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Cake day: September 24th, 2025

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  • Been ages since I was in a math class and I misquoted why it’s useful. It’s not that it is rational, as 10/3 is also rational. However, 10/3 is not an integer, and therefore cannot be found on a measuring stick or tape measure. There are projects where being able to divide into exact thirds, 6ths, etc are required, and metric is not as useful for that. In a country that also uses imperial interchangeably, it makes sense to use it with projects that are better served with imperial.









  • HarneyToker@lemmy.worldtoBuy European@feddit.ukImperial Wastes So Much Time
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    7 days ago

    Base 10 measurement systems such as the metric system cannot divide distances into thirds or sixths without creating irrational numbers. This can be a problem for interior designers and landscape designers, for instance, who regularly need to create drafts for projects that break up measurements that way. The imperial system is more versatile in this particular instance because you can break a foot into 12 inches, which is divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (yes, still wouldn’t be irrational), and 6. Much more versatile when your contractor needs to actually go out and make a measurement in the real world. While metric could be “good enough” for that purpose, it is not the most ideal.