BETA
Chapter 1
The pirate attack on metric standards
Chapter 2
The Industrial Revolution lock-in
Chapter 3
The great metric rebellion of the 1970s
Chapter 4
The hidden metric reality of modern America
YOUR GOAL
Master of Why the US measures in feet
Ch 4 · The hidden metric reality of modern America
hank Sort everyday American products to discover where the metric system is secretly hiding.
hank America's Customary Units
Foot by foot, this nation grew, Too costly now for something new!
hank The US military, NASA, and the medical field operate almost entirely in metric to coordinate with international standards.
hank Under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, almost all US packaged foods must list weights in both ounces and grams.
Fun Fact
The costly math error: In 1999, the Mars Climate Orbiter crashed and disintegrated because engineers failed to convert English force units to metric.
Glossary
metrication (noun)
The process of converting a system of measurement to the metric system. In 1893, the Mendenhall Order officially redefined standard American units using metric standards.
The process of converting a system of measurement to the metric system. In 1893, the Mendenhall Order officially redefined standard American units using metric standards.
Quiz
In what year did NASA lose the Mars Climate Orbiter due to a metric-to-customary unit conversion error?
Quiz
Which of the following is one of the only other countries besides the US that has not fully adopted the metric system?
Quiz
What unit of mass is legally required to be listed alongside ounces on US food labels?
Quiz
Which famous soft drink company successfully introduced the two-liter bottle to Americans in 1970?