What does Europeans call the measuring system that uses feet and i... 2004-07-02 - By Steven Newnham
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> -- ---- ---- ----- Information from the mail header -- ---- ---- ------
> Sender: TSML <truespace@(protected)>
> Poster: K M Krieger <pterochromics@(protected)>
> Subject: Re: What does Europeans call the measuring
> system that uses feet
> and i...
> -- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---
>
--- SNIP ---
> At any rate, the US "inherited" Imperial measurements because
> the original Colonists came from the British Empire. They
> were retained, along with the name "Imperial", because of the
> historical Isolationism of the U.S.. Most people still use
> Imperial, although metric equivalents do show up on labeling
> (such as the 750ml bottle of wine and other spirits) (it
> figures that's the one Iremember <L!>) and, of course, the
> sciences (and therefore scientific education) use the metric
> system because it is more rational, it is universal, and it's
> a lot easier to deal with mathematically since all units are
> in powers of 10 (so, a millimeter is a tenth of a centimeter
> which in turn is a tenth of a meter, and so on).
>
> HTH
>
> - Kris K.
>
Slight correction - a centimeter is a tenth of a decimeter, which in turn is
a tenth of a meter; i.e. a centimetre is 1/100th of a metre.
Metric prefixes:
milli = 1/1000th
centi = 1/100th
deci = 1/10th (not used much)
deca = 10 times (not used much)
hecto = 100 times (not used much)
kilo = 1000 times
So, a millimetre is 1/1000th of a metre. A millilitre is 1/1000th of a
litre. A kilogram is 1000 grams.
1 cubic centimetre is 1 millilitre, and as Kris pointed out, 1 millilitre of
pure water (at room temperature) weighs 1 gram.
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