The US uses the imperial system of measurement, but the metric system is used in science and medicine. The metric system is also taught in schools, but conversions can be difficult. Children must learn both systems, but unless they become scientists or exporters, they may never fully master the metric system. The US government needs to insist on converting products and teaching the metric system to keep up with globalization.
The US system of measurement is a confusing matter and still stands apart from the metric system employed by most other countries. There are some exceptions. The medical and scientific fields use the metric system, and many items of commerce are now measured in the International System of Units (SI), also called the metric system.
The US system of measurement is based on the English system, or imperial units, although England has long since converted to the SI. However, the transition to SI was not an easy transition in the mid-19th century. Although Britain is officially in the metric system, imperial units are still widely used.
Legally, under laws passed in 1988, the SI became the standard system of measurement for trade and commerce in the United States. IS is also taught in schools at a relatively young age, but conversions are difficult to make.
If you learn the metric system initially, it’s much easier. Everything is built on a ten base approach, so converting from centimeters to meters is a simple matter. Conversely, the US measurement system is often problematic. It’s not consistent in its measurements, so the conversion is quite challenging.
For example, twelve inches equals one foot, but eight (liquid) ounces equals one cup. Sixteen (weight) ounces equals one pound, but three feet equals one yard. Children have to memorize quite a bit to make the proper conversions.
Since children usually learn to measure in inches first, the metric system cannot be taught properly until multiplication skills are mastered. One inch converts to 2.54 centimeters, so anything over ten inches implies double-digit multiplication. This is a skill not mastered by most students until the later part of third or even fourth grade.
If, on the contrary, the metric system of measurement were adopted immediately, children would probably learn it as quickly as they learn the American system. However, as real-life examples are often included in the teaching, this would be difficult to do. If one buys a TV, buy a 20 inch screen, not a 50.8 cm screen. If you’re buying milk, your choice is a liter, pint, or gallon, not a liter (L) or milliliter (mL) measurement.
In general, consumer products still adhere to the US measurement system, as do American cookbooks, so these figures need to be known. Essentially, this means that US children have to learn two systems of measurement, and unless they intend to export items or become doctors or scientists, they may never fully master IS.
Unless the US government insists on converting products and teaching the metric system, the US is likely to keep its own system of measurement. However, with increasing globalization it makes sense to consider that much of the world, and especially the scientific world, is based on the metric system. Our ability to learn it makes us have so much more in common with our neighboring countries.
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