Most readers of this site are Americans, and for this column, I am primarily talking to Americans. Of course, everybody is welcome to read and enjoy it, but Americans will have the most to think about. I am wondering, as Americans, why aren’t we using the metric system for our measurements and such? I remember when I was a kid in Elementary School, we used to study the metric system, and I remember our teachers telling us that we needed to learn that, because our country would convert to using the metric system in the near future, but it never happened. As a matter of fact, after only a few years of learning the metric system, it even seemed to disappear from our schools. I wonder if it is even taught in American Schools today. Does anybody know?
Funny thing is, for any American who moves abroad to another country, you will almost certainly need to start using the metric system. Did you know that there are only 3 Countries in the world that are not using the metric system? What Countries are they?
- United States
- Myanmar
- Liberia
What great company we are in! Myanmar, formerly Burma is the country that has recently experienced political violence when the Monks rose up and tried to protest peacefully for freedom. A lot of them were killed for that. Liberia often follows what the USA does – it is a country that was founded by freed slaves from the USA back in the 19th Century. Every other country in the world has adopted the Metric System as their system of measurement. Why haven’t we?
Aside from having some very cursory education in the metric system during my younger childhood years, I really had no exposure to the metric system in daily life before moving to the Philippines. When we moved here, it was kind of shocking and kind of a nuisance to suddenly be confronted with things like temperatures in Celsius, weights in Kilograms, highway distances in Kilometers and such! What was this all about? 🙂
But, you know what? After a couple of years of living surrounded by the metric system, I am pretty comfortable with it now. If somebody asks me how far a place is, I would rarely tell them it’s 10 Miles now, I would instead tell them that it’s 15 Kilometers. Whenever I have visitors from abroad in town, you don’t need to ask what country they are from – if they look at you funny when you tell them that it is 25 degrees C today, they are Americans! 🙂
I find some real advantages to using the metric system too! You know, I am a big guy, I weigh 300 pounds. I like the thought better that I weigh 135 Kilos instead! Honestly, though, it is a real advantage to get a grip on the metric system, so that you can converse with people from all over the world without a hitch.
For my fellow Americans, do you realize that the metric system is actually creeping into the USA and has been for years? No? Next time you are at the grocery store and buy a 2 Liter bottle of soda, think about that!
Bob,
About 6-7 years ago, I was in Canada. I realized it was metric there. I know from my childhood Canada was the same as the US. While talking to a Canadian, he told me, when the US stated they were going to change to metric, Canada decided to follow, so they changed and the US gave up on it.
Do you now think in both and can convert easily,or do you think in metric now?
Also, for a future article, I was thinking about driving and cars. License, insurance, and any other things you can include.
As always, keep up the good work and see you soon.
Hi Bob:
This is an interesting topic !
The schools at all levels teach the metric system. It's one thing to learn the conversion and it's another to implement ! What I mean is, if everything is still in english system here in the States, nobody cares about learning how to convert it to SI. (Systems International, metric). One example is the signs on highways—they are still in miles! Boxed and canned goods however show the two units, i.e. NET WT 14.4 oz (408 g).
I think the Phils is somewhat using the "dual" system. hehehe, the old folks, when going to the lumberyard to buy wood boards they'd still use the english units and some lumber yards, too. Even the thickness of plywoods are commonly done in english so I really have to verify the units used. Pipe fittings might be in english yet and of course, Pinoys remain comfortable to use the english system when mentioning height (6 footer 😆 ) and weight. Personally, vital statistics are easy to visualize to when done in english.
Boxed and canned goods show two measurements for export purposes. Manufacturers find it easier to just put both measures on the label. Then they wash their hands off the matter. Roads are not exported. If tourists visit, it’s their job to do as the romans do.
In Singapore we use square feet to measure our real estate and I find it irritating if foreigners expect the locals to adapt and change to their preference. I extend the courtesy to use their measurements when I go to other people’s countries.
Bob,
I have never been to Europe, but I do hear the Brits on television talking about a person, dog, horse weighing so many stones.
So you could feel better Bob by saying you only weigh 21.5 stones. 😛
Perhaps some of the Brits on this list could explain this.
1 stone = 6.35029 kilogram
1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
Anyway my 9 month old puppy weighs about 11 stones.
Seems simple to me.
