NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Metrication in the United States

Metrication in the United States has been unsteady. In some fields, the metric system has been used in the United States since the early 1800s. The use of metric units has been gradually increasing for many years, but much of the public momentum has been lost since the 1980s, except in schools, science, and manufacturing. Image File history File linksMetadata Metric_shampoo_bottle. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Metric_shampoo_bottle. ... Head & Shoulders is a famous brand of anti-dandruff shampoo produced by Procter & Gamble. ... Metrication or metrification refers to the introduction of the SI metric system as the international standard for physical measurementsâ€”a long-term series of independent and systematic conversions from the various separate local systems of weights and measures. ... Look up si, Si, SI in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Students in Rome, Italy. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, making by hand) is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale. ...

19th century

In the early 1800s, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (the government's surveying and map-making agency) used meter and kilogram standards brought from France. In 1866, Congress authorized the use of the metric system and supplied each state with a set of standard metric weights and measures. The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey was established by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807 as the Survey of the Coast. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Kg redirects here. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political...

In 1875, the United States solidified their commitment to the development of the internationally recognized metric system by becoming one of the original seventeen signatory nations to the Convention du Mètre. The signing of this international agreement concluded five years of meetings in which the metric system was reformulated, refining the accuracy of its standards. The Treaty of the Meter, also known as the "Meter Convention", established the Bureau international des poids et mesures (BIPM, International Bureau of Weights and Measures) in Sèvres, France, to provide standards of measurement for worldwide use. The Convention du MÃ¨tre of May 20, 1875 is an international treaty that established what is now known as the SI system of units. ... The Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (International Bureau of Weights and Measures, or BIPM) is a standards organization, one of the three organizations established to maintain the SI system under the terms of the Metre Convention. ... Road to SÃ¨vres, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, 1855-1865. ...

In 1893, under the Mendenhall Order, metric standards, developed through international cooperation under the auspices of BIPM, were adopted as the fundamental standards for length and mass in the United States. The customary measurements – the foot, pound, quart, etc. – have been defined in relation to the meter and the kilogram ever since. The Mendenhall Order marked a decision to change the USAs weights and measures from the customary system based on that of England to the metric system. ... U.S. customary units, commonly known in the United States as English units or standard units, are units of measurement that are currently used in the U.S., in some cases alongside units from SI (the International System of Unitsâ€”the modern metric system). ...

The 1895 Utah Constitution mandates in Article X, Section 11, that "The Metric System shall be taught in the public schools of the State". This section was later repealed [1]. Official language(s) English Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 13th 219,887 kmÂ² 435 km 565 km 3. ...

20th century

The Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures (General Conference on Weights and Measures), the governing body that has overall responsibility for the metric system, and which is made up of the signatory nations to the Treaty of the Meter, approved an updated version of the metric system in 1960. This modern system is called Le Système International d'Unités or the International System of Units, abbreviated SI. The General Conference on Weights and Measures is the English name of the ConfÃ©rence gÃ©nÃ©rale des poids et mesures (CGPM, sometimes written in English ConfÃ©rence GÃ©nÃ©rale des Poids et Mesures). ... Look up si, Si, SI in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

On February 10, 1964, the National Bureau of Standards (now known as the National Institute of Standards and Technology) issued the following statement: is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... NIST logo The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, formerly known as The National Bureau of Standards) is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerceâ€™s Technology Administration. ...

The United Kingdom began a transition to the metric system in 1965 to more fully mesh its business and trade practices with those of the European Economic Community. The conversion of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth nations to SI created a new sense of urgency regarding the use of metric units in the United States. The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ...

In 1968, Congress authorized a three-year study of systems of measurement in the U.S., with particular emphasis on the feasibility of adopting SI. The detailed U.S. Metric Study was conducted by the Department of Commerce. A 45-member advisory panel consulted with and took testimony from hundreds of consumers, business organizations, labor groups, manufacturers, and state and local officials. A Metric America: A Decision Whose Time Has Come was the 1971 book by the then National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) printed by Government Printing Office. ... The United States Department of Commerce is a Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. ...

