(1) Why is the abbreviation for pounds “lbs” and not “pds” since ounces is “oz”?
(2) Why is the baby’s head measured in centimeters but the height in inches?
(3) Just what is the difference between one ounce and one fluid ounce?
(4) Why is it 12 inches to a foot and 16 ounces to a pound, but 100 centimeters to a meter? (Or metre to the purists?)
(5) Exactly how long is a yard and who the hell uses it anymore?
As a born and raised Metric Systemer, I am confused. Can I just measure everything in a Ruby?
i need to do some research on some of the questions, but i call dibs on the following:
3) the same difference between one kilogram and the weight of one litre of water: the ounce is a measure of weight, while the fluid ounce is a measure of volume.
5) three feet make one yard; so that’s almost one metre. who uses it? err, people who use yardsticks as a measure of performance? heheheh
Math isn’t really my thing, but on the level of popular culture, I’ll add that yards are still important for measuring how close a team gets to that all-important TOUCHDOWN!!!!!
(Not that American football is really my thing, either, but sometimes I love how it’s seems to be all about the yardage …)
Your post reminded me again how grateful I am for the Unit Converter widget.
If you need to convert American & English to Metric Units quickly and accurately, I normally go to this site … http://www.sengpielaudio.com/ConvWeigh.htm
So Wikipedia says “lbs” is actually the Latin word libra, and also the Roman unit of mass similar to pound. Therefore, “lbs”. Not that it makes any sense to me. That one bugs me the most.