GERALD FLEMING, Meteorologist,
Met �ireann, Glasnevin Hill, Dublin 9 also
appears as confused as I was in a previous post, about the correct use of
term 'Imperial' as opposed to 'US Colonial, US Customary, FFC or wot eva
units'. This further adds to the confusion he
raised.
He
wrote:
The sad thing is that the use of both
imperial and metric
measurements
causes confusion and simply wastes time (and thus money) in many scientific
and technological endeavours - and also in the everyday world of
engineering, architecture, etc.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
Behalf Of Han Maenen
Sent: Friday, 7 February 2003 17:36
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:24766] Another pro-metric letter in Irish Times
Found this in to-day's Irish Times. Only the '600 F' mentioned is 60 degrees
F, otherwise I would not understand this letter. I have copied the sentence
that was really on the front page on February 3:
"The rise was most marked -- 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 Celsius) - on the
mid-fuselage and particularly around the left wheel well as Columbia crossed
California."
Han
DEGREES OF DIFFICULTY
Madam, - A numerical error crept into the front-page report of
February 3rd from the estimable Conor O'Clery on the Columbia shuttle
disaster. It concerns the conversion of temperature figures from Fahrenheit
to Celsius - something many people find confusing.
The report refers to a rise in temperature of 600 Fahrenheit, and
converts this into 15.50 Celsius. Now a temperature in the atmosphere of 600
F does indeed represent 15.50 C. However, the two temperatures scales do not
share a common zero point, and a temperature of zero Fahrenheit represents a
temperature of minus 17.80 Celsius. Thus, a rise in temperature of 600 F
converts into a rise of (15.5 + 17.8)0 C, i.e. 33.30 Celsius.
The sad thing is that the use of both imperial and metric measurements
causes confusion and simply wastes time (and thus money) in many scientific
and technological endeavours - and also in the everyday world of
engineering, architecture, etc.
Roll on standardisation! - Yours, etc.,
GERALD FLEMING, Meteorologist, Met �ireann, Glasnevin Hill, Dublin 9.
causes confusion and simply wastes time (and thus money) in many scientific
and technological endeavours - and also in the everyday world of
engineering, architecture, etc.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
Behalf Of Han Maenen
Sent: Friday, 7 February 2003 17:36
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:24766] Another pro-metric letter in Irish Times
Found this in to-day's Irish Times. Only the '600 F' mentioned is 60 degrees
F, otherwise I would not understand this letter. I have copied the sentence
that was really on the front page on February 3:
"The rise was most marked -- 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 Celsius) - on the
mid-fuselage and particularly around the left wheel well as Columbia crossed
California."
Han
DEGREES OF DIFFICULTY
Madam, - A numerical error crept into the front-page report of
February 3rd from the estimable Conor O'Clery on the Columbia shuttle
disaster. It concerns the conversion of temperature figures from Fahrenheit
to Celsius - something many people find confusing.
The report refers to a rise in temperature of 600 Fahrenheit, and
converts this into 15.50 Celsius. Now a temperature in the atmosphere of 600
F does indeed represent 15.50 C. However, the two temperatures scales do not
share a common zero point, and a temperature of zero Fahrenheit represents a
temperature of minus 17.80 Celsius. Thus, a rise in temperature of 600 F
converts into a rise of (15.5 + 17.8)0 C, i.e. 33.30 Celsius.
The sad thing is that the use of both imperial and metric measurements
causes confusion and simply wastes time (and thus money) in many scientific
and technological endeavours - and also in the everyday world of
engineering, architecture, etc.
Roll on standardisation! - Yours, etc.,
GERALD FLEMING, Meteorologist, Met �ireann, Glasnevin Hill, Dublin 9.