The final report of the study, "A Metric America: A Decision Whose Time Has Come," concluded that the U.S. would eventually join the rest of the world in the use of the metric system of measurement. The study found that measurement in the United States was already based on metric units in many areas and that it was becoming more so every day. The majority of study participants believed that conversion to the metric system was in the best interests of the nation, particularly in view of the importance of foreign trade and the increasing influence of technology in the U.S. Image File history File links Metricanmc. ... Image File history File links Metricanmc. ...

The study recommended that the United States implement a carefully planned transition to predominant use of the metric system over a ten-year period. Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 "to coordinate and plan the increasing use of the metric system in the United States." The Act, however, did not require a ten-year conversion period. A process of voluntary conversion was initiated, and the U.S. Metric Board was established. The Board was charged with "devising and carrying out a broad program of planning, coordination, and public education, consistent with other national policy and interests, with the aim of implementing the policy set forth in this Act." The efforts of the Metric Board were largely ignored by the public, and in 1981, the Board reported to Congress that it lacked the clear Congressional mandate necessary to bring about national conversion. Due to this apparent ineffectiveness, and in a Reagan effort to reduce federal spending, the Metric Board was disestablished in the fall of 1982. Image File history File links Metrication-US-logo. ... Image File history File links Metrication-US-logo. ... The U.S. Metric Board was a United States government agency set up to encourage metrication. ... Reagan redirects here. ...

The Board's demise increased doubts about the United States' commitment to metrication. Public and private sector metric transition slowed at the same time that the very reasons for it became more pressing: the increasing competitiveness of other nations and the demands of global marketplaces. Image File history File links Measuring_cup. ... Image File history File links Measuring_cup. ... Metrication or metrification refers to the introduction of the SI metric system as the international standard for physical measurementsâ€”a long-term series of independent and systematic conversions from the various separate local systems of weights and measures. ...

Congress included new encouragement for U.S. industrial metrication in the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. This legislation amended the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 and designates the metric system as "the Preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce". The legislation states that the Federal Government has a responsibility to assist industry, especially small business, as it voluntarily converts to the metric system of measurement. The Omnibus Foreign Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 is an act passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. ...

Federal agencies were required by this legislation, with certain exceptions, to use the metric system in their procurement, grants and other business-related activities by the end of 1992. While not mandating metric use in the private sector, the Federal Government has sought to serve as a catalyst in the metric conversion of the country's trade, industry, and commerce. Exceptions were allowed for the highway and construction industries. The Department of Transportation was planning to require metric units by 2000, but this plan was canceled by the 1998 highway bill TEA21. [2] Use in the U.S. military is generally high, due, in part, to the need to work with other nations' militaries. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) was enacted June 9, 1998, as Public Law 105-178. ...

Some members of Congress attempted to ban use of the metric system on federal highways in 1992 and 1993. [3] [4] However, these anti-metric bills were not met with much enthusiasm by the House and failed without a vote at the time. Despite this, the National Highway System Designation Act passed in 1995 and prohibited the use of Federal-aid highway funds to convert existing signs or purchase new signs with metric units. [5]

21st century

Metrication efforts

The current effort toward national metrication is based on the claim that industrial and commercial productivity, mathematics and science education, and the competitiveness of U.S. products and services in world markets would be enhanced by completing the change to the international standard measurement system based on metric units. Many or most Americans, however, remain unconvinced of this position, or disagree over whether and how to pay and enforce complete conversion, which, if undertaken, could possibly incur considerable expense in the near term for millions of businesses and government agencies. from http://ts. ...

A potential problem for current metrication efforts is that many or most U.S. citizens, thirty years after the 1970s metric push, have little interest in metric usage. Daily life no longer features even dual usage of units such as Celsius for temperature, so most Americans have little contact with metric units on a daily basis. Those who need to use the metric system for work learn it, those who travel overseas learn enough to get by, but most others do not feel generally compelled to use it. Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ...

