The Student Room Group

Metric or Imperial - which do you use?

Poll

Do use metric or imperial measurements?

Do you use Metric or Imperial measurements for:

Height (m or ft)

Weight (kg or st and lb)

Distance (km or mi)

You can select both in the poll if you wish to say both.
(edited 7 years ago)

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Where is the option for both?

Height (m)

Weight (kg )

Distance (km)



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(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by DiddyDec
Where is the option for both?


You can select both in the poll.
Original post by Fractite
You can select both in the poll.


That will skew the poll as the question is an either or. Where as the answer is not that simple.
Reply 5
Original post by DiddyDec
That will skew the poll as the question is an either or. Where as the answer is not that simple.


Yeah, that's a good point.
Didn't consider that...
Reply 6
Metric is just easier to understand
Reply 7
I prefer pints over litres.

Litres always get me too drunk.

And feet over metres as being 6 feet tall just sounds sexier.

And inches over centimetres as most women don't seem to know what 19 centimetres looks like
Original post by Fractite
Yeah, that's a good point.
Didn't consider that...


Everyone in the UK pretty much has to use both anyway because of the antiquated system we have in place.
Probably mostly Imperial/avdp. - I use stones for people's weight, miles for long distance, and feet for height. I use whatever is more convenient for cooking - I find sometimes that numbers are more likely to be rounded up if they're in the old system, especially for liquid measures.
Original post by ForestShadow





We don't use a completely metric system, in fact it is a mixture of the 2.
Original post by DiddyDec
We don't use a completely metric system, in fact it is a mixture of the 2.


Since 1995, goods sold in Europe have had to be weighed or measured in metric, but the UK was temporarily allowed to continue using the imperial system. This opt-out was due to expire in 2009, with only pints of beer, milk and cider and miles and supposed to survive beyond the cut-off.
Original post by ForestShadow
Since 1995, goods sold in Europe have had to be weighed or measured in metric, but the UK was temporarily allowed to continue using the imperial system. This opt-out was due to expire in 2009, with only pints of beer, milk and cider and miles and supposed to survive beyond the cut-off.


What goods are sold in and what is use are two different things. We measure distance in miles, and so many other things.
Original post by DiddyDec
What goods are sold in and what is use are two different things. We measure distance in miles, and so many other things.


Original post by Fractite
Do you use Metric or Imperial measurements for:

Height (m or ft)

Distance (km or mi)

You can select both in the poll if you wish to say both.

What about magnetic field strength etc.?

I study physics, so use primarily metric with other units(eg. Parsecs) where appropriate.


Weight (kg or st and lb)

Weight cannot be measured in kg. Consider the dimensions of weight given by the definition of force: [W]=[F]=[d(mv)dt]=[mvt]=MLT2[W] = [ F] = \left[\dfrac{\mathrm{d}(mv)}{\mathrm{d}t}\right] = \left[\dfrac{mv}{t}\right] = MLT^{-2}. LT2LT^{-2} is not dimensionless, so you can't use kg as a unit of weight.
Original post by ForestShadow

Height (m)

Weight (kg )

Distance (km)


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At least spell litre correctly.
Original post by morgan8002

Weight cannot be measured in kg. Consider the dimensions of weight given by the definition of force: [W]=[F]=[d(mv)dt]=[mvt]=MLT2[W] = [ F] = \left[\dfrac{\mathrm{d}(mv)}{\mathrm{d}t}\right] = \left[\dfrac{mv}{t}\right] = MLT^{-2}. LT2LT^{-2} is not dimensionless, so you can't use kg as a unit of weight.


Makes perfect sense...
Metric. Reading recipes from American sites that refuse to put millilitres or grams next to their ridiculous measurement system irritates me no end.

The only time I use imperial is when ordering 568.26 ml of whatever beverage at a bar.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Pro Crastination
Metric. Reading recipes from American sites that refuse to put millilitres or grams next to their ridiculous measurement system irritates me no end.

The only time I use imperial is when ordering 568.26 ml of whatever beverage at a bar.


How do you measure distance? Do you convert road signs into km?

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