[USMA:32697] Re: UK Public Servant

[Bill Hooper]

On 2005 Apr 13 , at 5:55 PM, Phil Chernack wrote:

<x-tad-smaller>Unless I need precision, I think of an inch as 25 mm,</x-tad-smaller>

I try not to think of an inch. I try to start with the information in metric (especially when I need precision).

<x-tad-smaller> </x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>(I think of) </x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>a foot as 30 cm,
</x-tad-smaller>

I think of 30 cm as 30 cm

<x-tad-smaller> (I) </x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>translate a yard to a meter
</x-tad-smaller>

We all know yards and metres are nearly the same so I just use metres.

<x-tad-smaller> and </x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>(I) </x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>think of a mile as 1600 m.�
</x-tad-smaller>

I don't think of a mile. I think of a kilometre, and know that it is 1000 m.

<x-tad-smaller> For weight, � lb is 125 g, � lb is 250 g, etc.
</x-tad-smaller>

Don't use pounds and you won't need these long lists of approximations. Start with kilograms or grams and don't be concerned with what fraction of a pound it is. 350 grams is 350 grams (which is 0.3 kilograms). Who needs to know if that is closer to a half pound or to three quarters of a pound?

<x-tad-smaller>� Volume, a cup is 240 to 250 ml
</x-tad-smaller>

A cup is 250 mL. (period)

<x-tad-smaller> </x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>... </x-tad-smaller><x-tad-smaller>and a pint becomes 500 ml (or � liter in colloquial terms).
</x-tad-smaller>

A pint remains a pint. (It does not "become" anything else.) And I continue NOT to use pints. I use litres, and "half litre" is a nice metric amount (equivalent to 500 mL) and it's universal, not "colloquial".

YES, I UNDERSTAND AND AGREE, that
there are times when conversions need to be made. They should be done by specialists or experts in the field. Such experts already know how to make the appropriate conversion, approximate or to any desired precision. Once the conversion has been made, there is no longer any reason for the non-expert to have to be concerned with what the value would be in Olde English units. Forget that 25 mm is about an inch long and call it 25 mm (or 2.5 cm).

Regards,
Bill Hooper
Fernandina Beach, Florida, USA
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SIMPLIFICATION begins with SI
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