Mars orbiter

The use of two different systems was the root cause in the loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter in 1998. NASA specified metric units in the contract. NASA and other organizations worked in metric units but one subcontractor, Lockheed Martin, provided thruster performance data to the team in pound force seconds instead of newton seconds. The spacecraft was intended to orbit Mars at about 150 km altitude, but the incorrect data meant that it probably descended instead to about 57 km, burning up in the Martian atmosphere. Mars Climate Orbiter during tests The Mars Climate Orbiter (formerly the Mars Surveyor 98 Orbiter) was one of two spacecraft in the Mars Surveyor 98 program, the other being the Mars Polar Lander (formerly the Mars Surveyor 98 Lander). ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (IPA [ËˆnÃ¦sÉ™]) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Lockheed/BAE/Northrop F-35 Lockheed Trident missile C-130 Hercules; in production since the 1950s, now as the C-130J Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is an aerospace manufacturer formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. ... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ...

Current usage

Daily life

While most people in the U.S. have heard of the metric system, metric usage remains low in daily life. Weather reports on television are given in customary units (with the exception of hurricanes, where pressure is typically given in millibars at the national level). Few Americans are familiar with the Celsius temperature scale, and would not know what to wear if outside temperature were reported to be 12° Celsius, for example. The BTU remains the common measure of heating and cooling, and clothing is still measured in inches or sizes. Some of the more common SI prefixes are widely known, and are sometimes used with non-metric units. For example, computer hard drive capacity is measured in gigabytes and nuclear explosions are measured in kilotons and megatons of TNT. The letter K is widely accepted as meaning "thousand" (e.g., "She earned over 100K last year"). This usage has largely replaced the abbreviation m that was commonly used for "thousand" before the 1960s. The British thermal unit (BTU) is a non-metric unit of energy, used in the United States and, to a certain extent, the UK. The SI unit is the joule (J), which is used by most other countries. ... An SI prefix (also known as a metric prefix) is a name or associated symbol that precedes a unit of measure (or its symbol) to form a decimal multiple or submultiple. ... Typical hard drives of the mid-1990s. ... R-phrases S-phrases Related Compounds Related compounds picric acid hexanitrobenzene Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. ...

Consumer and retail

Numerous consumer products come in rounded metric-system sizes in the United States. The trend seems to be toward more product sizes based on metric units, due to the international nature of manufacturing, distribution, and sales. A few of these products display the metric quantity first or more prominently. Some items are produced and sold in rounded metric quantities (e.g., dental floss is often sold in 50 meter packages).

Perhaps the most common metric item sold is the 2-liter bottle of soft drinks. Some supermarket chains also make their store brand soft drinks available in 3-liter party sizes as well. Half-liter and one-liter containers of soft drinks are sometimes sold alongside more popular 12 oz, 16 oz, 20 oz, and 24 oz (355, 473, 591, and 710 ml) sizes. However, attempts to sell 3- or 4-liter bottles of milk, instead of gallons (3.785 l), have been largely unsuccessful, and such bottles are almost never seen in the US. Conversely wine is sold in standard bottles of 750 ml, following the practice of the rest of the world, and a fifth of liquor, once one fifth of a gallon or 757 ml, is now commonly 750 ml. It is becoming increasingly common to find bottled water in half-liter and one-liter sizes, but 16 oz, 20 oz, and 24 oz sizes still remain popular. The two liter bottle is common container for soft drinks. ... A soft drink is a drink that contains no alcohol. ... Packaged food aisles in a Fred Meyer store in Portland, Oregon A supermarket is a departmentalized self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A glass of cows milk. ... The gallon (abbreviation: gal) is a unit of volume. ...

Household products such as shampoo, mouthwash, and dental floss have begun to be sold in metric sizes, and PowerBars and similar products have always been sold (but not marketed) by the gram. Consumer-size photographic film is commonly sold in a 35 mm standard, although print sizes and large format films are defined in inches. The standard method for sizing tires combines millimeters for tread width but uses inches for rim diameter, tire diameter and tire width. Shampoo is a common hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair. ... For the Kate Nash song see Mouthwash (song) For the ska-punk band, see Mouthwash (band) Mouthwash or mouth rinse is a product used for oral hygiene. ... Dental hygienist flossing a patients teeth Dental floss is either a bundle of thin nylon filaments or a plastic (teflon or polyethylene) ribbon used to remove food and dental plaque from teeth. ... PowerBar is an American maker of energy bars and related products (particularly sports drinks and gel-based footstuffs for distance athletes). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 35 mm film frames. ... Old studio camera. ... Firestone tire This article is about pneumatic tires. ... The tread of a tire or caterpillar track refers to the pattern visible on its circumference that makes contact with the road. ...

