The Metric System
[[ Orginally derived from by Anthony Carpi,=
Ph.D.
( edited by Miss Lugerner) ]] <=
span
style=3D'font-weight:normal'>http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_v=
iewer.php?mid=3D47
By the eighteenth
century, dozens of different units of measurement were co=
mmonly
used throughout the world. Length, for example, could be measured in feet,
inches, miles, spans, cubits, and many more. The lack of common standards l=
ed
to a lot of confusion and significant problems in trade between countries.
Countries were confused with each other and couldn’t get a clear
understanding of what each other was asking for in order to complete the tr=
ade.
At the end of the
century, the French government sought to improve this problem by creatin=
g a system of
measurement that could be used throughout the world.
In 1790, the French
National Assembly commissioned the Academy of Science to design a simple
decimal-based system of units; the system they devised is known as t=
he metric
system. This system of measurement revolves around the number 10 in most ca=
ses.
An example of the me=
tric
system measurement is ( 1 meter =3D 100
centimeters, 10 grams =3D 100 decigrams, 23 kilometers =3D 23000 mete=
rs. )
The METRIC system do=
es
NOT use random, non sequential numbers such as the English System. Examples
of the English System measurement are (1 pound =3D 16 oz, 1 foot =3D 12 inches, 1 mile =3D 5,280 fe=
et)
In 1960, the
metric system was officially named the Système<=
/span>
International d'Unités (or SI for sh=
ort)
and is now used in nearly every country in the world except the United Stat=
es and the two smaller countries of Burma
(Myanmar)and Liberia. The
metric system is almost always used in scientific measurement.
The metric system stems from the fact t=
hat
there is only one unit of
measurement (or base unit) for each type of quantity measured. Types of
measurement include length, mass, volume, or temperature=
.
The three m=
ost
common base units in the metric system are the meter, gram, and liter. =
So
length, for example, is always measured in meters in the metric system;
regardless of whether you are measuring the length of your finger or the le=
ngth
of the Nile River, you use the meter.
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","=
sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black'>Blog Question 1: Taking the above information into
While completi=
ng
the Scavenger Hunt around your house you need to look for items that have t=
he
following suffixes - Celsius (C), milliliter (mL=
),
liter (L), gram (g), milligram (mg), centimeter (cm), millimeter (mm), meter
(m) kilogram (kg). Make a list of the ten items. Give the name of the
item and the measurement if there is one.
You DO NOT WAN=
T to
use items that have ounce (oz), pound (lb), inch (in), pint, quart (qu), gallon (gal), yard (y), mile=
(mi). THESE ARE ENGLISH SYSTEM.....
Blog Question 2: &n=
bsp;
-- Do you think the
United States should convert to the metric system (System International)?
WHY OR WHY NOT? Support your answer with at least 3 facts.
1. The
metric system is very easy because everything is divided into ten. If we had
switched to the metric system much earlier in time, it would have been a go=
od
idea. However, if we tried to switch over at this point in time, I think it
would not be successful, since that was the result of an earlier attempt at
conversation in 1970’s. To
convert everything to the metric system would also be very expensive, since
everything would have to be refitted to the metric system. Older people who have lived =
with
your system their entire life would find it very troublesome.
2. I do not think that
the United States should convert to the metric system. First of all, so many
people in the U.S. already mastered the English System. And it would prabably hard to convert so many people to the metric
system. Second of all, it would take months to convert all of our machines,=
our
textbooks, and our computers to the metric system. We would lose money and
time. Lastly, I think that we should not learn the metric system because Am=
erica
deserves to create its own system and is to high class to copy other countr=
ies.
I am not saying that America is more important than every other country but
that it should be more one of a kind and unique.
