Mass makes the world go 'round

Some people might consider metrication a massive undertaking, but it can actually be very easy to accomplish if people put their weight behind the effort. Let's address that effort literally....

The unit used to measure mass in the International System of Units (SI) is the kilogram. (Yes, you read that correct; the base unit is the kilogram, not the gram.) I find beauty in the use of kilograms by way of its (approximate) relation to volume, but that's another topic.

Before getting to my key conversion points for mass, I want to point out that SI is already in wide-spread use for mass (and volume) for drug prescription/purchase/use (both legal and illegal). So, for many, the conceptualization of mass (whether it's a milligram or a kilogram) has already been well established.

Mass Key Conversion Points (kilogram / pounds):

0.5 kg ≈ 1.1 lbs
* 1 kg ≈ 2.2 lbs
** 5 kg ≈ 11 lbs
10 kg ≈ 22 lbs
25 kg ≈ 55 lbs
50 kg ≈ 110 lbs
* 100 kg ≈ 220 lbs

If you can remember the 1 kg = 2.2 lbs rule, then you should have an easy time performing the rough multiplication to convert. For example, 11 kg = 10 kg + 1 kg = (2.2 lbs * 10) + 2.2 lbs = 22 lbs + 2.2 lbs = 24.2 lbs.
It may be even easier to rely on the 5 to 11 rule; as five is a very easy number to round to and 11 multiplies easily enough¹. For example, 500 kg = 5 kg * 100 = 11 lbs * 100 = (10 lbs * 100) + (1 lb * 100) = 1000 lbs + 100 lbs = 1100 lbs.

As far as reversing the conversion, just remember that 2 lbs is "a little less" than 1 kg and then you can adjust the conversion once you have an estimated kilogram value. For example, 300 lbs "is a little less than" 150 kg... 150 kg = 5 kg * 30 = 11 lbs * 30 = (10 lbs * 30) + (1 lb * 30) = 300 lbs + 30 lbs = 330 lbs.

¹ For you math whizzes: Yes, the multiplication of 11 can be made into one step, but I tried to make it easy to digest for the general populace by breaking it out into 10 and 1.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I apologize for the three day delay in posting; I've had some difficulty accessing the internet during times which are appropriate for blogging. I plan to write and date the "missed" entries (this one included) as if they were written on time, for organizational purposes.

Going the distance

How far is it to the grocery store? What is the top speed of your favorite vehicle? How tall is the dinosaur chasing you?

We use units of distance/length everywhere; it's an essential dimension for other measures as well (e.g. speed = distance/time, area = length A * length B, etc.). Establishing a foundational understanding of SI distance units is paramount to a strong basis in Metrication as a whole.

In opposition to our efforts to see metric in everyday use is the fact that - when it comes to distance/length - Americans are unilaterally presented with US customary units. Some examples: the speed limit signs are given in miles/hr, our construction experts deal in feet and inches, we hike "14ers" (mountains approximately 14,000 ft in height), we watch American football players on the 100 yard field.

Whereas we see feet, inches, acres, miles, yards, and even the rare league; the SI measures of distance only have ONE...the meter. This is a distinct advantage over customary units.

As I presented in the post about temperature, using "key conversion points" is a helpful method. Here are some that I use, but I encourage you to find/create your own as well.

Distance Key Conversion Points (miles / kilometers)

* 100 mi ≈ 160 km
+ 88 mi ≈ 141 km
* 75 mi ≈ 120 km
* 62 mi ≈ 100 km
55 mi ≈ 88 km
*50 mi ≈ 80 km
40 mi ≈ 64 km
30 mi ≈ 48 km
*20 mi ≈ 32 km
*10 mi ≈ 16 km
*5 mi ≈ 8 km
3 mi ≈ 5 km
1 mi ≈ 1.61 km

Once again, I've placed asterisks next to the ones I think are nice to remember well. (I also placed a + next to the one that Marty and/or Doc Brown should watch for.)

Length Key Conversion Points (meters / feet)

*1000 m ≈ 3280 ft
*305 m ≈ 1000 ft
100 m ≈ 328 ft
*25 m ≈ 82 ft
10 m ≈ 32 ft
*5 m ≈ 16 ft
2.5 m ≈ 8 ft
2 m ≈ 6.6 ft
*1.5 m ≈ 5 ft
1 m ≈ 3 ft

Remembering the 1000 = 3280 rule sometimes makes other mental math easier. The 305 (roughly 300) to 1000 rule can be convenient in conversion; for example, "People enjoy hiking '14ers' in Colorado; peaks which are 14000 feet high or about... 4200 meters tall [ignoring the 5s and performing mental math... 300 x 10 = 3000, 300 x 4 = 1200, 3000 + 1200 = 4200].

Don't forget to use the prefixes where convenient!

Covering all our bases

Over the next few days, I intend to introduce you to some of the base units of the International System of Units (SI). Before I do, I'd like to spend some time on the prefix; a major component of SI units and a key advantage over other systems of measure.

A prefix is added to a "base unit" to indicate a multiple (or subdivision) of that unit. (We're already somewhat accustomed to this idea in computing.) The beauty of the prefix is that it represents a power of ten (e.g. 1, 10, 100, 1000, etc.).