Nutritional food labels typically report serving sizes in both systems but only list metric values (g or mg) for the breakdown of individual nutrients. The use of Calories (large calorie) instead of kilojoules is a case where a deprecated unit^[1] is used instead of the appropriate SI unit. Etymology: French calorie, from Latin calor (heat), from calere (to be warm). ... The joule (IPA: or ) (symbol: J) is the SI unit of energy. ... Look up si, Si, SI in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Since 1992, the federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA) has required consumer goods to be labeled in both customary and metric units. There is a strong effort underway by industry to amend this law to allow manufacturers to use metric-only labeling. [6] Most states in the U.S. have already adopted laws allowing metric-only labeling. [7] According to the European Community (now the EU) Directive 80/181/EEC issued on 20 December 1979, the European Union will only allow dual-unit labels to appear on products effective through 31 December 2009.^[2] Pending the EU deadline, an amendment to the FPLA to allow metric-only labeling would allow manufacturers, both importers and exporters, to avoid the significant costs associated with having to produce two distinct types of package labels. A significant advance in American metrication could result from some products displaying metric weights and measures only. A bill to permit metric-only labeling at the federal level was to have been introduced in 2005. Significant opposition from the Food Marketing Institute, representing US grocers, has delayed the introduction of the bill, which would likely pass if put to a vote. The expressed fear of the FMI is that legislation to permit metric-only labels might also somehow mandate resizing of packaging to round metric sizes (a process already well underway), which could require expensive remodeling or replacement of existing display cases. A compromise has been suggested whereby manufacturers in both the US and the EU could opt for either metric-only or dual labeling, but this idea has been viewed dimly by the EU negotiators. The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act is a US law that applies to labels on many consumer products. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Food Marketing Institute (or FMI) is an organization that conducts research, education and public affairs programs for food retailers and wholesalers. ...

Construction

The construction industry has been the slowest to adopt metric units. Dimensional lumber still comes in standard nominal inch widths and depths (e.g., "2 by 4"). Lengths are given in feet. Building codes are established at the local level and the U.S. has extensive building standards that are based on traditional units. Because of Canada's proximity to the U.S., issues of common units still arise. (Even in other otherwise metricated countries, units customary for that country often continue to be used; for example, traditional construction in Japan still uses Japanese units predating metrication.) Dimensional lumber is a term used in North America for lumber that is cut to standardized width and depth specified in inches. ... A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. ... Shakkan-hÅ ) is the traditional Japanese system of measurement. ...

Education

Most students are taught the metric system in elementary school. Instruction primarily centers on the concepts of powers of 10, the associated prefixes, and the conversion from one prefix form to another. Units of length, volume, and mass are also typically introduced through comparison with ordinary objects. The lack of popular metric usage, however, provides little reinforcement. As a result, while students might understand some of the concepts underlying the metric system, they do not necessarily have an intuitive sense of what the units mean.

In science education, students do exclusively use metric measures in experiments and equations, allowing those interested in the sciences to become familiar with the metric system. But outside of the sciences, the fundamental concept that all metric units are derived from a few base units is rarely taught. Some non-science textbooks in the U.S. only use the metric system, in an effort to support metrication, without giving conversions, which has caused confusion. This especially true when older students who have already internalized the US customary units from sources within and outside of school are faced with unfamiliar metric measures.

Within higher education, the metric system is universal for classes in the sciences (see below). The University of Cambridge is an institute of higher learning. ... This label, on a bottle of Head & Shoulders shampoo, illustrates the conflicted state of U.S. metrication in the early 21st century. ...

