Our Traditional Units Nightmare
One of the best arguments for using the International System (SI) is the alternative—the chaotic collection of confusing, illogical non-SI units we use in the United States. This measurement mess means that we Americans are ignorant of much of the quantitative information we encounter. We can’t use it, relate it to other information, or calculate with it. It’s just a bunch of arbitrary numbers.
More than 300 non-SI units are listed alphabetically in the link below. They’re used in various businesses, industries, trades, sports, and scientific fields. We may have some understanding of those we work with—even if we can’t define them—but most of these units are just meaningless names. Sometimes, the same name for several unrelated units! Look at all the units called “ton.” Do you know the difference between a short ton, displacement ton, refrigeration ton, nuclear ton, freight ton, register ton, metric ton, assay ton, or ton of coal equivalent?
Link to Alphabetical list of non-SI units (Microsoft® Excel format)
Contributed by:
Dennis Brownridge
The Orme School
Mayer AZ 86333
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Updated: 2006-02-08