Instigator / Pro
4
1566
rating
29
debates
56.9%
won
Topic
#1660
The Metric System in better than the Imperial System in every way
Status
Finished
The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.
Winner & statistics
After 1 vote and with 3 points ahead, the winner is...
Trent0405
Parameters
- Publication date
- Last updated date
- Type
- Standard
- Number of rounds
- 3
- Time for argument
- Two days
- Max argument characters
- 1,000
- Voting period
- One week
- Point system
- Multiple criterions
- Voting system
- Open
Contender / Con
7
1711
rating
34
debates
85.29%
won
Description
Definitions:
"Metric" - The better way
"Imperial" - The worse way
"Better" - Convenient, better
IN ... EVERY ... WAY
Round 1
Hello Trent and thanks for accepting. However we seem to always disagree on which country's better...
Outline
My goal is to prove that in all situations the Metric System is better than the Imperial System (I think I made a mistake when saying "in every way"). Your goal is to give just one way, just one, that the Imperial System is better than the Metric (I'm starting to doubt myself).
Round 1 - Present my arguments
Round 2 - A lot of clash, too much clash
Round 3 - Emphatically tremendous amounts of clash
Starting Point
Let's begin.
How many inches are in 2.71 feet? Times up.
Now how many centimeters are in 2.71 meters? Easy, just move the decimal two places and you get 271 centimeters.
How many ounces are in 3.14 pounds? Times up.
How many grams are in 3.14 kilograms? 3140 grams. This is a joke!
In fact, kilo means 1000. So a kilo-meter or a kilo-gram is 1000 meters and 1000 grams respectively. Now the Imperial System doesn't have that easy conversion, making it terrible in all situations.
Change my mind.
“Better”=Convenient, better
I agree with this(definition listed in description)
SC=Scenario IS=Imperialist system MS=Metric System
BoP
Is on Pro.
SC-1
In 2019, If I’m talking to an American who uses the IS about how long I want a piece of wood cut. Then I say 3 meters, he now has to inconvenience himself by converting it to 9.84252 feet. So, in some ways, IS is superior.
SC-2
A satellite was put to waste because some engineers used IS and others used MS. So, if I’m communicating with American engineers who refuse to use the MS, the IS is superior for convenience's sake.
SC-3
If I move from Canada to the US in 2019, I have to attend school in the US. Problem is I may not know the IS which is necessary for school, so in that case it is more convenient, more useful, and better to know IS.
SC-4
If I sell rare rocks to an American market, a package that says 1 pound is no better than one that says 453.592 grams. That’s because the market will most likely understand IS more, so for their sake, I should use IS.
if In any of these SCs, using IS is better, I would have to win this debate.
Round 2
Hello and thanks for responding. Let's get into it...
Clash
SC-1
But that doesn't prove that the IS is better, rather the opposite! With the Metric System, decimals are very easy to deal with. We use a base 10 system, which means that all we have to do when converting let's say kilograms to grams is to move the decimal. With the Imperial System, we have to actually do Math.
SC-2
No. The majority of people in the world use the MS, so it should be America that adjusts to our System, not the other way around.
And you can also flip that statement. What if there are some Canadian engineers that refuse to use the IS?
SC-3
Again, this doesn't prove that the IS is better. You could easily flip the statement around and say that an American student has to learn the MS if he/she wants to attend a foreign school.
SC-4
You can again flip this statement by saying that 1 kg is easier to read than 2.20462 lbs.
Conclusion
My opponent has yet to give an example where the IS would be better than the MS.
I have countered his statements and said that the MS is easier to work with.
Thank you.
I can flip your SC's around
Maybe you can, but it doesn't change the fact that in certain scenarios in our world today, the IS is more convenient/better is some scenarios. If in some scenarios IS and MS are interchangeable, than in that way, MS isn’t better but equal.
Wood Working
The IS is better for woodworking. Using fractions of inches is preferred over counting millimetres or centimetres for woodworking, being considered faster as well. Also, for woodworking IS is seen as being more precise. As a result of this, building materials are generally measured in IS units. People who use MS don't sound like genuine woodworkers. My source is reputable, he has been posting consistent woodworking content for years, well versed presumably in woodworking and it's culture. Even if you can use MS for woodworking, it almost certainly isn't better.
Easier to Convert
Perhaps this is true, but IS has been identified as easier to visualize. 1 foot for example is based on the average man’s feet size, MS was designed to be easy to convert.
Round 3
Hello and thanks for this debate. I shall conclude my case in this round.
Clash
I can flip your SC's around
Yes, you can flip the scenarios around, but it should be the three IS countries that convert their measurements to MS. 98% of the world uses the MS, so those three outsiders should be the ones converting feet to meters, not the other way around, if that makes any sense.
wood working
I would have to disagree. To counter that I say, we should use MS in woodworking because the rest of the world uses MS in day to day life. We should homogenize measurements of it's easy no matter the task at hand. We shouldn't have to switch over to the IS every time we see wood, and then switch it back we we're driving.
easier to visualize
I would argue otherwise. There are many ways to visualize a meter. And since the MS conversions are similar, it's much easier to visualize a centimeter relative to let's say a decameter.
Conclusion
In this debate, I have refuted all the ways that the IS would be better, and ultimately proven my case.
Good luck Trent.
Thank you.
Wood Working
we should use MS in woodworking because the rest of the world uses MS in day to day life.
We've already established the rest of the world measures building materials in IS units. Your inconveniencing the world by using the inferior MS system for wood working. We use IS for woodworking because we know what may be good for conversions isn't good for woodworking. If MS is better in wood working, why is the world defecting from the norm in this occasion.
We should homogenize measurements
No, we should use what's useful for the task at hand, woodworkers will be less efficient using MS, so keep IS for the sake of the industry.
Visualizing
There are many ways to visualize a meter
How? I can look down and see my foot that's about 12 inches very easily.
conversions are similar, it's much easier to visualize a centimeter relative to let's say a decameter
IS can do the same. 1 inch was derived from the width of a human thumb, so just imagine 3 of your own thumbs if you need to imagine 3 inches. Plus you'll be much more familiar with your body then some abstract distances.
Sorry, but I can't tell. With the internet, you can't tell if someone is joking. But America should go metric. It would save millions of dollars in the long term.
Lol yeah it's just a joke
"I mean, which country walked on the moon?"
There is a lurking variable. The country that didn't use the metric system also had a very strong economy which allowed them to walk on the moon. If America was metric, we would have still landed on the moon. America should go metric. It's why the temperatures on my phone are all in Celsius.
I mean, which country walked on the moon?
No prob!
I kinda see what you mean.
I'll keep that in mind for next time.
Thanks!
#11 is also something to always watch out for
In that case, the entire premise is opinionated.
In the description the definition was listed. Better was deemed to mean more convenient. Wasn't trying to steer the argument, just abide by the description.
Make sure to define all your terms from now on. Your opponent used the lack of definition for "better" as a way to steer the argument. Just something to take note of.
I see what you're saying...
I see your goal here, but all of your points just identify flaws inherent in the imperial system. It sort of proves Pros case for him if that makes sense.
How so? In the description better was defined as convenient.
Unfortunately I think you misunderstood the position you were debating.
Yup I do. I wasn't really thinking when I said that, but hopefully that won't be my downfall xD
You got a pretty fatass burden of proof
In EVERY way?
Whats so hard about random chaos? 'Merica!