Re: [Phys-l] Why we stress units

[Vern Lindberg <vwlsps@rit.edu>]

SI is not perfect (although much better than American units).

Why is there no unique SI name for the unit of mass?

Why did Siemens get introduced?

Why is here a SI unit for cycles per second and no named unit for rad/ 
sec?

Vern

On Mar 19, 2009, at 6:43 PM, Anthony Lapinski wrote:

> My issue has to do with units in the USA. Why is it that we are
> essentially the only nation on Earth that still uses archaic non- 
> metric
> units??? This makes it much more difficult for students in science  
> courses
> to do conversions. I believe we had the metric system signed into  
> law, yet
> we are slow to fully convert. Not sure we ever will. How/When did  
> all the
> other countries do it? Why must we be so different?
>
> Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>  
> writes:
> > For depressing units, the Integrated Physics and Chemistry book by  
> > Glencoe
> > has C as the abbreviation for calories rather than the standard cal.
> > There
> > are no physicists in the list of primary authors so apparently  
> > they don't
> > know that C officially stands for coulombs.  Then they mix weight  
> > and mass
> > units indiscriminately in the table under unit conversions without
> > identifying which is which.
> >
> > C is in the SI list of derived units, but calorie is a pre SI unit  
> > which
> > is
> > still in common usage.  So why can't they get it right.
> >
> > Of course the hilarious error is where they point out that if the Sun
> > didn't
> > shine, the Earth would be colder than the side of the moon that  
> > always
> > faces
> > away from the Sun.  Are the authors illiterate in science?
> >
> > John M. Clement
> > Houston, TX
> >
> > > Hi guys,
> > > check out
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCJ3Oz5JVKs
> > > it's both funny and depressing
> > > cheers
> > > David
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Forum for Physics Educators
> > Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> > https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
>
>
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