Bill,

 

I would prefer L/100 km, which, if converted to SI would be m². This would
be dead easy to visualize.  Assume that fuel consumption is 10^-6 m².  This
works out at (1 mm)².  Now imagine a string of fuel snaking along the road
that you are using, square in cross-section with each side of the square
being 1 mm.  Now imagine that you are driving along that road.  As you drive
along the road, the “string” of fuel will be fed into your engine and will
propel your car.

 

I have not worked out what the cross-section would really be, I merely used
10^-6 m² as an example.

 

  _____  

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf
Of Bill Potts
Sent: 28 January 2008 06:20
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:40255] Re: convenient numerical values

 

J. Ward wrote: 'As a physicist I would speak in terms of "per meter
squared."'

 

Maybe so (and we had a discussion on this list a few years ago, involving
that same ultimate reduction), but it is something that neither the
physicist nor the layperson can readily visualize (although the physicist
can rationalize its use).

 

 

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