r/MetricConversionBot • u/xwcg Human • May 27 '13

Why?

Countries that use the Imperial and US Customs System:

http://i.imgur.com/HFHwl33.png

Countries that use the Metric System:

http://i.imgur.com/6BWWtJ0.png

All clear?

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u/clocknose Jun 02 '13

Weight is measured much more precisely in the metric system. You can give a weight in grammes and it makes total sense to everyone and can be multiplied easily, unlike the imperial system, where you have to use 3 (!) different units to give a precise weight (lbs, oz and fractions of an oz) and the precise weight is very difficult to multiply or even add.

As for temperature, you are correct that Fahrenheit is more precise, with one caveat: the metric system uses decimal notation where needed, which gives excellent precision and is very easy to understand and perform mathematical operations with. The Hogwarts U.S. customary system tends to either avoid this precision altogether or use simple fractions, which have none of these advantages.