Talk:Imperial unit
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[edit] English Units & Imperial vs. US
I've created a new page English units. I've moved a bunch of content from the Mediæval units page. Check it out, fix it up, expand it if you please. I reckon the section on "Comparison between Imperial and US units" belongs there. They don't have such a section on the US units page (it would be redundant if they did) why here if not there though. I'm moving it. Jimp 13Jul05
I've moved most of the comparisons to US customary units to English unit. I've left links. Jimp 17 July 2005
This all now has its own page. Jimp 19 December 2005
... sorry, if anyone saw what was here before I edited it out - ignore it. For some reason I assumed that English unit would mean exactly what was used in England, not the Imperial scale used in the US. LupusCanis 18:00, 5 March 2006 (UTC)
[edit] 1963 gallon
The text reads in part:
- In 1963, this definition was refined as the space occupied by 10 lb of distilled water of density 0.998 859 g/mL weighed in air of density 0.001 217 g/mL against weights of density 8.136 g/mL. This works out at approximately 4.5460902 litres (277.419 45 in³).
- And then the comment:
- "The 1963 Weights and Measures Act defined the imperial gallon as exactly 4.545 964 591 liters." This contradicts the previous statement. Which is correct?
Where the 1963 quote comes from later in the text. I can't reconcile the former figure. If I have 10 lbs of weights (4535.9237 g) of density 8.136, their volume is ~557.5127458 mL, and the air (density 0.001217) buoys them down to 4535.245207 g. To obtain the buoyed weights weight, I need 4545.96459 mL of density 0.998859 water (this matches the figure quoted from the 1963 Act). To obtain the unbuoyed weights weight (assuming the weights are labelled in order to correct for the air buoyancy), I need 4546.64469 mL of water. Whence the 4546.0902 mL figure?? Urhixidur 14:24, 2005 August 23 (UTC)
- Have you confused cubic centimeters and milliliters, which were not the same thing in 1963? Which, exactly, does the 1963 Weights and Measures Act use?
- Or, has someone else converted 1901–1964 litres to the current definition of a litre?
- What gravity value have you used in the buoyancy compensation, and which should it be? London gravity? Or 1 gram-force corresponding exactly to 1 gram?
- The "weights" and their density are, as usual, density in a vacuum. Not in air. Gene Nygaard 13:46, 24 August 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Minim
I was looking at a website with many (odd) volumes, weights, and measures one of which is a Minim = to 1/480th of a fl.oz. ...so I wonder what would that be compaired to the metric? Chooserr
- So, did you look at this article, rather than its talk page, to see if you could find that out? Even if you didn't find the minim listed here (it is, of course), you could look at the fluid ounce article to see what it is that you'd have to divide by 480, and then you'd also find out that the U.S. fluid ounce is different from the imperial fluid ounce. Or, if you'd entered "minim" in the "Go" box, you could have followed the link on that disambiguation page to minim (unit).Gene Nygaard 09:06, 25 November 2005 (UTC)
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- Sorry, but Thank you. I did a quick check, but was unable to find it. I guess I was too busy wanting the answer right then. Anyway thank you for your help and sorry if I caused you any trouble. Chooserr
[edit] Lagrobeast?
I've never seen a "lagrobeast" (40 tons) defined anywhere but this article. Google turns up only this article. Suggest we remove it.
Am I possibly being too gullible about this? --*Satis 09:46, 16 December 2005 (UTC)
- I've never heard of it either. It was added by anon 70.109.119.179. I invite this anon to cite a source. In the mean time I'll comment it out. Jimp 19Dec05
[edit] Lagrobeast Revisited
To my knowledge, the lagrobeast was in fact a unit of measure that was used by the Celts. It should be considered part of Isle Units of Measure and under the Imperial System. I ask that someone with more knowledge on the lagrobeast populate the Celtic lagrobeast article.