Electricity and energy

There are no customary U.S. units for electric current, potential difference, charge, etc., since these concepts were developed well after the international adoption of metric in science. The metric ones (ampere, volt, coulomb, etc.) have always been used. Energy is often measured in watt-hours or BTUs rather than the SI joule. The rated power of engines, electric motors, and power plant steam turbines is frequently quoted in horsepower. For other uses, see Ampere (disambiguation). ... Josephson junction array chip developed by NIST as a standard volt. ... The coulomb (symbol: C) is the SI unit of electric charge. ... The watt-hour (symbol WÂ·h) is a unit of energy. ... The British thermal unit (BTU) is a non-metric unit of energy, used in the United States and, to a certain extent, the UK. The SI unit is the joule (J), which is used by most other countries. ... The joule (IPA: or ) (symbol: J) is the SI unit of energy. ... An internal combustion engine is an engine that is powered by the expansion of hot combustion products of fuel directly acting within an engine. ... For other kinds of motors, see motor. ... A power station (also power plant) is a facility for the generation of electric power. ... A rotor of a modern steam turbine, used in a power plant A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into useful mechanical work. ... This article is about a unit of measurement. ...

Heating, cooling, and combustion power are often measured in BTUs per hour. Fuel prices are mostly given in customary units, e.g., dollars per gallon, per barrel, per thousand cubic feet, per long ton, etc. The SI term hertz has completely replaced the older term cycles per second as a unit of frequency. This article is about the SI unit of frequency. ...

Financial services

The United States was one of the first nations to introduce decimalized currency. However, until 2001, U.S. stocks were traded in fractions based on the old Spanish pieces of eight. Some commodity market prices are quoted in customary units (e.g., barrels of oil, troy ounces of gold, 40,000 lb of frozen pork bellies, etc.). The federal government reports international production figures in metric units, for instance, wheat in metric tons, but in bushels for domestic production figures. Interest rates of the Federal Reserve System are set in multiples of ¼ percent. The Spanish dollar or peso (literally, weight) is a silver coin that was minted in the Spanish Empire after a Spanish currency reform in 1497. ... This article is in need of attention. ... â€œbblâ€ redirects here. ... Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals and gemstones. ... The Fed redirects here. ...

Firearms

The U.S. continues to use the inch for caliber on many civilian and law enforcement firearms.^[3] Except for the 9 mm, most widely recognizable calibers are in inches, such as the .45, .357 or .22. The arms industry is an international one, however, and many foreign gun manufacturers design, build and sell firearms measured in fractions of an inch (a good example is the .357 SIG caliber). The US military, reflecting its relationship with NATO, uses metric measurements for almost all weapons calibers, even when the caliber in question originated as or was derived from a different measurement. (e.g.: 7.62 mm rather than .308, or 5.56 mm instead of .223). â€œCalibreâ€ redirects here. ... The . ... This article is about the military alliance. ... NATO 7. ... NATO 7. ... U.S. Military 5. ... The . ...

Manufacturing

Globalization of manufacturing has led to wide adoption of metric standards, although this is not yet universal. After a confusing period where automobiles were assembled with both customary and metric fasteners in each vehicle, cars are now universally built with metric parts. Automobile engines, formerly having been named after their displacement in cubic inches (e.g. the 426 Hemi), are currently named after their rounded measurement in liters (e.g. the 6.1 L Hemi). Technical publications by industry publishers and American automakers often give engine displacements in both in cubic inches and cubic centimeters (or liters).[8] [9] For example, the specifications for the Dodge SRT-8 6.1 L Hemi state the displacement as 370 cubic inches (6,059 cc).[10] â€œCarâ€ and â€œCarsâ€ redirect here. ... A fastener is a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together. ... Early Hemi in a 1957 Chrysler 300C. A Chrysler Hemi engine is one of three different internal combustion engine families from the Chrysler Corporation (or its successor, DaimlerChrysler) that are Hemi engines; in other words, they utilise a hemispherical combustion chamber. ...

