Today I saw a water bottle labeled: 1.5 L (1 qt, 1 pt, 2.8 oz.)
I've seen two units combined in the imperial system (usually feet/inches, pounds/ounces, etc.), but three?
Do you think that this is easier to understand than something like 3 pints or 1 1/2 quarts? Or do you think that quarts and pints should never be combined? I think the latter. Just want to hear your opinions.

One of the shortcomings of the Imperial (customary) system is that the rules for combining measurements are not very clear and when measurements are combined, comparison with measurements that are not combined are not trivial.

For example person A is 6ft 3in; person B is 71in. Who is the taller?

If on the other hand I wrote that person A is 1.90m tall and that person B is 181cm tall, it is easy to see the superiority of the metric system.

"One of the shortcomings of the Imperial (customary) system is that the rules for combining measurements are not very clear and when measurements are combined, comparison with measurements that are not combined are not trivial."

Its not a shortcoming - its called "flexibility"

"If on the other hand I wrote that person A is 1.90m tall and that person B is 181cm tall, it is easy to see the superiority of the metric system. "

What if you do it in dm, mm, cm, etc - ok the "figures" are the same but one slip of the point and ......

It's certainly unusual to see something like this. I would tend to keep to two units where possible, e.g. I would write 38 ft. 6 in., not 12 yd., 2 ft. 6 in.

Martin: "For example person A is 6ft 3in; person B is 71in. Who is the taller?"

Anyone who works with Imperial regularly will have the answer to that almost before he's finished reading the question.

All right Paul, try this one quickly (Since you have lived in the US I am sure that you will appreciate that the example is realistic). People who have not lived in the US might have to think about this one:

Person A - 13st 9lbs
Person B - 185 lbs.

Who is the heavier?

<<<For example person A is 6ft 3in; person B is 71in. Who is the taller?>>>

Is it person A?

re (Martin): "One of the shortcomings of the Imperial (customary) system is that the rules for combining measurements are not very clear and when measurements are combined, comparison with measurements that are not combined are not trivial.

For example person A is 6ft 3in; person B is 71in. Who is the taller?"


REPLY: With all due respect, Martin, this is a classic example of an Aunt Sally.

When is one ever asked to compare people who are 6ft 3in and 71in tall?

OK, we may measure distances like the lengths of rooms and gardens - and even the heights of mountains and at which aeroplanes fly - in feet, and distances of a few hundred yards in, well, yards - but we don't mix the two.

No-one says Snowdon is 1,187 yards high. Or that a room is 3 yards wide. Or that the mugger the Police are searching for is 73in high

Person A - 13st 9lbs
Person B - 185 lbs.

Who is the heavier?
---------------------------------------------------

OK, I admit that in this case it takes a little more thought as it's not a conversion I would make so often, but it's not THAT difficult.

Different people approach mental arithmetic in different ways. I didn't happen to have 13 x 14 memorized, but my brain does have 13^2 = 169 stashed away. Add 13 and thus 13 x 14 = 182 lb. Person A is therefore the heavier at 191 lb. It all took about 3 seconds.

How often might you need to make this particular conversion though? It's like anything else: If you were doing this everyday you'd soon read 13st as 182 lb automatically.

BTW, I'm no sports fan, but don't even British boxers and wrestlers always have their weight announced in just pounds, rather than stones/pounds?

re (PaulEOS): "but my brain does have 13^2 = 169 stashed away"

REPLY: You must have been educated in the days before compulsory metric indoctrination and the accompanying dumbing down of education began

"BTW, I'm no sports fan, but don't even British boxers and wrestlers always have their weight announced in just pounds, rather than stones/pounds?"


Ive only ever heard it expressed in st/lb

I actually had the idea that US fights used st/lb too since the feeds usually show that.

I was fairly disappointed with ITV for showing lbs only for the rugby w.c.

Still, better than using kg!!