Instigator / Pro

DynamicSquid

1566

rating

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

Better arguments

Better sources

Better legibility

Better conduct

After 1 vote and with 3 points ahead, the winner is...

Trent0405

Tags

People

Parameters

Publication date: 11.16.2019 05:51AM
Last updated date: 02.26.2021 06:17PM
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

Trent0405

1711

rating

debates

85.29%

won

Description

Definitions:

"Metric" - The better way
"Imperial" - The worse way
"Better" - Convenient, better

IN ... EVERY ... WAY

Round 1

DynamicSquid

11.17.2019 04:39AM

Pro

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.

Trent0405

11.17.2019 04:44AM

Con

“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

DynamicSquid

11.17.2019 08:04PM

Pro

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.

Trent0405

11.17.2019 11:44PM

Con

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

DynamicSquid

11.18.2019 03:07AM

Pro

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.

Trent0405

11.18.2019 08:13PM

Con

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.

TheUnderdog

02.26.2021 06:17PM

#18

-->

@Sum1hugme

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.

Sum1hugme

02.26.2021 06:14PM

#17

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@TheUnderdog

Lol yeah it's just a joke

TheUnderdog

02.26.2021 06:13PM

#16

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@Sum1hugme

"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.

Sum1hugme

09.26.2020 04:48AM

#15

I mean, which country walked on the moon?

PressF4Respect

11.19.2019 03:10AM

#14

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@DynamicSquid

No prob!

DynamicSquid

11.19.2019 01:46AM

#13

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@PressF4Respect

I kinda see what you mean.

I'll keep that in mind for next time.

Thanks!

PressF4Respect

11.18.2019 09:21PM

#12

#11 is also something to always watch out for

PressF4Respect

11.18.2019 09:17PM

#11

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@Trent0405

In that case, the entire premise is opinionated.

Trent0405

11.18.2019 08:40PM

#10

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@PressF4Respect

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.

PressF4Respect

11.18.2019 08:37PM

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@DynamicSquid

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.

DynamicSquid

11.17.2019 07:40PM

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@MisterChris

I see what you're saying...

MisterChris

11.17.2019 06:00PM

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@Trent0405

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.

Trent0405

11.17.2019 03:55PM

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@MisterChris

How so? In the description better was defined as convenient.

MisterChris

11.17.2019 02:43PM

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@Trent0405

Unfortunately I think you misunderstood the position you were debating.

DynamicSquid

11.17.2019 04:26AM

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@MisterChris

@AvoidDeath

Yup I do. I wasn't really thinking when I said that, but hopefully that won't be my downfall xD

AvoidDeath

11.17.2019 02:40AM

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@DynamicSquid

You got a pretty fatass burden of proof

MisterChris

11.17.2019 02:20AM

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@DynamicSquid

In EVERY way?

Nemiroff

11.16.2019 05:58PM

Whats so hard about random chaos? 'Merica!

Barney

11.19.2019 08:10AM

Criterion

Pro

Tie

Con

Points

Better arguments

3 point(s)

Better sources

2 point(s)

Better legibility

1 point(s)

Better conduct

1 point(s)

Reason:

Metric is better in almost every way, but pro included a convenience clause in the description, which was a loophole con was able to exploit. Yes, were the US to switch, everything would be better for them in short order, but right now dealing with them who have not switched, it is easier to handle local matters within the local system.

I did appreciate pro's efforts in trying to reverse the scenarios. They indeed reverse, but in doing so lose the specificity so don't uphold the "every" requirement. Were the resolution not calling for every way, this would have carried the day.

Sources lean con, but I did not find them compelling enough to award the point.