Dan
Hi, here in the UK we use miles for driving and most of us still use pounds and ounces, those of us as a certain age that is. Good honest measures, that’s what I call them. The metric system is a bit like the French, look at them wrong and you’ll get get black eye! Seriously though, most people in industry use the metric system and lost food is sold in grammes or kilos but that I mainly because we have been told to by the unelected parliament in the EU. We will be soon free of that bureaucracy so hopefully hopefully can revert back to what is right and proper. So, 14 ounces to a pound, 14 pounds to to stone, 100 stone to a hundred weight, or cwt as it is known and 1000 pounds to a good old fashioned ton! Bring it on.
I have come to the point where I am comfortable with either system.
>Anyway my 9 month old puppy weighs about 11 stones
The question is Dan: what size and weight are the stones. Are they medium sized stones, large stones or just ones the size of pebbles? Isn't the english language great! It can cause all sorts of confusion.
My asawa speaks Ilongo as her local dialect …. thats fine until she starts talking to me in tagalog and then I become real confused.
What with double meanings in english and then the swapping of local dialects during talking ….Arghhh!
Hi Bruce – I tend to think in metric now, since that is what is mostly used around me. I can make relative comparisons. I might not know the exact conversion between two different units, but I can make a close guess. Regarding the cars, license, insurance and such, I have actually already posted all of that in the past. I'll go back and look at the articles that I wrote and see if I need to make an update. Thanks for the suggestion.
Hi Jul – You are right, here in the Philippines they use a mix. Mostly metric, but a few things are the old English system. Usually people state their height in feet and inches. For weight, I have always heard people give their weight in Kilos here.
Hi Dan – Yep! I forgot about stones! That is even an older English measure of weight.
Hi Richard – It's not actual stones (like rocks) there is just a measure of weight that is called a "stone". It probably was based on the weight of some rock many hundreds of years ago!
Hi Bob,
Canada started metrification in 1970. We really didn't like it either but had learned it in school. Now, retired and living in Europe I am glad we changed – makes things so much easier, but even after 37 years of SI rule, I still use my hand span of 8" if a ruler is not nearby!
Learning metric is like converting currency, say $US to PHP – at first you have to do it all the time and then you just adjust and only think in one currency.
Yes, I can definitely confirm that metric is still taught in the U.S. In fact, unlike a number of places, students are required to learn both systems (or so the California State Standards for math say).
P.S. And, yes, I remember being told in junior high (1974-1976) that we would be converting any day now.
I'm still waiting.
I find this funny. It's the metric system in Philippines for sure, but a lot of Filipinos won't have a problem understanding height & weight in feet and height. especially height.
We always discuss our height in feet (even job qualification forms have height limits in feet). I could be wrong here, but basketball may be a big reason why we still do it this way. The sport is huge in the country and pro players (local – PBA- and NBA) are stars to the locals. Ask any local their height and they'll say it in feet.
Now, in regards to temperature. This is a personal flaw of mine. I never cared what the daily temperature was in Davao, so I never got a good grasp of the Celsius. It's either "hot" or "very hot". But when I moved to the US, the daily weather forcast became a must to know about. So, I've come to understand the Farenheit.
So now, I'm a mixed bag. Height, weight and temp in the English system. Speed and distance in either km or miles. I see Liters in drinks and Gallons in car fuel. But a nice cold coke is good 'ol 12 oz. wherever I go.
Hi Bob,
There was a move to the metric system in the US in the late 70s if I remember, but it never caught on, I suspect, because there wasn't a compelling enough reason to motivate the vast majority of Americans to switch. I think most Americans just didn't see the cost as worth it. When I went to University to get my Engineering degree, I got a really good dose, however. One interesting relic of that attempt at moving to the metric system still remains, however. On all domestic and foreign cars sold in the US, you will notice the speedometer has two rings of numbers for speed. The outer is in MPH and the inner is in KPH. I think it was to help people with the transition in anticipation of road signs going to metric, but when that didn't happen, it seems nobody bothered to go back.
Hi John – You're right! Learning to get comfortable with the metric system is a lot like learning to use a new currency!
Hi Tom – Good to know! I should have asked you in the first place, since you are kind of the "de facto education guy" for the site! 😆
Hi Macky – You are certainly well rounded!!