The electronics and computer industries largely converted to metric standards as new technologies were introduced toward the end of the 20th century. Thus 5-1/4 inch floppy disks were truly in 5-1/4 inch-wide packages. They were replaced by "3-1/2 inch" disks that were actually 90 mm wide. CD/DVD disks are 120 mm in diameter, but their size is rarely mentioned; Mini CDs are sometimes called "80 mm CDs". A floppy disk is a data storage device that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible (floppy) magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic shell. ... CD redirects here; see Cd for other meanings of CD. Image of a compact disc (pencil included for scale) A compact disc (or CD) is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... MiniCDs are smaller form-factor CDs Amongst the various formats are the CD single, an 80-mm disc. ...

Military

The U.S. military uses metric measurements extensively to ensure interoperability with allied forces, particularly NATO STANAGs, "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,^[3] though a few legacy exceptions exist, e.g. .50-caliber guns. Heavy weapon caliber is measured in milimeters. Military vehicles are generally built to metric standards. An exception is the U.S. Navy whose guns are measured in inches and whose undersea fleet measures distances in terms of "kiloyards" (equivalent to 914.4 m), depth as "feet", and velocity, in some cases, as "feet per second". The Navy and Air Force continue to measure distance in nautical miles and speed in knots; these units are now accepted for use with SI.^[4] This article is about the military alliance. ... STANAG is the NATO abbreviation for Standardization Agreement, which set up processes, procedures, terms and conditions for common military or technical procedures between the member countries of the alliance. ... Klick (sometimes spelled click) is a common military term meaning kilometre (or sometimes kilometres per hour). ... For other uses, see Slang (disambiguation). ... Caliber: 7. ... â€œCalibreâ€ redirects here. ... A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of length. ... A knot is a unit of speed abbreviated kt or kn. ...

Illegal drugs and controlled substances

Illegal drugs and controlled substances are often measured in metric quantities.^[5] The federal law prohibiting them defines the penalties in metric masses.^[6]

In everyday usage within its subculture, marijuana is sold using a combination of metric and imperial units. In the "single serving" scale, the basic unit is the gram(or fractions thereof), as a gram is rarely more than enough to roll one 'joint', but once the "party" level is reached, fractions of ounces and pounds are used, with amounts less than 1/8 ounce rarely sold, or if so the size is variable depending upon the current price ie; a ten sack is us$ worth of cannabis. Depending on usage, 1/8 ounce or commonly 'an eighth' is enough to roll about 4 or 5 joints, and could last a single person anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks. The conversion is often reckoned as 3.5 grams for one eighth of an ounce.^{[citation needed]} The term "kilo" is used quite commonly by those in law enforcement to describe the amount of drugs (in kilograms) seized during a drug bust. For the band, see The Police. ... A search warrant is a court order issued by a judge or magistrate that authorizes law enforcement to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a criminal offense and seize such items. ...

Science and medicine

In science, metric usage is essentially universal, consistent with worldwide usage, although additional specialized units are often utilized for specific purposes in various disciplines (such as the light-year in astronomy). Medicine is generally metric, but where interaction with patients is required, usage is often mixed. Doctors often measure a patient's weight in pounds to compute a dosage of medicine administered in grams or milliliters. Even in many cases for which metric units are otherwise used, U.S. practice often varies from the rest of the world. For example, U.S. diabetes patients measure their blood sugar levels in milligrams per deciliter, whereas most other countries use millimoles per liter. A light-year, symbol ly, is the distance light travels in one year: exactly 9. ... For other uses, see Astronomy (disambiguation). ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ... In medicine, blood sugar is a term used to refer to levels of glucose in the blood. ... The mole (symbol: mol) is the SI base unit that measures an amount of substance. ...

In hospital settings, patient data is typically recorded using metric quantities, but all interaction with patients is done with reference to U.S. customary units (i.e., patient weights might be recorded in kilograms but discussed with patients in pounds).

Meteorologists are required to have substantial knowledge of the metric system, since most observing, analysis, synoptic weather charts, and computer forecast models are all done in metric. Because most weather forecasts are issued to the public in customary units, meteorologists must also know how to convert between the two systems.

Usage among veterinarians varies, but due to the heavy emphasis on public interaction, animal weights (e.g., for cats or dogs) are nearly always recorded and reported in pounds and ounces.

