Why Americans Prefer US Customary Units Over Imperial Units

It is a common misconception that Americans stubbornly adhere to Imperial units. In reality, most Americans use US Customary units that, despite sharing some names with Imperial units, differ significantly in actual measure. This resistance to the metric system has been particularly strong in the United States compared to its former ally, the United Kingdom.

Adoption and Resistance to the Metric System

Both the United States and the United Kingdom officially adopted the metric system many years ago. However, for most everyday purposes, people in the United States continued to use US Customary units while people in the United Kingdom began making the transition towards the metric system. Pounds and ounces, for example, are slowly becoming obsolete in the United Kingdom, which unfortunately adds to the confusion of the British currency, the pound sterling. This shift poses a humorous irony considering the name of the currency.

Unique Units in the UK

Britain has some peculiar units of measurement that stand as relics of the past. While the body weight of the average person in the United Kingdom is typically not expressed in pounds, there is a tangible exception for body weight in the form of the "stone," which equals 14lbs. Interestingly, the term "stone" is almost exclusively used to measure human body weight and serves no other purpose. Additionally, the fluid ounce and pint in the United Kingdom differ from their counterparts in the United States.

Formal Measurement Differences

US Customary units and Imperial units diverge in several key measurements. In the United States, cups, teaspoons, and tablespoons are specific measures of volume in recipes, unlike in Britain where these terms are not standardized. Inch, foot, yard, and mile measurements remain consistent in both countries. However, engine capacities in the United States are stated in both cubic inches and liters/cc, while in Britain they are measured solely in metric units.

Confusion and Eccentricity

There is a disconnect between the measuring systems in the United States and the UK. On one hand, most British people recognize the appearance of an inch and a centimeter. However, the average British person would likely struggle to provide the conversion from cubic inches to cc, which is approximately 16 cc per cubic inch. In the United States, pressure is measured in PSI, while in the United Kingdom it is measured in Bar for atmospheric pressure, psi for hydraulics and domestic gas appliances, and British tyre pressure gauges usually read both.

Conclusion

Despite their historical and cultural ties, the United States and the United Kingdom have diverged significantly in their use of measurement systems. The persistence of US Customary units in American culture reflects both a historical resistance to change and a practical necessity in industries where precision and consistency are paramount. While the metric system continues to gain traction worldwide, the United States remains a unique case in its adherence to the US Customary system.