Hi RichardinSC – When it comes to big changes like this, a lot of Americans are indeed kind of lazy to make the switch! I always thought that they put the dual speeds on the speedometer in case you drove to Canada or Mexico! But, that was just my guess. 🙄
Canada uses miles for roads, as does Britain.
This article and this website are about life in the Philippines. Who cares what goes on in canada, the united kingdom, or Hong Kong. That has no impact on the article.
Hi Bob- The old system of weights and measures used to fascinate me when I was at school many moons ago.
Example: 16 Ounces = 1Pound, 14 Pounds = 1Stone, 8 Stones = 1 Hundred Weight, 20 Hundred Weights = 1 Ton.
Now the metric equivellent: 1000 Grammes = 1 Kilogramme, 1000 Kilogrammes = 1 Tonne. (2.2 Pounds = 1 Kilogramme).
12 Inches = 1 Foot, 3 Feet = 1 Yard, 1,760 Yards = 1 Mile.
Metric equivallent: 1000 Meters = 1 Kilometers. 1.6 Kilometers = 1 Mile.
No wonder we changed
Hi Jim – Absolutely! The Metric System is so streamlined, clean and easy to understand! It amazes me that the USA hasn't changed over!
Hi Bob
Well, we started the old Imperial system in England way back in medievel times. USA, like many other countries was one of our colonies so thay all adopted the British system. I guess its just a throwback to those old days. Every other ex-colony has now adopted the Metric system except USA, we still in Britain tend to use the 2 systems side by side. Maybe Americans don`t want to finally break their old ties with the colonial master! (:-))
All the best Bob and keep up the good work.
Malcolm
Hi Malcolm – Ha ha ha… you just never know, do you? 😀
The Philippines certainly does still use English/American systems side by side with SI for some things. It's pretty essential to learn to "think" in Metric when dealing with land and liquid measurement, though. Many Americans have a horrible time with lots sizes and house sizes. For a ballpark figure, 100 sq meters is a little over 1,000 square feet. Temperature is easy to get in perspective if you just remember two numbers 28 and 82. 28C is 82F … so if it's much hotter than 28C it's getting pretty warm.
Many don't know that our friend Google provides these sort of answers "on the fly", just type something like "100 sq meters in sq ft" (without the quotation marks) and Google will know what you mean … no need for a separate conversion program.
For real estate, square feet is the preferred usage for many locations all over the world, ESPECIALLY in locations where real estate is expensive. So it is not only used in the US and Canada. Hong Kong and Singapore both use square feet to calculate real estate sales. If I’m not wrong, I read that it’s because square feet gives a more understandable easy to capture figures when you divide it by price footage.
Hi Dave Starr – Hmm… I didn't know about the 28/82 thing! Cool!
Hello again.
@Bob
If you would use the most used pounds in the world, your weight would melt down to only 270 pounds. 1KG=1000 grams /1KG=2 pounds /1 pound=500 grams and not like the US pound with 454 grams. Think about it. If you would come from Europe like me or also from China and used a north american scale – you get first a shock – after that you starting thinking and figure out, that here a pound is only 454 grams. 🙂
Metric system:
I lived most of my life in Germany and I am NOT happy with inches, sqft, yard and what ever middle age system is used in North America. Example: measure tapes. What the hack shut I do with a North American tape? It is not exactly to use like the metric one. Talking to our home builder here in Canada, he started smiling. He said also: “Holger. Visit hour development area look around and I am sure you will find metric measure tapes in the garbage bins. If you need one. Our workers buy sometimes the “wrong” ones (metric) and can’t use them.” OK. I have already 3 metric tapes at home. 😉 Also that Canada has the metric system – I get paid for driven miles. It is here a more mixed system. Milk bottles in gallon sizes, pop bottles in liters. But hey. Canada is better than the USA for me – if it comes to talk about measurements. Specially with Chinese and other Immigrants. Than we talk “metric” and understand what we are talking about.
Have a nice day.
Hi Holger – Unfortunately, it’s not up to me! I believe firmly that the US should be on the metric system.
I like that there is still a country that does not use the metric system.
That way, as someone who grew up in a metric country, I can “gauge” in either metric and SI.
It’s like knowing the value of dollar and peso without converting.
😀
The US can be an oddball country, but not always in a bad way
For me it is a bit crazy to stand out on the rocks alone when everybody else in the world is using metric. And we wonder why these other countries won’t buy US products.