- A look through references on Imperial measurements doesn't turn it up. There's only one google search return on it at http://www.tvwiki.tv/wiki/Imperial_unit ("the Wiki for TV, celebrities, and movies"). Does this mean it was created by a fiction writer? Certainly it's very rare to only have a single reference to anything on google, let alone a unit of measurement. Can you provide a reference? Otherwise I'd suggest we treat it as not authentic. Can you provide possible timescales and locations for usage by "Celts" (e.g. pre-Roman, Middle Ages,Scotland, Ireland...)--mgaved 18:48, 22 April 2006 (UTC)
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- Sounds like a pre-Imperial English unit ... or should I say "Celtic unit"? Anyhow it probably belongs somewhere else. Jimp 16:48, 25 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] which other
Which other nations other than the US use the Imperial system?207.81.122.3 07:05, 26 February 2006 (UTC)
- I second this question. bob rulz 06:10, 3 May 2006 (UTC)
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- The US doesn't use them. The UK does a bit and you'll find some use of them persisting in other Commonwealth nations but not much. Jimp 16:50, 25 June 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Metric Association
Does anyone else see the irony of having external links to various metric associations on this page? - Greatgavini 11:24, 27 February 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Changed the bit on usage of imperial units in the UK
I think it's important to stress that finding out what imperial units are used here is quite tricky. For instance, miles is used totally to the exclusion of kilometers. Yet among the young, metres are sometimes preferred over yards. Similarly, most young people I have met are familiar with both kilograms and stones and pounds as weight. I've altered it to more accurately reflect what is actually used over here. Probably needs a bit more work though. LupusCanis 18:05, 5 March 2006 (UTC)
- re: Young people's usage of SI units: in the UK children have been taught SI units in school since the early 1970s, so this means anybody under the age of 40 has been exposed to a formal knowledge of SI units and asked to practice them. --mgaved 18:30, 22 April 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Source of Canadian info?
Some of the Canadian info seems a bit dubious to me. I have never heard a Canadian radio station use fahrenheit. Although some fruit scales may have both metric and imperial measurements, the final sale price is still metric. And I have not seen a resurgance of imperial measurement in general. Anyone born during or after the 1980s is likely to have difficulty interperting most imperial measurements (other than for the height and weight of a person).
It may be that the author is reporting a regional phenomenon, in which case, a source and some clarification of location may be needed. --70.82.50.67 07:52, 19 June 2006 (UTC)
I have changed the infos a bit. --128.100.109.52 19:32, 6 November 2006 (UTC)
- I know for a fact that CIMX and CIDR only use imperial units to report the weather. I hear it about 20 times a day. CKLW issues its forecasts in metric values, but when they report current conditions they always state both °C and °F. This could be because of the proximity to the border and the fact that that they are exempt from Can-Con rules. In any case, it does demonstrate that weather is still broadcast in degrees fahrenheit near the border. Also, not stated in the article is that Enviroment Canada still has reports with an Imperial units option (Unités impériales in French) [1].—MJCdetroit 20:33, 6 November 2006 (UTC)
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- Anyway, you should NOT revert the whole edits. First, the metric systems and SI units were introduced in Canada in the 1970s, NOT on January 1, 1983 (see Metrication in Canada). Further, "Temperature is typically measured and reported in degrees Celsius" is definitely a true statement, which accurately reflects the current usages in Canada as a whole, although you may also add infos such as "some radio stations, especially these near the border (such as CIMX and CIDR), however only use imperial units to report the weather. In addition, Enviroment Canada still has reports with an Imperial units option besides the metric ones.". --128.100.31.164 20:59, 6 November 2006 (UTC)
- You are correct; I was a little quick, but I was planning on doing some fact finding on this Jan. 1st, 1983 date first. I think that was the date when only metric values could be used. Also, I was also going to see if there was any citable proof to the claim that imperial units "may be experiencing a resurgence due...". In anycase, I like your rewrite and you should consider creating an account. —MJCdetroit 01:28, 7 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Measures of Volumes in Tables:
I have started the process of putting the very helpful information on the measures of volume into tables that I think can be read a little more easily. I don't mean to tread on anyone's toes I just think it clarifies things a bit. If anyone would continue the conversion I would be very pleased.
