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General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: another_someone on 14/10/2007 12:48:33

Title: Systems of measure
Post by: another_someone on 14/10/2007 12:48:33
We are constantly having problems with people in the US unable to understand stones, or Kg, while others can't take lbs or stone, and the general problems between imperial and SI systems (and the Americans and Brit cannot even agree about how large a gallon should be).

Someone pointed out the FFF system of measure, and I think it is a wonderfully neutral unit of measure, where the Americans and Europeans would be on an almost equal footing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FFF_System
Quote
The Furlong/Firkin/Fortnight (FFF) system is a set of units that uses impractical and outdated measurements. It is a humorous system of units and is not used in practice. These units are mainly used jokingly in computer science, notably the microfortnight.
# One millifortnight is equal to about 20 minutes.
# One millifurlong is about 8 inches (7.92).
# One decafurlong is 2.01168 kilometers.
# One centifirkin is slightly less than 1 pound (.90202).
# One microfortnight is equal to approximately 1.2096 seconds
    * One furlong per fortnight is very nearly 1 centimetre per minute (to within 1 part in 400). Indeed, if the inch were defined as 2.54 cm rather than 2.54 cm exactly, it would be 1 cm/min.[2]
    * Besides having the meaning of "any obscure unit", furlongs per fortnight have also served frequently in the classroom as an example on how to reduce a unit's fraction.
    * The speed of light may be expressed as being roughly 1.8 terafurlongs per fortnight.
    * Five furlongs are approximately one kilometer.
    * The city of Chicago's street numbering system allots a measure of 800 address units to each mile. Logically, streets were subsequently laid out 8 to the mile. This means that every block in a typical Chicago neighborhood (in either North/South or East/West direction but rarely both) is approximately one furlong in length.

Title: Systems of measure
Post by: Bored chemist on 14/10/2007 14:44:33
" think it is a wonderfully neutral unit of measure, where the Americans and Europeans would be on an almost equal footing:"
Sounds OK to me, I'm English so I know what those units are. The rest of Europe might not.
BTW, there are lots of odd units we could use. Did you know that the barn yard atmosphere is a unit of energy?
Title: Systems of measure
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 17/10/2007 10:17:14
"How far is it to the Post Office?"
"About 10 chains"

 [;D]