What is the Reason Behind Americans Use Imperial instead of Metric System?

If you know Chinese history, you probably heard the first emperor of Qin standardized China’s systems of weights and measures. 

However, the Chinese are the exception in the world. The misunderstanding produced by imperial and metric systems is still troubling the entire world.

This article will explain these two systems and how they mix the manufacturing field into a total breakfast.

Understanding Metric and Imperial Units

What is the metric Unit of Measurement?

The metric system of measurement was first introduced in France in the late 18th century. Yes, the establishment of metrics was also one of the historical contributions of the French Revolution.

It is a system based on units of measurement that are multiples or fractions of 10. This makes it easy to convert between different units.

The majority of countries around the world use the metric system. So you can call it an international system of units as well.

This system is also the standard in fields such as science, medicine, and industry.

The metric system uses base units. Like the table below:

These base units can be combined to create derived units for other measurements, such as the liter for volume and the newton for force.

What is the Imperial Measurement Unit?

The Imperial system is a system of measurement that was once widely used in the United Kingdom and other countries within the British Empire.

According to the British, the system came from the Roman Empire. However, many people regard it as a kind of UK or US customary system.

The system includes many different units and prefixes like the table below:

Today, most countries have adopted the metric system for their simplicity and consistency. The United Kingdom, as the creator of this British Imperial System, has abandoned most of them since the 1950s.

There are three countries still using the imperial system: the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar.

We’ll discuss the USA(You can regard Liberia as a Ctri+V version of America) later.

Myanmar is more complicated. This nation is not yet fully unified.

Differences between One System to Another

Both measuring systems are commonly used around the world.

One key difference between the two measurement systems is the units they use.

In Metrics, units such as meters, grams, and liters are used to measure length, weight, and volume. On the other hand, the Imperial describes height in feet and inches, and mass in pounds and ounces.

Another difference between the two systems is the scale at which they are based.

The Metrics are based on powers of ten and decimal systems, making conversions between units relatively easy. The Imperial, however, is based on more arbitrary units that can make conversions more challenging.

Common Conversion Factors and Methods

One common method is to use conversion tables that list equivalent values for different units of measurement. For example:

1 inch =  2.54 centimeters

1 foot = 0.3048 meters

1 mile = 1.60934 kilometers.

Another method is to use conversion formulas, tools, and calculators to deal with numbers that need to be converted.

For example, converting Fahrenheit to Celsius by subtracting 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature and multiplying by 5/9.

In mathematics, Imperial measures can easily do metric conversion.

But… the devil hides in the details.

Why don’t Americans Switch to the Metric Measurement System?

As is known to all, America is the only country that always uses the imperial system. But why don’t they use metrics? What has stopped them switch to metric?

Instances where Imperial Units are Still Preferred

While metrics are widely used in manufacturing, there are still instances where imperial is preferred.

Construcion: The construction industry in the United States often uses inches and feet for measurements due to historical practices and regulations.

Aerospace: Some aero companies may still use Imperial for specific applications.

Tape: In tape measures, some people also find imperial more intuitive than metrics, especially in smaller units.

Historical Reasons for Stopping the U.S from Metrication

Poor Jimmy Carter

One of the main reasons why Americans don’t use the Metric is due to historical background. Jimmy Carter initially attempted to transition to the metric system in his presidential term.

The idea itself is good. But Jimmy Carter served as US president for just one term.

George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and other politicians were not in favor of carrying on with this strategy.

The US is Not the UK

What’s even more concerning is that the US employs a unique imperial with some of the values modified by customary units.

Academics usually describe it as a new system called ‘The American Imperial’. Here are two examples:

Other Issues for U.S Go Metric System

Costs

Changes in weights and measures come with huge costs.

The cost of transitioning to the metric includes retooling manufacturing processes and re-educating the workforce.  It has been a major deterrent for many businesses and organizations in the US.

