Using any system of measures is problematic. It can be said about the English system of measures that the relationship between various quantities is often difficult to perceive; one measure name can be applied to different quantities. For example, nautical mile = 1.853256 km. And yet, there are many types of miles. Values for quantities with the same name often differ in the UK and US measurement systems.
By the imperial decree of 1835, the imperial system of measures was brought to a standard based on English measures. The following were introduced: inch, line, point, foot, etc.
Metric or imperial units? The metric system seems more logical, convenient, and straightforward. Many children begin their acquaintance by counting on their fingers. Historians say that ancient people counted based on the number of fingers on their hands.
Is the metric system more accurate? There is no difference in accuracy. It’s easier to do calculations in base 10 than in base 12 (inches in feet) or 16 (ounces in pounds). They are exactly equal in terms of precision: a mile equals a mile and 5,280 feet, which in turn equals 12 inches. If you need to perform calculations, you can do it quickly and efficiently using the free online service Oneconverter.
How the imperial system works?
What are imperial units of measurement? In the imperial system, all standards differ from the internationally recognized metric system, which is based on counting in tens, hundreds, and thousands. It is difficult for a person not accustomed to the English system to navigate, and converting from the imperial units system to the metric system without a calculator is difficult.
Length is measured in inches (2.54 cm), feet (30.48 cm), yards (91.44), and miles (1609.34 meters), which do not transform into meters and centimeters in whole numbers. However, these measures are related; for example, 1 foot equals 12 inches.
Weight is calculated in ounces (28.34 grams) and pounds (453.592 grams), with a 16:1 ratio.
Volume is estimated in pints (0.568 liters) and gallons (3.785 liters).
There are many other nuances in the imperial system; for example, a pint is liquid and dry, a mile is sea and land, and there are also cubic inches and feet. There are also measures such as leagues, acres, and stones.
The numbers in the measures are uneven because the system is ancient and based on authentic objects. For example, a barrel (about 163 liters) is the barrel, which means “barrel.” And the foot above comes from foot, that is, “foot.”
Values and their translation
Quantity conversion converts numerical values from one imperial unit of measurement system to another. Correct conversion of quantities is an important task, especially when working with international standards and all imperial units of measurement.
To correctly convert values, there are some basic rules and recommendations:
- Understanding Basic Units: Before converting quantities, you must fully understand what quantity you are measuring and in what imperial units or metric units. This will permit you to choose the appropriate coefficients and formulas for conversion correctly.
- Employing simple formulas: Converting quantities is usually done by operating simple formulas involving multiplication or division by a specific factor.
- Rounding values: Rounding the resulting values is often necessary after converting values. In such cases, rounding rules should
- be followed depending on the accuracy and requirements for the final results.
World practice
Imperial units vs. metric. Numerous states employ the metric system. Now, on the whole planet, there are only three nations where the imperial system is the main one – the USA, Myanmar, and Liberia.
In the USA, like in the UK, pounds, miles, and gallons are used for measurement. However, the American system is slightly different from the British one – for example, a liquid gallon in the US equals 0.83 imperial gallons, and a dry US gallon corresponds to 0.97 imperial gallons. The UK has a single gallon for liquid and bulk substances.
Myanmar (formerly Burma) was a British colonial possession and gained independence only in 1947, after which it was isolated. It only required a short time for a standard measurement system with the rest of the world. However, now the country’s authorities are in the process of switching to the metric system.
Final Thoughts
As we can see, various measures have existed for almost as long as humanity has. Science and technology are constantly developing, and in their development, more and more new types of measurements and their units appear and are improved. Nowadays, these processes are incredibly intense, and we cannot even imagine what other units of measurement will appear in a few decades…