(Some) Standard SI prefixes (Name [symbol] Factor = Number "cardinal/ordinal"):

micro- [μ] 10^-6 .000001 "millionth"
* milli- [m] 10^-3 .001 "thousandth"
* centi- [c] 10^-2 .01 "hundredth"
deci- [d] 10^-1 .1 "tenth"
10⁰ 1 "one"
deca- [da] 10¹ 10 "ten"
hecto- [h] 10² 100 "hundred"
* kilo- [k] 10³ 1 000 "thousand"
mega- [M] 10⁶ 1 000 000 "million"
giga- [G] 10⁹ 1 000 000 000 "billion"
tera- [T] 10¹² 1 000 000 000 "trillion"

You can find more information (and a better chart) in the SI prefix Wikipedia article.

Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the prefixes. I placed asterisks next to the ones I believe are the most common. Learn the relationships between the prefix and its base (e.g. 1000 units in a kilo-, 100 centi- in a unit, etc.). Since our number system is base 10, learning/counting multiples of ten comes naturally (literally, on our hands and feet).

It's still cold whether °C or °F

One of the most challenging aspects of adopting a new measurement system is relearning the "feel" or "look" of things and estimating their measure. In the case of temperature, many people are able to estimate based on a lifelong association of what the number on a thermometer feels like. For example, 4.5°C (40°F) is "cold" while 40°C (104°F) is "hot".

We first learn the arbitrary word association with the feeling when we are children. We feel the sensation, then we learn to verbalize that sensation as "hot" or "cold". Later we assign a personal range of numbers to that sensation/verbalization.

Your brain has already formed its association between temperature scale and sensation; so we need to establish an overlay using new numbers. I use a method I call "key conversion points" to help myself quickly estimate equivalent values without the use of mental math or a calculator.

Key Temperature Conversion Points (Celsius benchmarks):

50°C = 122°F
40°C = 104°F
* 37°C = 98.6°F (Normal human body temperature)
* 35°C = 95°F
25°C = 77°F
* 21°C = 70°F (Room temperature)
15°C = 59°F
* 10°C = 50°F
0°C = 32°F (Water freezes)
-15°C = 5°F

Key Temperature Conversion Points (Fahrenheit benchmarks):

* 95°F = 35°C
80°F = 26.67°C
70°F = 21°C (Room temperature)
60°F = 15.5°C
* 50°F = 10°C
32°F = 0°C (Water freezes)
23°F = -5°C
* -4°F = -20°C
* -40°F = -40°C

Memorizing some (or all) of these conversion points will help you start estimating right away. (I put asterisks next to my favorites.) Eventually, the SI numbers will start to have the same impact as the customary unit values; you'll still think "cold" whether the weather is given in Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Getting in the Metric Mind-set

Americans have used customary units for centuries (though, officially, SI was made the basis for our units in 1893). We are habitually familiar with a certain system. The point is, we need to retrain our brains into a different way of thinking about measurements before we can fully adapt to or even adopt a new system; some people may find this more difficult than others.

The first step is to consciously accept "the Metric mind-set"; find a reason to value the use of SI measurements (e.g. base 10 counting, international communication/cooperation, etc.) [further reading: Metrication in the United States - Wikipedia]

Once you've acknowledged some value in the use of the metric system, I recommend observing where SI units are already used....

- Passing your local bank, try to remember the Celsius temperature display and how it feels.
- Pick up that large soft drink bottle at the grocery store and remind yourself, "Wow. This is a 2 LITERS."
- Look closely at the label on a gallon of milk.... How many milliliters does it contain? How many liters is that?
- Convert the distance of your commute from feet and miles into meters and kilometers. (Even if it's just 2 or 3 meters from the bed to the desk.)

These small thoughts and/or conversions will help you see how the things around you "measure up" to the International System of Units.

Tomorrow, I'll begin sharing some ways you can remember "key conversion points" to help you estimate equivalents in your head on-the-fly.

The Ultimate Metrication Day

As I have sometimes recognized in the past, October 10th is "Metric Day". This year is especially unique because it is October 10th of 2010 (10-10-10); making it a sort of "ultimate" day for encouraging metrication.

There are only three nations in the world which have not officially adopted the International System of Units (aka Metric System) as their primary or sole system of measurement: Burma, Liberia, and the United States. This is not a good thing for the United States; as we speed toward a lifestyle of inter-connectivity and international communication, it will become essential that the USA adapt or risk falling behind its global partners.

When recognizing "Metric Day" in the past, I've made an effort to spread the knowledge and usage of the International System of Units (SI). This year, in recognition of what I'll call the "Ultimate Metrication Day", I am going to up the ante....
Over the next 10 days (beginning on the 11th and going until the 20th), I will share a tip or technique about using SI in everyday life and make the conversion seem that much less daunting.

INDY server outages recently

Sorry about the intermittent server uptime recently. There's been a lot of really cool redecorating going on where the server is; it should be back to normal now though. (Well, once the DNS update hits the Internet, anyway.)

INDY site back online

Grab your boards because the surf is back up!
(Translation: The server has been moved successfully and it's active now.)

INDY site outage

The main INDY site will be down for a couple days while some hardware location changes are made. (Translation: The server is turned off while I move it around.) I hope to have a everything settled and accessible within 48 hours.

Embrace Life

Excellent presentation. Great message. Even the music used in this video carries the emotion of its message.


URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p916yeFa2Xk