Metric vs. other measurement systems - chart

**bruce.desertrat** · May 13, 2021, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by mklotz

A handy relation to remember is that light travels about a foot in a nanosecond.

Here's a bunch in the Smithsonian Collection. Grace Hopper used to hand them out at her talks...

https://americanhistory.si.edu/colle...ct/nmah_692464

**Nick79** · May 13, 2021, 11:15 AM

This actually explains a great deal about why my Son cannot understand fractions . . . Of all the things we should have embraced - the Metric system - should have been one of the most important - but no......

**marksbug** · May 13, 2021, 11:53 AM

so thats how you figure metrick into inches... so... what about the female math& measurements??

**hemmjo** · May 13, 2021, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by Nick79

This actually explains a great deal about why my Son cannot understand fractions . . . Of all the things we should have embraced - the Metric system - should have been one of the most important - but no......

Actually the imperial system is one of the best ways to learn about fractions, UNLESS you have a teacher with a lack of understand of both measurement and fractions.

With the metric system you seldom use fractions since it is all decimal based.

What we really should have embraced is actual learning for understanding, not learning to regurgitate for a test, then forget about. It makes no difference if it is math, science, social studies, etc, you have to really learn it for it to stay with you.

**marksbug** · May 13, 2021, 05:51 PM

yup, my math teachers were ****. and my ****ing dad with his knots & other **** just made it worse. I figured it out on my own. my senior year in HS I got suspended quite a few times by the math teacher...he was pissed that I knew more than he did....what a useless effing moron. he was some sorta coach that had to also teach math....he keep goi9ng to school to get more pay....but was totaly useless for any thing. ended up principle at one of my kids middle school...even the teachers were laughing at him . he did nothing all day long but collect a big pay check and look stupid. he then ran for school board...and yup he got it. those useless deplomas from the fly by knight schools are good for something...good for screweing over the people that really work and know what they are doing.

**hemmjo** · May 13, 2021, 06:47 PM

I hear you Mark. I worked with some of those people. MANY teachers are good, creative and committed to helping kids learn. Others are just in it for the money and summers off. TOO MANY times, those bad teachers do not like it in the classroom, so they become administrators.

It is bad, and getting worse. I have to say there are still more good teachers, than there are bad ones. A real issue is that one bad teacher can undo many years of ground work done by the good teachers.

Sorry for your bad experience. I really did love teaching. I still bump into former students who say, "Hi do you remember me".

**old kodger** · May 13, 2021, 08:46 PM

Wow, I just waded through 26 pages of this thread before I got bored (not punched or reamed). I agree the question of metickery is contentious, and my two hap'th are these,first I use what ever measurement is closest to what I want when I'm working with wood. Because I was dragged up using imperial measure, I use thou's for anything more accurate, half an apple is still 1/2 an apple (one of two) freight still use that system (crate 5 of 20).
There is one bone of contention however with imperial measure (feet and inches), you never got the "magic 100 mm error". How this works is measure out to 1500mm, then BACK 60mm to get 1560, yeh I know, crazy, but it happens, probably because you can readily SEE the 60 close to where you're already measuring, resulting in a 100 mm error, with feet, that would be so far out that you notice it.
I'mm OFF now!

**marksbug** · May 13, 2021, 10:47 PM

yes there are many good teachers still out there, fortunately for me, being a airforce brat I get to move around a lot, and see & live in parts of asia, okinawa as a young teenager was awesome. I did get to choose the best of everywhere I had been , it was the last place we lived when dad retired and he left home...for a few years working for lockheed cheif of training in saudi .and I chose to stay hear to live,buy a home, race,start a family and raise my kids. and even better the teachers my kids had were totally awesome. 1 daughter a DR,(also married to DR) and the other a US state dept diplomat over seas now. I did have a few good teachers but I had more usleess ones than good ones. ( the DOD school,s on okinawa were pretty good,public not so good, only a few teachers that gave a ****.) but parenting also has a lot to do with it also....probably50- 80 %. depending on the teachers and situations. if you dont give a **** about your kid that probably wont either.....