As you must know, the authority for SI is the CGPM and its subcommittees, primarily the CIPM; not the Wikipedia!
The Wikipedia statement that “a person’s weight may be stated as 75 kg. in a constant gravitational field” is an obvious corruption of CGPM declarations. The person who wrote that statement rejects Newton’s Second Law in the form Weight = Mass times the Acceleration of Gravity at the point of observation. Heaven help us if that author is teaching US students a first course in introductory physics! Please consult more reputable authorities than Wikipedia in the future. EAM On May 22, 2014, at 2:29 PM, [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> wrote: According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass#Weight_vs._mass Wikipedia: In everyday usage, mass and "weight" are often used interchangeably. For instance, a person's weight may be stated as 75 kg. In a constant gravitational field, the weight of an object is proportional to its mass, and it is unproblematic to use the same unit for both concepts. ----- Message from "mechtly, eugene a" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> --------- Date: Thu, 22 May 2014 12:46:23 +0000 From: "mechtly, eugene a" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Subject: Re: [USMA:53846] Should the U.S. convert to the metric system? | Debate.org<http://Debate.org> To: "[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Body Mass Index, Muscle Mass, and Bone Mass are already parlance understood and accepted by “common people” in the US. There is no good reason to avoid the term Body Mass for persons or simply Mass when mass in intended for any object. The fact that all sectors in the US do not yet understand and accept all elements of SI does not grant any of us permission to perpetuate corrupted use of SI! The gram and kilogram are unambiguously “mass” in SI. There is even a CGPM Resolution intended to clear this historical confusion of the quantity names “mass" and “weight" and their respective SI units “kilogram" and “newton”; Let’s not contribute to the continuation of this confusion! Eugene. On May 21, 2014, at 5:42 PM, [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> wrote: Driver License says weight, which is the term common people use in the context of how much we weigh. Do you think encouraging Americans to say mass instead of weight will be an incentive or a turn off in our battle to win them over to SI? ----- Message from "mechtly, eugene a" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> --------- Date: Wed, 21 May 2014 20:53:56 +0000 From: "mechtly, eugene a" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Subject: Re: [USMA:53846] Re: Should the U.S. convert to the metric system? | Debate.org<http://debate.org/> To: "[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Harold, Please remember that the kilogram is the unit of *mass* in SI. Weight is a force measured in newtons, as are thrust, lift, and drag in the flight of an aircraft, Body mass is always measured in kilograms by well informed medical professionals. In this age of space exploration, kilograms and newtons must not be confused, even in the minds of elementary pupils. Eugene Mechtly. On May 21, 2014, at 2:38 PM, <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Thanks for the link. Here is what I just posted there: No one is a foreigner when you consider Earth your home Metric System became International System in 1960. People who are mathematically literate know the International System simply by SI which is its symbol. American Scientists already use SI. Our United States Dollar is already decimalized, so no change is necessary there. Nutrition Facts Labels are already in grams. For decades, our Wine & Distilled Spirits have already been exclusively measured in metric units (750 mL is the most common size) so do you see confused, angry Americans go on perpetual mass riots to protest the lack of ounces on the label? Of course not! The U.S. military uses metric measurements extensively to ensure interoperability with allied forces, particularly NATO Standardization Agreements. Ground forces measure distances in klicks, slang for kilometers. Most military firearms are measured in metric units, beginning with the M-14 which was introduced in 1957. Heavy weapon caliber is measured in millimeters. We have been using metric tools for many years. You probably have metric tools in your garage right now. It is easy to adjust to degrees Celsius; just remember this simple little rhyme: 30 is warm; 20 is nice; 10 is cold and 0 is ice. Our prescriptions are already measured in metric units (mg, mL et cetera). A4 is the most commonly used paper size in the world. Your computer printer paper tray has an adjustment to accommodate A4 which is a little taller and a little narrower than what you are used to. By 1975 so many countries were using A4 that it was established as an ISO standard, as well as the official United Nations document format. Basically, all we have to do is measure our weight and height in kilograms and centimeters and change our road signs and GPS setting to metric units. You probably already have kilometers per hour on the speedometer of your vehicle right now. No one is a foreigner when you consider Earth your home. Measuring is the Path to Knowledge and Understanding. ----- Message from Harold_Potsdamer <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> --------- Date: Mon, 19 May 2014 20:59:44 -0400 From: Harold_Potsdamer <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Reply-To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: [USMA:53833] Should the U.S. convert to the metric system? | Debate.org<http://debate.org/> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-the-u-s-convert-to-the-metric-system ----- End message from Harold_Potsdamer <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> ----- David Pearl www.MetricPioneer.com<http://www.metricpioneer.com/> 503-428-4917 ----- End message from "mechtly, eugene a" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> ----- David Pearl www.MetricPioneer.com<http://www.metricpioneer.com/> 503-428-4917 ----- End message from "mechtly, eugene a" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> ----- David Pearl www.MetricPioneer.com<http://www.metricpioneer.com/> 503-428-4917