3. grams: 1. Pond's =
cold
cream 99g, 2. Vaseline 106g, 3. lip smacker lipbalm
4.0 g
ML: 4. Johnson's hand cream 59ml, 5. fragrance
mist 125ml, 6. white out 20 ml
meters<=
b>: 7. wire 99=
.44
m. ,
liters<=
b>: 8. poland spring water bottle .5l, 9. pepsi bottle 2l, 10.tropicana orange juice 2.63 =
l
question #2: i think that the United States should not convert to =
system
internatinal because it seems to be workin=
g out
fine for us. why should we change the sytem when it is already working out okay. All o=
f the
products in stores already have the measurement on it. i think that it wouldn't be nessary
to change all the mesurements &n=
bsp;on
the products because we converted to a new system. Also, all the students in
schools would have to learn the new system. if y=
ou
already learned the metric system i think =
that
we shouldn't learn a whole other system. this is=
my opion on if the united states should convert to the <=
span
class=3DSpellE>internatinal syatem or no=
t
4. No, I don't think that the United States should
convert to the metric system. I don't think this because we can measure
everything fine without it, we won't have to change all the labels on produ=
cts
to grams and liters, and the scales to weigh the product will have less
numbers. I personally don't see why there are grams and pounds and all those
other measurments if we could just use one thin=
g. It
doesn't make a difference in the weight, only in the numbers. But it will s=
afe
us a lot of money if we stay with the pounds and ounces because we wont nee=
d to
change the labels to grams.
5. I
think that the United States should convert to the metric system because, o=
ur
system isnt as accurate as the metric system. A=
lso
the metric system gives you exact measurements instead of a "based&quo=
t;
measurement from the system we use now. Adopting the new metris
system might take some time to get used to but if worse comes to worse we
always have the old system of measurement. Lastly products wont
have to have 2 different measurements for each amount or weight. So we will
save ink and will know the metric system perfectly if you are ever out of t=
he
country either. Finally i think that the metric
system should be converted to the main way of measurement. :)
6. I
think the metric system would benifit us a lot =
becauase of many reasons. The first reason,
is that we need to have this because it is easier to count by ten=
s.
The second reason that we should have this is beca=
use,
children will have an easier time learning it and will know it by
heart when they are in the 6th or 7th grade. My last reason for thinki=
ng
this is that we could be like the rest of the world instead of being differ=
ent.
This would help the United States of America because we could share the
same method of measurement like the other countries use. The Unit=
ed
States could save money by not having to double label products that are
imported from other countries that use the metric system. Lastly,=
the
children of the future that will be born may have an easier
time compeating for jobs in other countrie=
s.
7. since
we r a free country we can use any system we want. I think wee should be
8. I
think the U.S should change to the meteric syst=
em but
it is too late to change. People in America are very lazy and changing
now would just cause confusion. Sure eventaully<=
/span>
everyone will learn it but that may take generations to happen. Also =
it
would confuse kids like first graders who just learned feet and inches in <=
span
class=3DSpellE>kindergarden and then would have to learn measurements
again. Also this would worsen America fincally
because they would have to change ALL of the roads signs, all of the maps, =
and
all of the new cars to read kilometers.
9. #2.
I believe that the United States should convert to the metric sys=
tem.
I believe this, because the metric system doesn't use random
numbers like us, the English System. The Metric System uses numbers th=
at
relate and make sense. We Americans take random numbers, that don't even re=
late
or make sense at all. Another reason is that the Metric System is used in
almost every country in the world except the United States, and two
smaller countries! So basically everyone in the world uses it except 3
countries. If everyone uses the Metric System then that makes it hard =
for
us to trade with other people around the world. Also you don’t have to
change the unit of measurement when you are measuring length, because it wi=
ll
always be in meters. It doesn’t matter if you are measuring the lengt=
h of
your index finger or the length of a river, it will always be in meters. I
think that is convenient. That is why I think we should convert to the Metr=
ic
System.
10. =
&nb=
sp;
I think that the United States should swich to the metric system. If you were to drive out =
of the
county you woud have to look at the km instead =
of mph
and you might forget about the switch and go faster or slower than the requ=
ired
speed limit. The opposite is also the same. Also the rest of the world is <=
span
class=3DSpellE>usuing it so it means that the U.S is in a way cut of=
f from
the rest of the world. The metric system can also be easier to learn becaus=
e it
doesn't use random numbers. If the U.S converts to the metric system you
wouldn't have to do a series of math equasions =
to
convert to the metric system when going to other countries.
11. =
&nb=
sp;
*** I think United States should conve=
rt to
the metric system.We are one of only 3 countrie=
s that
use English measurement.Converting to metric wi=
ll be
easier for the whole world to export and transport goo=
ds.Richard
Nixon,the 37th president,v=
owed
that he would convert the United States to the metric system prior to leavi=
ng office.He was impeached and never got to inputting the
metric system into the U.S. public.Now we are o=
n our
44th president and this dominant system still hasn't been fully introduced =
to
the U.S. public.That is why i
think the United States should convert to the metric system.
12. =
&nb=
sp;