Why is the metric system more commonly used over the English system?
The metric system is a consistent and coherent system of units. In other words, it fits together very well and calculations are easy because it is decimal. This is a big advantage for use in the home, education, industry and science.
The metric system is preferred because it is broken down into smaller measurements. Also the metric system is based on the number 10, so it is easier for us, and scientists, to use.
The metric system of measurements is easy to use largely because it is based on a base 10 number system. This means that unit conversions in the metric system are always done by multiplying or dividing by powers of 10.
The basis of the argument is that while the metric system of units is based on scientific constants, the imperial system is based on the size of everyday items. From Real Clear Science: While the metric units' association with physical constants makes them accurate, it makes them less practical for common use.
No conversions.
The greatest advantage of SI is that it has only one unit for each quantity (type of measurement). This means that it is never necessary to convert from one unit to another (within the system) and there are no conversion factors for students to memorize.
The metric system, by contrast, was intentionally created with ease and simplicity in mind. And as a result, it's incredibly efficient to use. All you need to do is multiply or divide by some factor of ten. 10 millimeters in a centimeter, 100 centimeters in a meter, 1,000 meters in a kilometer.
Another difference between imperial and metric units is where they are commonly used. In the United States, imperial units are used for most everyday purposes, whereas almost everywhere else in the world, metric system units are more common.
Because metric units are decimal-based, they are easily converted by moving the decimal point. A)The English system uses one unit for each category of measurement. The metric system uses one unit for each category of measurement. The English system uses consistent fractions that are multiples of 10.
Areas in the metric system are given is square meters while larger measurements are given in hectares. Volumes in the English system are typically given in cubic feet or cubic yards. For larger volumes, such as the quantity of water in a reservoir, the acre-foot unit is used.
The main difference between metric and imperial systems is that the metric is based on units of 10, 100, 1000, 1/10, 1/100, 1/1000. Imperial measurements were initially based on 1/2s, 1/4s, 1/8s, though there are many outliers like 12 inches in a foot.
What are the disadvantages of using the English system of measurement?
The primary disadvantage of the English system of measurement is converting from one unit to another. It's not easy to go from feet to miles, pounds to ounces, or gallons to pints. A common example is trying to remember that a square mile is 640 acres.
The metric system allows for easy conversions and it's used in every country other than the United States so it's consistent worldwide. However, it's not always easy to use with fractions -- and if you're American, it's another system you'll need to learn.
1. The metric units are accurate whereas the traditional units were not uniform. 2. The metric system is accepted globally whereas the traditional units had different values at different places.
For example, the imperial system uses feet, inches, and miles to describe distances, while the metric system uses meters, centimeters, and kilometers instead.
Congress included new encouragement for U.S. industrial metrication in the Omnibus Foreign Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. This legislation amended the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 and designated the metric system as "the Preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce".
Although the household measurement system is used in homes, it is the least precise and exact of all the measurement systems. For this reason, the household measurement system is rarely used in our health care facilities but it is sometimes used for prescription that will be taken in the home after hospitalization.
Difficult to Use With Fractions
The only major disadvantage in using the metric system is that it's not well-suited for working with fractions.
However, this belief is incorrect. In truth, every country in the world uses the metric system to some extent. However, a few countries, including not only the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar, but also Canada, and the United Kingdom, have not yet converted 100% to metric.