In early 2007 NASA announced that it will use metric units for all operations on the lunar surface when it returns to the Moon. It is expected that astronauts will return to the Moon by 2020 and eventually set up a manned lunar outpost.[11]

Sports

U.S. citizens are frequently exposed to metric units through coverage of international sporting events, particularly the Olympic Games. Races in the U.S. are run in metric distances (e.g., the 100 meter sprint and 5 km ("5K") races). Measured distances as used in events such as shot put, high jump, and discus throw are, however, often in feet and inches, except at the international level. Even most casual runners prefer to think of a "10K" race as a "6.2 mile" race. The field and court sizes for most popular team sports (even soccer) were originally set in non metric units. Some sporting equipment, such as skis and poles, is sold in metric units. Bicycles, especially at the high end, are increasingly being sold and sized in metric (for example, a frame described as "21 inch" size in the past is now often labeled as a "53 cm" frame instead). The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. ... Shot put The shot put is an athletics (track and field) event involving putting (throwing in a pushing motion) a heavy metal ball (called the shot) as far as possible. ... This article is about the athletic event. ... â€œDiscusâ€ redirects here. ... A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white kit) and is taking a shot at goal. ... A shaped, twin-tip alpine ski. ...

Transportation

Highway speed limits are posted in miles per hour and distances are largely announced in miles, yards, or feet, although a few dual mile/km signs can be found, mostly left over from demonstration projects that are no longer supported. [12] One exception is Interstate 19 in Arizona, due to its direct link to Mexico, which is almost completely signed in metric, except for speed limit signs. Signage on this road is, however, being converted back to traditional units as they are replaced. Another exception is the turnpike section of Delaware Highway 1, which uses a kilometer-based system, in anticipation of the mid-1990s conversion in the U.S. to the metric system (which did not happen). Distances were originally signed in kilometers, but have since been replaced with standard milemarkers. The exit signs have remained metric. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 344 KB) A road sign on Interstate 19 just south of Tucson, AZ, USA; note the Metric Units used. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 344 KB) A road sign on Interstate 19 just south of Tucson, AZ, USA; note the Metric Units used. ... Interstate 19 (abbreviated I-19) is an intrastate interstate highway located entirely within the state of Arizona, United States. ... Delaware Route 1 is a 110 mile long, four-to-six lane highway going from the Maryland-Delaware State line on the eastern Atlantic shoreline to the Delaware Turnpike (Interstate 95) just outside of Wilmington. ...

Since 2000, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices has been published in both metric and American Customary Units. Metric signs, including speed signs in kilometers per hour, are now displayed in the manual even though they are not normally used on the roads and there is no definite plan to go metric yet. For visual distinction, regulatory and advisory metric speed signs have black circles around the numbers followed by "km/h" and other regulatory metric signs have yellow plates reading "METRIC" in black on top of the main signs. The UK Metric Association considers this part of the metrication ahead of the United Kingdom where metric road signs are usually illegal. ^[7] The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to specify the standards by which traffic signs, road markings (see lane), and signals are designed, installed, and used. ... The UK Metric Association (UKMA for short) is a pressure group in the United Kingdom which argues for the full completion of the British metrication programme begun in 1965. ...

Due to their proximity to Canada, the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and parts of Upstate New York include distances in both miles and kilometers on many highway signs, especially in municipalities close to the border, although some older signs still have miles only. Newer signs on state highways on the island of Kaua‘i in Hawai‘i also include distances in both miles and kilometers.^[8] Milemarkers along highways on the Island of Hawai‘i will indicate both units whenever the whole kilometer co-ordinates with the whole mile (ex.: 5mi/8km). At least one route (US 31) in Alabama has both mileposts and kilometer-posts. In Houston, Texas many speed limits have km/h signs underneath the MPH signs. These are located near both airports and in the Texas Medical Center. This article is about the U.S. state. ... Official language(s) English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Area Ranked 46th - Total 9,350 sq mi (24,217 kmÂ²) - Width 68 miles (110 km) - Length 190 miles (305 km) - % water 4. ... Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area Ranked 39th - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (338 km) - Length 320 miles (515 km) - % water 13. ... The areas highlighted in YELLOW and GREEN are those which are considered to be a bona fide part of Upstate New York from the perspective of New York City. ... Kauai (Hawaiian IPA pron. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Island of Hawaiâ€˜i (called the Big Island or Hawaiâ€˜i proper) is one of eight main islands that make up the U.S. State of Hawaiâ€˜i. ... US Highway 31 is a long north-south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with termini at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City, Michigan, and U.S. Highway 90 and U.S. Highway 98 at Spanish Fort, Alabama. ...

