By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • 0 Comments

Understanding the Metric System in the U.S.

Last week marked National Metric Week, an annual observance that highlights the importance and utility of the metric system in science, education, and everyday life. While the metric system is widely used across the globe, the United States remains a notable exception in its limited adoption of this international standard. To honor National Metric Week, let’s highlight some important facts:

• The metric system originated during the Age of Enlightenment: It was developed in France as part of a broader effort to create a rational and universal system of measurement. In 1799, the metric system was officially adopted in France and designed to be simple, logical, and based on natural constants.

• The metric system gradually became a global adaptation: It became the standard in most of Europe and later spread to nearly every country worldwide. Today, only three countries have not fully adopted the metric system as their primary system of measurement: the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar.

• Today, the United States still hasn’t converted to the metric system: During the Industrial Revolution, the U.S. became heavily reliant on manufacturing industries, which were already standardized in imperial units (e.g., inches, feet, pounds). Switching to a new system would have required a massive overhaul of tools, machinery, and production standards. This transition was viewed as both costly and time-consuming, which discouraged widespread adoption. While the U.S. officially recognizes the metric system, and it is widely used in scientific, medical, and military applications, imperial units remain the dominant standard in daily life. However, some industries, such as automotive manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, rely heavily on metric measurements due to international trade and regulatory standards.

National Metric Week serves as a reminder of the global standardization efforts that began over two centuries ago and continue to influence international cooperation in science, technology, and trade. While the United States may be an outlier in its use of the imperial system, the metric system remains a crucial part of education and scientific work across the country. By understanding the history and challenges of metric adoption, we can better appreciate the role of measurement in our modern world.

 

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • 0 Comments

Infrastructure Week, Day 2: Water

Water is a vital resource, but with a rise in deteriorating infrastructure and underfunded programs like the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), we’ve run into a nationwide problem.

In recent years, we’ve witnessed water crisis on a national scale in places like Michigan, Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and even closer to home here in New York; and the Southwest United States, where drought conditions continue to worsen.

Over one million miles of pipes work to deliver water around the county, most of that aging infrastructure having been laid numerous decades ago. Now more than ever, America requires government action to upgrade insufficient water infrastructure. Clean, reliable drinking water is a commodity that everyone, without exception, should have access to.

At KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), our water supply group works to create sufficient, long-term resolutions to provide safe drinking water. With a group of skilled water, wastewater, civil, and environmental engineers, KC is able to provide lasting solutions to various municipalities, residential developments, and many more.

Projects like the Wallkill Water System Interconnect, Kosuga Well 7 Development, and LaGuardia Airport Trunk Main Relocation, KC continues to play a vital role in ensuring the functionality of filtration systems, water resources, and water treatment.

 

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • 0 Comments

Happy National Metric Week

Did you know that the metric system began during the Age of Enlightenment?

In Europe, the metric system became the normal standard measurement and later was adopted across the world with the exception of the United States (US), Liberia, and Myanmar. Today, the US remains the only country to use the imperial system. The US didn’t adopt the metric system because, during the Industrial Revolution, the main source of income was manufacturing plants; adopting the metric system would have cost the US time and money. Even in today’s society, money is the main topic of discussion as to why the US won’t change to the metric system. Although the metric system is not used in the US, it plays a major part in the US engineering industry, which utilizes the metric system due to its compatibility with all types of measurements and accuracy over the imperial system. For example, engineers utilize the metric system when creating computer-aided design (CAD).

Many considered Gabriel Mouton, a French abbot and scientist, to be the father of the metric system. Mouton was born in 1618 in Lyon, France, he spent his whole life and later died in 1694. Mouton was incredibly involved with his church, but also spent his personal time studying mathematics and astronomy. In the field of natural and practical measurement, Mouton was a pioneer; he started by examining how latitude affects a pendulum's length with a one beat per second frequency. The length of the terrestrial meridian, which was to be used as the universal unit of length, was the length that he then proposed to infer from these changes.

The metric system has many advantages, but is not without its disadvantages. Some advantages consist of the metric system being consistently based on decimal numbers; since it’s based on multiples of ten, you can simply move the decimal point so any measurements that are given in one metric unit such as a kilogram can be converted to another metric unit such as a gram. In addition, the metric system works well with percentages and is a one sort of unit for weight, which makes it easier to get more accurate measurements. However, the disadvantage of the metric system is that it’s not well suited for working with fractions, so basically one size does not fit all. When it comes to measuring fractions, the numbers can be off. For example, 2/6 meter is approximately equivalent to 333 millimeters and 2/3 kilogram is approximately equal to 666 grams.