How does the metric system differ from the customary system of measurement?

Answer 1

The metric system is the international system of measurement. It was designed with several goals in mind. Neutral and universal Any laboratory can make a model of the base units. Starting with length, the meter was determined by the distance between two lines of latitude. This can be measured at any location on earth with the proper instruments. Once the length is established, a cube can be constructed that is 1/10 km on each edge. The volume of this cube is the liter. Everyone has access to water, so fill this cube with water and you have a kilogram of weight at 3.98 degrees celsius. Oh, yes, you also had to develop a thermometer by dividing the difference between water's freezing and boiling points into 100 equal parts. Decimal multiples The metric system is decimal. The next larger unit is always 10 times as large, the next smaller always 1/10 as large. You don't have to remember 12 inches to a foot, 3 feet to a yard, are there four pints in a quart or only two, etc. To convert, simply move the decimal point. Prefixes All derived units use a common set of prefixes for each multiple. "Kilo" means 1000 whether it is used both for mass (kilogram) or length (kilometre). A few units such as the tonne (megagram) and quintal (100 kilograms) survive from old units but have been rounded to metric. The prefixes which come from the Greek language (kilo, mega, giga) are multipliers and those with Latin origins (centi, milli) are divisors.

Answer 2

The metric system is based on units of 10 and is used worldwide, while the customary system is not standardized globally and often includes different units for the same measurement. The metric system also has prefixes that indicate multiples of units, making conversions easier.

Answer 3

The metric system was designed to be a complete and integrated system, where each unit is derived from a combination of seven base units. There is only one unit for each measurement, eg. length is always measured in metres, shorter or longer distances use fractions and multiples of metres, not different units.

The English system evolved over time with no real guidance. There is no standard relation between units, and there are multiple units for the same measure, eg, length is inches, feet, yards, and miles, each a separate unit, that convert in random ratios.

Answer 4

The metric system is superior is very many ways.

1. The measurement units are internationally agreed as standard. Not like a gallon which can mean one amount in the US and different amount in the UK.

2. Orders of magnitude for measuring the same attribute are related by simple multiples or fractions of powers of ten conversions and only a handful of prefices are required (although there are a lot more available for very big and very small amounts). By way of contrast, the Imperial system uses:

• 2 pints in a quart
• 3 feet in a yard
• 4 quarts in a gallon
• 6 feet in a fathom
• 8 furlongs in a mile
• 9 square feet in a square yard
• 12 inches in a foot
• 14 pounds in a stone
• 16 ounces in a pound

and so on, and on and on. The decimal structure also makes it simple to use scientific notation for very small and very large quantities.

3. There are many simple relations between measures for one characteristic to another. For example, the force required to accelerate a mass of 1 kilogram by 1 metre/second^2 is 1 Newton. The pressure exerted by 1 Newton over an area of 1 Square metre is 1 Pascal.

Answer 5

They aren't the same.