The US territory of Puerto Rico generally uses American-style (MUTCD) signs with metric measurement on highways, displaying kilometer posts and distances in km, yet speed limit signs are in miles per hour. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to specify the standards by which traffic signs, road markings (see lane), and signals are designed, installed, and used. ...

Gasoline and diesel fuel are both sold by the US gallon, and fuel economy is rated in miles per gallon. However, some border towns neighboring Canada display the equivalent cost in Canadian dollars per liter due to the high rate of Canadian customers crossing the border specifically to purchase gasoline at a lower tax rate.^{[citation needed]} Domestic airline flights are assigned altitudes in feet and measure speed in knots. Nautical charts show depth in fathoms and use the nautical mile for distance (one minute of arc of latitude at the radius of the earth at sea level was the standard for one nautical mile until ca. 1929. The nautical mile is now defined as exactly 1852 meters). Railroads use the standard gauge of 4 feet 8-1/2 inches, as does most of Europe (where it is expressed instead as 1435 mm). US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 101, which governs vehicle controls and displays, permit speedometers to display miles per hour, kilometers per hour, or both. Odometers are permitted to record miles or kilometers, but must be clearly labeled as to which unit they record. In practice, virtually all US-market vehicles have mile odometers and dual labeled speedometers with mile-per-hour as the primary calibration. Some vehicles with electronic speed and distance readouts can be switched between US and metric units. Fuel efficiency, sometimes also referred to as fuel economy and commonly gas mileage in the United States, is a numeric measure often used to describe the amount of fuel consumed with regard to the distance travelled in a transportation vehicle, such as an automobile. ... A knot is a unit of speed abbreviated kt or kn. ... A 1976 United States NOAA chart of part of Puerto Rico A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a maritime area and adjacent coastal regions. ... A fathom is the name of a unit of length in the Imperial system (and the derived U.S. customary units). ... A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of length. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ...

Hybrid units

Some measurements are done in units derived from both customary and metric units. For example:

Any measurement that combines customary units with electrical units is necessarily hybrid, since there are no traditional electrical units. An example can be found in Table 8, chapter 9 of the National Electrical Code Handbook (8th ed.) where resistance of conductors per unit length is given in ohms per thousand feet.

Other units are based on customary units but use metric prefixes. For example, distance to target for a U.S. submarine is expressed in kiloyards.

Cultural impact

The continuing usage of U.S. customary units has been a cause for speculation in fiction set in the future. Many such fiction has assumed that the United States and the human race in general will use metric units in the future; however, others have considered the continuing persistence of the English system to be more likely. Additionally, writers will sometimes use customary units simply because American readers and watchers will understand the measurements; other times, they are simply used by accident. The 1966 show Star Trek, for instance, initially used U.S. customary units despite multiple Earth national origins and a setting in the 23rd century. Later, starting with "The Changeling", metric measures were used, albeit inconsistently. Later sequels to the show, such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, used the metric system exclusively. The starship Enterprise as it appeared on Star Trek Star Trek is a culturally significant science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s. ... The 23rd century of the anno Domini (common) era will span the years 2201 â€“ 2300 of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Changeling is a season two episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, first broadcast on September 29, 1967 and repeated May 17, 1968. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ...

Both the metric system and attitudes in the U.S. toward the metric system are a target of humorous jabs in shows such as The Simpsons and Futurama.^[9] Simpsons redirects here. ... This article is about the television series. ...

Encyclopedia > Metrication in the United States

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