Not sure about the countries not buying US products anymore. IMO, its more of hardly any tangible goods are produced in the US anymore just as much it is getting harder to see Made in the Philippines in the Philippines. I see more that is not made in the US than made in the US. Even in the farmlands of CA, it’s not difficult to spot a not grown in the US.
Sadly, even services are “outsourced”, therefore taking away jobs from citizens and LPRs 🙁
Honestly, I’m glad that in some part of the world, the “old” tradition still exist. LOL. It makes life interesting and “diverse” 😀
That was offtopic, sorry
HAha very interesting topic Bob! I love talking to my friend back in the USA about living in the Philippines. I’ll tell them I went to pick up a few kilos of meat and they start laughing and say I sound like I’m talking about drugs. I prefer the mectric system over the US standard. In my every day life I used the metric system, kilos, Litres, and Kilometers. but I just have not yet started using Celcius. I feel that Fahremheit is more pin point accurate but then again Kelvin is even more so than Fahrenhheit haha. One thing I have notice is that if you have a filipino how tall he is he will tell you in feet and inches and not CM. By the way im 300lbs myself and 135 kilos does sound a hell of a lot better 😉
Hi Alan – The Kilo/pound thing can certainly work in the favor of big guys like you and I! 😉
I have always known of the metric system and when I was in grade school I believe the subject was touched on but since any kind of math was never one of my favorite subjects I paid little attention to the Metric system then. Of course there are some things that are only discussed and done in metric such as electronics and medicine and maybe a few other things.
When I started visiting the UK in the 90’s I found there were two kinds of people. Those at that time under the age of about 30 were” metric ” and those over that age were mostly traditional English Measurement ( even some of that differs from the USA version ).
When the European Union began to form and finally the UK ” official ” conversion to metric took place I began learning Metric from a more ” Practical Experience ” than from trying to memorize mathematical conversion formulas. Some of my practical experiences are humerous experiences and that is how I remember them.
By using my practical established benchmarks based on experience, I can get a good idea of what many metric and English conversions are. I realize that the Metric and English scales are not linear with each other so the system I use gets me in the ball park, good enough for me.
Here are some examples.
20 C = 68 to 70 Deg F . I learned that benchmark from looking at thermostats in peoples homes I visited in England.
On the last day of one of my visits I found a real bargain in a shop there, brand new, unused original British telecom made telephones ( the real kind ) . I bought 2 of them but my luggage was already packed so I decided to box them up and mail them home. I call a post office, a girl answers and I ask how much does it coust to send a 10 Pound package from here to New York by Air. Girl replies ” Sir, how many kilos is that “. Without even thinking I reply ” Lady, I am not sending Dope, I am sending Telephones ! ” Then I realize she must be a Metric Person. I ask her to ask someone else there at the post office. She comes back to the Phone and says Sir that is 4 and a half Kilos and the cost will be about 20 Pounds Sterling. ( I think that is what she said the cost was ). Well, I never forgot her reply ” Sir 10 Pounds is 4 and a half kilos. ” I later found a scale with both weights on it and sure enough that was right. So that is my benchmark for metric weight 10 Lbs = 4.5 Kilo !
The year all meat weight and scales had to be changed in the UK I was there. English measurement could be displayed on packaging but it must be weighed and priced in Metric. I go out to dinner with friends , all the menus had been revised where weight / size of meat portions were mentioned. I see a 225 gram steak. I ask the waiter ” What the H – ell is a 225 Gram steak. Wiater replies ” Da – – ed if I know I will find out.” Water returns and tells me it is an 8 ounce steak. Another benchmark 8 ounce is 225 grams.
I was staying with friends and they ran out of instant coffee. I went to a nearby small grocery store ( Co-Op ) . I picked up a a jar of instant Nescafe coffee. I look at the label and it said something like 112 Grams. I thought to myself while holding the glass jar of instant coffee, ” I don’t care what that label says this is a 4 ounce jar of coffee “. I get back to my friends house and they knew metric and sure enough my impression of this jar of coffee was correct ! Another bench mark for me, 4 ounce = approx 112 Grams.
One from right here in the USA. In recent years many toilets and especially Urinals display flush capacity, per flush. Look at the top of a urinal and you most likely will see 1 gal / 3.8 L / FL . Another benchmark.
