Friday, June 27, 2008

Go Metric


In the 80's there was a song which they played over and over in the television (and radio, I think) to help children remember the conversion from English to Metric. This is the song which plays in my mind when I need to convert temperature between Fahrenheit and Celsius.

It went something like this:

It's easy to change from English to Metric

The secret is fun if you know it

So let's all convert from English to Metric

Let's do it, and share it, and show it


Just multiply inches by 2.54 and you will get centimeters

The feet multiplied by .305 will give you equivalent meters

Just multiply pounds by .45 and you'll get kilograms it's true

The gallons by 3.79 will turn into liters for you!


Subtract 32 from degrees Fahrenheit, the result keep it in mind

If you to multiply that by five over nine,

and you'll get Celsius just fine


The yards and the miles are things of the past

Use meters, and go kilometers

So out with the English, we're modern at last

The system of Metric is (the system of Metric is)

The system of Metric is better!

For those that understand formulas better than lyrics, the song simply translates to

1 inch = 2.54 cm

1 foot = 0.305m

1 pound = 0.45 kg (2.2 lbs. = 1 kg)

1 gallon = 3.79 liters

(deg Fahrenheit - 32) x (5/9) = deg Celsius

The Metric system seems more standard than the English system. The origins of the English measurement were familiar objects and parts of the body. Short distances on the ground were measured with their feet. Longer distances were measured by their paces (a 'mile' being a thousand paces). To measure volumes, there were things such as cups, pails and baskets. The word gallon apparently came from an old name for pail.

Sorry, LondonEye, but in this case, I think the English have to take a step back. Let's face it, not everyone's foot is 12 inches. Besides, think of GI and MyGirl both taking a thousand paces. I'm certain that there will be a huge distance between them by the time they finish counting and pacing.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I can see how it came about however. In a pinch, I very often use my thumb as a measurement to approximate 2 inches.

This is how I know the McDonald's apple pie has shrunk to a mere 4 inches (I'm pretty sure it was the length I refuse to run to buy another one to check, but I wouldn't have been quite as shocked if 4 inches was the width. I could still be wrong, however).

I would have possibly accepted it, if the taste hadn't likewise lost a lot through the years from the amazing golden dessert I remember.

(I remember that first time McDonald's opened here, it was a big deal when we went, and the first time I'd seen a fast food of that sort. Or any sort, really. Father mentioned that Sunshine worked at a place like this. I was fascinated by how clean and shiny the lights and chrome were. It was also first time I'd *ever* had apple pie, so my disappointment was VAST I bit this new-fangled shrunken thing calling itself an apple pie).

By some providence, Mother had many cakes and pastries presented during her birthday, and there was a much taller, larger, and well-filled apple pie with thick (yes, one-inch) crusts at the top and sides. Needless to say, when she asked which cakes were to be given away, this one stayed upstairs, serving as a balm to my wounded spirit over the previous tragedy.

:)

Z