REMAINING NATIONS THAT ARE NOT ON THE METRIC SYSTEM                                                     

                            

                                                      

The $125 million Mars Climate Orbiter, which was to study Martian weather and climate, was declared lost by NASA. The orbiter was accidently sent off target because engineers confused metric and non-metric units into the maneuvering systems program.

                                                               

 

Support for the metric system has existed in the United States since the 1700’s. However, there was no compelling reason to switch because of our geographical location and because our main trading partner, England, did not use metric units. Now, 95% of the world uses the metric system (abbreviated SI) of conversion. Since trade and communication with other nations is critical to the health of our nation’s economy it is now necessary for the United States to become an efficient single system metric economy. A workforce that is truly able to “speak” the metric measurement language will be better able to excel in the global marketplace. On Dec. 23d 1975, President Gerald Ford signed the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, which finally gave official federal sanction for the U.S. to convert to using the metric system.

Begin thinking Metric:

For temperatures, relate zero degrees Celsius with the freezing point of water, 20 degrees Celsius with the room temperature, 37 degrees Celsius with body temperature, and 100 degrees Celsius with the boiling point of water.A good memory tip is that 28 degrees Farenheit is 82 degrees Celcius.

One millimeter (1mm) is about the thickness of the edge a dime, and a centimeter (1cm) about the width across a paperclip. Two meters (2m)is about the height of a door, so a meter(1m) is about half that size or a little above the door knob. One kilometer (1km) is 0.6 of a mile which is just over ½ a mile.
One(1L) and two liter(2L) soda bottles are commonly seen. A milliliter(1ml) is about 1/5 of a teaspoon.
A gram is about the mass (or weight) of a large tack. A kilogram (1kg) is 2.2pounds or about 2 1/5 sticks of margarine.
A hectare= 2 ½ acres
A metric ton= about 1 ton

Common prefixes:
Milli.= 0.001 (one thousandth) Centi = 0.01 (one-hundredth) Kilo= 1000 times (one thousand times)
For example:
1000 millimeters = one meter
100 centimeters = one meter
1000 meters= one kilometer