In the United States, the American System of Measure is used. The concepts of the inch, mile, gallon, pound, ounce, and even degrees Fahrenheit are commonplace in our everyday lives. These are referred to as customary units. While all countries have adopted the metric system, including the United States, customary units are still used throughout the world. In the United States, the National Institute of Standards and Technology defines U.S. customary units. Many other countries that are former British colonies also use variations of Imperial or English units of measure.
Source: The Red Hat of Patrick Ferrick, The British Empire, Wikimedia Commons
Almost all of the other countries in the world adopt and use the International System of Measure, or metric system, when measuring and describing length, capacity, volume, mass, weight, and temperature. Although there have been past political efforts to convert the United States to the use the metric system, there has never been a mandate to change our customary units of measure.
However, there are several industries in the United States that rely on the metric system in order to communicate globally. This means that it is absolutely necessary for us to be able to convert efficiently and accurately between the measurement systems.
What are some of the industries in the United States, particularly in Texas, for which the metric system might be used?
![]() In the automobile industry, the engine specifications are stated in both cubic inches and cubic centimeters. Additionally, the gauges and readings in U.S. automobiles give readings in both customary and metric units. |
![]() In the medical industry, the capacity of almost every medication is measured using the metric system. This requires doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners to convert between measurement systems since patients' heights and weights are measured using customary units (i.e., feet and inches, and pounds), but medicines are allocated using metric units (e.g., cubic centimeters and grams). |
![]() In science, the conversion between measurement systems is critical. For accuracy as well as universal communication, scientists worldwide utilize the metric system. However, some fields of study that take place in the United States create a need for the scientific community to be well-versed in converting between the systems of measure. For example, temperature measurements are taken in degrees Fahrenheit for Americans to understand, but must be converted into degrees Celsius in order to be used in global climate and weather models. |
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