I must admit - whenever I see the car adverts my friends and I always see the 'mpg' bit as metres picogram ;-) (Sorry, British humour!)
CC: [email protected] From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: [USMA:42654] Re: Small item seen on TV Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:25:03 +1100 On 2009/01/31, at 1:52 PM, Jeremiah MacGregor wrote:Stephen, Is there a simple formula to calculate mpg from the fuel amount in liters? Would it be just as easy to convert your miles to kilometers and figure it out completely in metric? It shouldn't make a difference which way you go. Conversion is rarely simple. Consider your example of 'mpg'. Firstly I have to understand the jargon you are using, as to me, my first reaction is to use the internationally accepted symbols mpg to read metres picogram, and this does not readily make sense to me. There is only one system of units in the world, the metric system, with only one unit for each measurable quantity and only one symbol for each unit. All of the old pre-metric measuring names are simply randomly generated words that have only rare, and often contradictory, definitions, names, and abbreviations. Suppose I guess that you are using a non-standard, and not internationally supported, randomly generated abbreviation where mpg might mean miles per gallon, then my next questions are, 'Which miles? (nautical, USA statute, or internationally agreed 1959 miles? etc.)' and 'Which gallons? (Queen Anne wine gallon? Imperial gallon? etc.)' Having anything to do with conversions is, in my opinion, a nightmare. I've been there and I don't want to go there again. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/MetricConversion.pdf for some of the pitfalls. Cheers, Pat NaughtinGeelong, Australia Maybe the best thing to do is to use the correct symbols as others noted. They are consistent even if spelling isn't Jerry From: Stephen Humphreys <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 12:58:04 PM Subject: [USMA:42542] Re: Small item seen on TV "I'm too lazy to bother to figure out my mpg. I would be even less prone to want to do it if it meant an extra calculation step? Do people ever do miles per litre/liter if that would make it simpler to compute? Or is there a simple way to compute mpg when fuel is sold in litres/liters?" You'd think that miles per litre would have taken off here - but it hasn't. I guess there's a thought that there's consistency in keeping all units from one system. Or something. "I don't like this having to spell meter and liter two different ways. Which should I use?" I'd say the default was the American spelling - since this is an American board. I tend to use 're' due to force of nature. I think we know what we're all talking about - your best bet is to stick with liter/meter probably. Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2009 09:40:10 -0800 From: [email protected] Subject: Re: [USMA:42523] Re: Small item seen on TV To: [email protected]; [email protected] Stephen, I'm too lazy to bother to figure out my mpg. I would be even less prone to want to do it if it meant an extra calculation step? Do people ever do miles per litre/liter if that would make it simpler to compute? Or is there a simple way to compute mpg when fuel is sold in litres/liters? I don't like this having to spell meter and liter two different ways. Which should I use? Jerry From: Stephen Humphreys <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 12:04:56 PM Subject: [USMA:42523] Re: Small item seen on TV Historical usage. Like 'mpg' even though we fill up with litres/liters. Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2009 08:30:28 -0800 From: [email protected] Subject: [USMA:42509] Re: Small item seen on TV To: [email protected] Martin, So then psi is common in Britain. Why? Jerry From: Martin Vlietstra <[email protected]> To: Jeremiah MacGregor <[email protected]>; U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 11:10:03 AM Subject: RE: [USMA:42430] Re: Small item seen on TV I have not checked my tyres – however the air supply at my local garage are calibrated in both bars and psi. From: Jeremiah MacGregor [mailto: [email protected] ] Sent: 24 January 2009 15:24 To: Martin Vlietstra; U.S. Metric Association Subject: Re: [USMA:42430] Re: Small item seen on TV Martin, My tires show kPa (psi). Is this also the way it is in the world or only the US ? Jerry From: Martin Vlietstra <[email protected]> To: [email protected] ; U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 10:22:34 AM Subject: RE: [USMA:42430] Re: Small item seen on TVThe most common units of measure for tyre pressures in Europe are bars or kPa. (100 kPa = 1 bar). From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jeremiah MacGregor Sent: 24 January 2009 14:59 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:42430] Re: Small item seen on TV Harry, Aren't they suppose to be in pascals or something along that line? Jerry From: Harry Wyeth < [email protected] > To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 11:39:58 PM Subject: [USMA:42388] Small item seen on TV A minor point of interest: on PBS's US broadcast of the BBC World News tonight, in a piece re the resumption of natural gas to Europe, there was "footage" showing close-ups of presssure gauges on pipeline fixtures out in the snowy fields.. One showed pressure in kg/cm2, and the other in "bar". HARRY WYETH Beyond Hotmail — see what else you can do with Windows Live Find out more! Windows Live Hotmail just got better. Find out more! Cheers, Pat NaughtinPO Box 305 Belmont 3216,Geelong, AustraliaPhone: 61 3 5241 2008Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com for more metrication information, contact Pat at [email protected] or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter to subscribe. _________________________________________________________________ Twice the fun—Share photos while you chat with Windows Live Messenger. Learn more. http://www.microsoft.com/uk/windows/windowslive/products/messenger.aspx