To make matters scarier, you will need to make revisions to all of your computer data, textbooks, documents, and other materials. This is a cost that cannot be disregarded, not even by the superpower of the globe.

Changing Mindsets

If you want to embrace metrics, you need to accept grams for weight, liters for volume, and meters for units of length. This can require a significant shift in thinking and can be confusing at first.

Additionally, the conversion factors between metric and imperial can be difficult to remember, leading to conversion errors.

We also need to realize that imperialism is the most common measurement tool in the United States.

Many people grew up studying the imperial and schools taught metric rarely. No need to mention most Americans work in an imperial system environment for their entire lives.

All this makes Americans unable to adopt metrics(at least by that time).

Shall Americans continue using Imperial Units of Measure?

Not at all! The use of imperial measurement has brought on many serious mishaps.

Flight 143

During a flight in 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 ran out of fuel. Captain Pearson, fortunately, was a skilled glider pilot. He performed a daring side-slip landing on the fuel-starved aircraft.

Later on, it was discovered that the fueling staff had filled the jet with pounds rather than kilos.

1 Pound = 0.45 KG

The plane was not even half-fueled.

Shanghai Air Crash

In 1999, a Korean Air aircraft departed from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport in China.

Air traffic management instructed the pilot to lift the plane to 1,500 meters after takeoff.  The pilot, however, mistook his request for 1,500 feet.

The jet was at 5,000 feet, or roughly 127 meters at that time.

And the pilot reduced the plane’s altitude…

Mars Climate Explorer

The Mars Climate Explorer launched toward Mars in 1998. It made it into the Martian orbit with success. Nevertheless, it burned up as it entered the Martian atmosphere on September 23, 1999.

The explanation was ridiculous. NASA had made the full conversion to metric after the Apollo program. However, Lockheed, the company that made the probe, insisted on measuring and developing components in imperial measurements.

The problem is that Lockheed’s thrusters produce pound/s, but NASA measures thrust in Newton/s.

And the former is equivalent to three times the latter’s real worth…

Conclusion

In conclusion, both sets of units have their historical background and both units are used by many countries in the world. However, the simultaneous use of various units caused tons of problems.

This world does need another first emperor of Qin.

Can XMAKE handle these Two Systems of Units?

Yes, we can. XMAKE is a leading digital manufacturing platform. We have a group of professionals, hard workers, and experts in engineering. They can skillfully handle either metric or imperial.

FAQS

Q1: How do CNC machines interact with the imperial and metric systems?

A: CNC machines can be programmed to work with both Units depending on the requirements of the project. The choice between the two systems often comes down to the origin of the machine and the preferences of the user.

Q2: What is the role of the Metric Association in promoting the use of metric units in manufacturing?

A: The Metric Association plays a key role in advocating for the adoption of the Metric System in different sectors, including manufacturing. Their efforts help standardize measurements and promote efficiency in industrial processes.

Q3: What are the advantages of using the SI system in manufacturing?

A: The International System of Units (SI) provides a coherent system of units that simplifies measurement processes in manufacturing. SI units are based on fundamental constants of nature and are widely used in scientific and industrial applications.

Q4: How do Metric and Imperial measures differ in terms of the placement of the decimal point?

A: In the Metric System, the decimal point is used to indicate smaller units of measurement, such as centimeters or millimeters. In Imperial Units, fractions are commonly used instead of decimal points to represent smaller increments.

References

1. Why has the United States always used imperial units of measure? (n.d.). https://wenhui.whb.cn/zhuzhanapp/tj/20191113/302659.html?tm=134250000
2. Common metric/imperial unit conversions|Fabric Knowledge Wikipedia|. (n.d.). http://www.gdfmkj.com/mArticle/changyonggongyingzhi_1.html
3. How blind is the “American unit” commonly used in the United States? It’s driving Chinese students crazy. (n.d.). https://m.thepaper.cn/baijiahao_4718706