The metric system, also known as the International System of Units (SI), is widely used around the world, except in the United States. It simplifies calculations and uses base 10 decimal units for weights, dimensions, and volumes. Temperature is measured in Celsius. The system was developed in France in 1791 and gradually spread to other countries, but the US still uses the English system.
The metric system is one of the most popular measurement systems in the world. It is used in most countries of the world, with the big exception of the United States. Even in the United States, however, scientific measurements are expressed in these units.
The official name of this way of measuring things is System Internationale (SI) or International System of Units. SI is a base 10 decimal system, which simplifies calculations compared to the American system. Weights are measured in grams, dimensions in meters and volumes in litres. Prefixes indicate how much of something is being described, and with a few exceptions, these prefixes come from the Greek language. For example, a kilogram is 1.000 grams, while a milliliter is 0.001 of a litre.
Another common measure is that of temperature. The metric system uses a Celsius scale to measure temperature, while the English system uses Fahrenheit. Like all other measurements, temperatures are decimalised: the freezing point of water measured in degrees Celsius is 0° (32°F) and the boiling point is 100°C (212°F).
This measurement system was developed in France in 1791, and was approved by the French government in 1799. These were the years of the Napoleonic wars, and it took a few years because the government had other matters that it considered more urgent. The system then gradually spread to other countries and almost became the official measurement system of the United States as well. The United States, however, maintained its allegiance to the old English system of measurement, even as Britain embraced the metric system. Only two other countries in the world, Liberia and Myanmar, still embrace the “English” measurement system.
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