The United States should follow the rest of the world by switching to the imperial system
The United States of America is one of the few countries that still uses the imperial system of measurement, based on feet, inches, miles, and gallons. This system dates back to the British Empire and was adopted by the US after its independence. However, most of the world has switched to the metric system, a decimal system of units based on meters, liters, and grams. The metric system is simpler, more consistent, and more widely used than the imperial system. So why hasn't the US made the change yet?
Origins
The imperial system originated from various local systems of measurement used in Britain and its colonies. In 1824, the British Parliament standardized these systems into one official system called the British Imperial System. The US inherited this system from its former colonial ruler and developed its own version, the United States Customary System (USCS). The USCS differs slightly from the British Imperial System in some units, such as gallons and tons.
The metric system was created in France during the French Revolution as a way to unify and rationalize the measurement system. It was based on natural phenomena, such as the length of a meridian and the weight of a cubic centimeter of water. It was also designed to be decimal, meaning that each unit is a multiple or a fraction of 10. The metric system was later refined and expanded by an international organization called the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). Today, it is officially known as the International System of Units (SI).
Wide Usage
The metric system is used by almost every country in the world, except for Liberia, Myanmar, and the US. Some notable countries that use the metric system include Australia, Canada, France, India, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Most international organizations, such as the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), use the system. The metric system is also widely used in science, engineering, medicine, and commerce.
The imperial system is mainly used by the US and its territories. However, even in the US, some sectors use both systems or prefer the metric system. For example, the US military uses both systems for different purposes. The US scientific community mostly uses the metric system for research and publications. The US automotive industry also uses both systems for parts and specifications. Some US products are required by law to show both imperial and metric units on their labels.
What are the advantages of switching to metric?
Ease of Use
The metric system is easier to use than the imperial system because it is based on powers of 10. This means that there are no complex fractions or irregular units to deal with. For example, converting between meters and kilometers is simply a matter of moving a decimal point. Converting between feet and miles requires multiplying or dividing by 5280.
A switch can also improve accuracy and consistency as the metric system’s clear definitions and fewer terms allow for precision and uniformity. For example, there are only seven base units in SI: meter (length), kilogram (mass), second (time), ampere (electric current), kelvin (temperature), mole (amount of substance), and candela (luminous intensity). All other units are derived from these base units using simple formulas. In contrast, the imperial system has many different units for different quantities and contexts, such as the inch, foot, yard, mile, ounce, pound, ton, pint, quart, degree Fahrenheit, and so on. These units are not always consistent or well-defined. For example, a US gallon is different from a UK gallon, and a US ton is different from a UK ton.
Switching to metric would make it easier for the US to trade and cooperate with other countries that use the metric system. It would also reduce the costs and risks of errors and misunderstandings caused by using different systems. For example, in 1999, a NASA spacecraft called Mars Climate Orbiter crashed into the Martian atmosphere because of a mismatch between imperial and metric units in its software. The mistake cost $125 million and wasted years of work. Switching to metric would also help the US to adopt global standards and innovations that are based on the metric system.
Conclusion
The US is one of the last holdouts of the imperial system in the world. This approach is outdated, complicated, and inefficient compared to the metric system. The metric system is simpler, more accurate, and more widely used than the imperial system. Switching to metric would bring many benefits for the US economy, society, and education. It would also align the US with the rest of the world and the future of science and technology. The US should switch to metric as soon as possible.