy to convert within a system of measurement. I am sure quite a few people like **DCnDC** can indeed even answer these questions without a calculator, but wouldn’t it be much more efficient if all you were dealing with was factors of ten, rather than having to memorize so many different conversion factors? > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > That’s why we don’t give the outdoor temperature in Kelvin, or why, if you wanted to know how far someplace was to walk or drive to, you might give the distance in miles or kilometers, but not in inches or centimeters or light years. While I think Kelvin would be best and “kick-ass” because it defines absolute zero most intuitively, for our purposes, I think Celcius is better than Fahrenheit because it defines freezing and boiling points most intuitively. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > And the whole “being able to convert between smaller and larger units” thing strikes me as less compelling nowadays, when just about everyone’s within easy reach of a calculator or computer or smartphone that can easily do the conversion no matter what unit you have to multiply by. But do I really want to take out my Galaxy Nexus just to do a conversion which I could have done much more easily in my head if only we were using the more intuitive measurement system? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-us-customary-system-of-measurement/659784.md?page=4)