Re: Metric Time (was Re: Why not 13 months? (Was La Systeme Metrique))
Robert A. Uhl (ruhl@phoebe.cair.du.edu)
13 Oct 1995 05:42:36 GMT
In article <45jpra$2l5@cnn.Princeton.EDU>,
David H. Lee <davelee@davelee> wrote:
>[snip]
>
>: Methinks that any who advocates metric numbers is in the wrong
>: business.
>
>Okay, lets see *you* do classical mechanics and E&M using imperial units.
>Hmmm lbs.. is that force or mass? hmm. whats a slug?
>horsepower?! what does a horse have to do with power?
>etc.
I could. It was done at one time. The problem is that the units
are no longer taught. I bet that a foot-pound is one pound applied
over a square foot, although I'm not sure. Units in physics really
don't matter; I could do physics in any units imaginable.
And horsepower is only used for engines, like candlepower is for
lightbulbs. Horsepower is the pulling power of one horse. A 128 hp
engine is like being pulled by 128 horses. Nice.
--
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| Bob Uhl | Spectre | `En touto nika' + |
| U of D | PGG FR No. 42 | http://mercury.cair.du.edu/~ruhl/ |
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