[edit] A point moved from the article the talk page
Back to the "Metric Martyrs", the ruling by Lord Justice Laws upholding their conviction on appeal has not been tested on appeal in court yet (stopped for no good reason), and is highly questionable as unconstitutional: the appellate judge didn't allow later Acts to define the law against earlier Acts, while there is no such thing as constitutional Acts. The 1995 W&M Regulations have thus not been proved in court - authorised by the 1972 European Communities Act as it is, but clashing with the later 1985 Weights & Measures Act, which allows free choice between pounds and kilogrammes. As for use of dual scales, retailers need them not if never requested to measure in grams!...The delegated legislation of the 90's is impractical, to say the least. I'll add here that 1/1/2010 is the date for removal of imperial units from food packaging save for beer, despite nationwide opposition to that removal (see www.bwmaonline.com).
All roadsigns giving distances have to be in feet, yards and miles, for cars and pedestrians, but metres are allowed only with or alongside (i.e. separate signs) height restrictions in foot, and only with foot in width limits signs. Otherwise, imperial is gladly more in use now by the population than the media, and that's the majority of the country, actually, not just regarding MPG (miles/gallon).
It needs reiteration that dual labelling and pricing is to be abolished after 31/12/2009. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Greatgavini (talk • contribs) 07:16, 23 July 2006.
[edit] Mite
Does anyone have a cite for mite as a unit of mass? I've never come across it anywhere else. Rhialto 06:00, 26 September 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Feet as height
I believe we need to add to this that imperial units are still used internationally to measure aircraft height. That this must annoy the French greatly is of no concern, but it is one area where imperial is used very well, largely due to the US's presence and use of feet, rather than the UK's. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Monkus (talk • contribs) at 14:38, 15 November 2006.
[edit] Volume units
I've moved the following tables out of the article. While they may be relevant elsewhere, they were not part of the official Imperial system of units, and so should not be in this article. Rhialto 22:17, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
| 1 peck | = 2 gal. | = 9.092 18 l | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kenning or bucket | = 2 pecks | = 4 gal. | = 18.184 36 l | |
| 1 bushel | = 2 kennings | = 4 pecks | = 8 gal. | = 36.368 72 l |
| 1 strike | = 2 bushels | = 16 gal. | = 72.737 44 l | |
| 1 quarter or pail | = 8 bushels | = 64 gal. | = 290.949 76 l | |
| 1 chaldron | = 4 quarters | = 32 bushels | = 256 gal. | = 1163.799 04 l |
| 1 last | = 10 quarters | = 80 bushels | = 640 gal. | = 2909.497 6 l |
| 1 firkin | = 9 gal. | = 40.914 81 l | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kilderkin | = 2 firkin | = 18 gal. | = 81.829 62 l | |
| 1 barrel | = 2 kilderkin | = 4 firkin | = 36 gal. | = 163.659 24 l |
| 1 hogshead | = 3 kilderkin | = 6 firkin | = 54 gal. | = 245.488 86 l |
The full table of British apothecaries’ measure is:
| 1 minim | = 0.059 193 880 208¯3 ml | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (fluid) scruple | = 20 minims | = 1.183 877 604 1¯6 ml | |
| 1 (fluid) dram or fluidram | = 3 scruples | = 60 minims | = 3.551 632 812 5 ml |
| 1 fluid ounce | = 8 drachms | = 480 minims | = 28.413 062 5 ml |
| 1 pint | = 20 ounces | = 568.261 25 ml | |
| 1 gallon | = 8 pints | = 160 ounces | = 4.546 09 l |
