What's in a "foot"? (Surveying)

[/pine]

On the topic of tape measures...Can you imagine the technology that is in the pipeline for measuring tools?
I see tapes that have memories, lasers...sensors that if an attempt is made to make a mark at a certain length and it's not the same as the last measurement pulled a warning will sound (YOU ARE MAKING AN ERROR...)

Measures that will mark the material with a laser etc.. that can be read by advanced saws that will make desired cuts through the marks etc...

the list goes on...

 

[KennyG]

Tell me what type of engineer so I can insult that too! :stirthepot:

Any system that uses a "pound" both as a unit of mass AND as a unit of force is inferior.
Also (just one example of many):
1 kg of water is 1 liter is 1000 cm^3.

(Random number) 3423 liters of water is 3423 kg and 3.423 cubic meters.
Quick, in < 3 seconds, what is the weight and volume of 3423 gallons of water?

We don't use pound as force and mass. We use lbf and lbm in engineering. Anyone who couldn't get that straight switched to the College of Business in their sophomore year. :thumbsup:

 

[k0ua]

care less about the rest of the world. i HATE the metric system. i use both systems and much prefer the tried and true US measuring mess :cool2:

then again im old, in initial stages of full retirement, and can give a cra* if they officially switch to metric cause i wont do it.

what would i do with the 30+ tape measures that i own lying about in the house, shop, trucks,tool boxes, etc.

Don' many of those tape measures have metric markings on them as well? Many of mine do.

 

[grsthegreat]

Don' many of those tape measures have metric markings on them as well? Many of mine do.

I specifically buy ones that don’t. Want least confusion.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Having worked in an industrial Research Laboratory for many years, and being tutored in the Metric System in college, it was not a difficult change for me to convert to metric. It takes a little time to get used to it, but it would probably be a comfortable as the English system if we were brought up with that system. All it would really take is for the government to draft all their contracts specifying metric. I would take a while, but we would be on the same page as the rest of the world. I have noticed that my John Deere mower (an LX172) has some SAE bolts and some metric. Maybe it makes sense to the Company who buys from different suppliers, but one of the other would make more sense to me. I still use inches and feet in my wood working though.

The U.S. has done quite well using the English system, without any huge problems, but it would be nice if everyone was on the same page.

 

[mike48130]

We don't use pound as force and mass. We use lbf and lbm in engineering. Anyone who couldn't get that straight switched to the College of Business in their sophomore year. :thumbsup:

Haha, about sums it up.

 

[CobyRupert]

We don't use pound as force and mass. We use lbf and lbm in engineering. Anyone who couldn't get that straight switched to the College of Business in their sophomore year. :thumbsup:

"We don't use pound as force and mass. We use pound (force) and pound (mass) in engineering" - Oh...definitely don't use pound for both...okay...got it.

...or they went to a college that didn't teach their engineers to use a backward medieval nonsensical unit system that introduces errors through yet unsettled rounding errors or miss-communication on which "pound" you're talking about.
Perhaps we're talking about different eras too.

Sounds like this engineer should of switched to Business School or learned to calculate using the metric system:
$125 million dollar "oops": Crashing satellite into Mars when engineer calculated using pounds (ahem..."pounds-force") instead of the metric system.
Nov. 1, 1999: Metric Math Mistake Muffed Mars Meteorology Mission | WIRED


Quiz (part B)
How many centimeters in 36 kilometers? 3,600,000 (solved in < 2 seconds)
vs.
How many inches are in 36 miles?

 

[Diggin It]

It's about the 2 different actual lengths of a 'foot', and moving to one format.

I'm pretty sure my two actual foot measurements are different no matter which one moves first.

 

[CobyRupert]

....on a related note: has an official measurement been established for that smallest of distances that's known as the " **nt-hair" ?

...and given recent trends in personal grooming, does it even exist anymore? :confused3:
:stirthepot:

 

[Industrial Toys]

I am having a hard time with Vertical measurements. Things don't seem to jive for relative perspective.

I was watching a thing about Niagara Falls. 170 foot fall, more or less. Seems like a huge drop to look at. Yet my Garage and house are a couple of hundred feet apart which is nothing.

Or another recently. Edmund Fitzgerald supposedly is sitting in rather deep water. 530 Feet. But the ship was like 900 feet long. Put it upright and it would practically be half sticking out of the water.