My most recent one from visiting The Philippines. I needed some hair shampoo. I go to a sari sari with some friends and they show me satchets of shampoo. I hate fumbling around with satchets so I kept looking and sure enough there was a small plastic bottle of some kind of hair shampoo. I pick it up and think to myself, this is like a travel size bottle the only size you are allowed in a carry on a plane these days, this must be a 3 ounce container. Sure enough it is very close. Another benchmark for me 100 ml is approx 3 ounce.
While in a mall supermarket with some of my Philipines friends last year they tel me they do not eat breakfast cerial because that is only for wealthy people. I wanted to see brands, pkg. sizes and price for a comparison to the USA. I start mumbling my own conversion benchmarks to myself and come up with the USA equivalent weight. One of my friends familiar with both systems tries to figure it out using conversion formulas and calculation. I was able to do the conversion faster in my head and come out nearly as accurate. My friend was amazed and I explained how I do it. LOL
I know my methods may not be 100% accurate all the time, but for now, it works for me .
Even if not 100%, Bob, it’s a start, and more than most Americans do in an effort to learn the metric system!
“In 1875, the United States solidified its commitment to the development of the internationally recognized metric system by becoming one of the original seventeen signatory nations to the Metre Convention or the Treaty of the Meter. The signing of this international agreement concluded five years of meetings in which the metric system was reformulated, refining the accuracy of its standards. The Treaty of the Meter established the Bureau international des poids et mesures (BIPM, International Bureau of Weights and Measures) in Sèvres, France, to provide standards of measurement for worldwide use.
“Under the Mendenhall Order in 1893, metric standards, developed through international cooperation under the auspices of BIPM, were adopted as the fundamental standards for length and mass in the United States. The U.S. customary units such as the foot and pound have been defined in relation to metric units ever since.”
So, Bob, the US was so very close to becoming one of the original bunch of Metrics – but then somehow lost its way.
Yes indeed, Steven. I wonder where we went wrong? While I may not be that old.. I sure remember learning in school about the metric system. The teachers told us “in a few years the US will be using this new system.” We never did, though. Today’s kids probably are not even learning about it anymore.
Spending a little time here looking at older posts and drinking a 16.9 oz. bottled water also identified as 500 ml. These two sentences have a total length of 35 centimeters.
Hi Bob,
Growing up in Britain, we were basically told that we’d all be using the metric system by 1975, to which I steadfastly rebelled !! I suppose it’s the whole idea of having something imposed on you from outside that’s repugnant to a lot of people.
I’ve since lived all over the world and am comfortable with both systems, though I still struggle with imagining things in terms of cm.
I culturally feel attached to the imperial system, though of course it’s full of anomolies, and different subsystems, like Troy weights and Avoirdupois, not to mention the difference between Imperial and US measures.
The one thing I could never get the hang of was Fahrenheit, completely illogical, and it was the first thing I ditched in favour of Celsius.
Hi Philip M, converting Fahrenheit to Celsius is easy to remember: Fahrenhiet minus 30 divided by 2 equals Celsius. Reverse to find Fahrenheit. Hopes this helps.
Good day,
Mars
I live in England, I’m 56 years old and I work in manufacturing, have to say that the metric system is far superior and more simpler than Imperial I can happily work using both system’s of measurement. Also my age group were the first to be educated in Imperial and Metric systems in primary school.
Take temperature in metric, 0 deg C = freezing point of water and 100 deg C = boiling point of water
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Gerry.
I guess working in manufacturing, you would understand the incredible expense of retooling every production line in an entire country and the impact that would have on competitiveness in a world market.
Yeah, and take meaningful distinctions of fever between 37 and 38 degrees. That tells us a lot, and gives us much more finely grained information than Fahrenheit.
Oops….
Hi Bob
Actually, metric is now being taught in schools. The kids know about 9mm guns, how much a kilo weighs and what a liter of Coke is – or should that be how much there is in a liter and how much a kilo of coke weighs…
And one day they will even start to spell litre.
I agree. As one who reads many British photography magazines (such as Digital Camera, Practical Photography and PhotoPlus), where measurements of camera bodies, lenses, tripods and the like are often given in metric, I have had to de-rust my knowledge of the metric system. Given the nature of the magazines, with their group tests and tutorials, I don’t regret my re-learning the metric system; it’s a great by-product of my reading those publications!