- Does the US use fractions?
- Why are fractions used in the imperial system?
- Why does the US use imperial units?
- Does inches use decimals?
Does the US use fractions?
Every common US measuring tape or ruler with inches on it has fractional divisions. In the US we are all familiar with 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 and 1/32 of an inch. The very first thing one is taught in school, is that in order to add fractions they must have a common denominator.
Why are fractions used in the imperial system?
That is simply the way it is. The measuring unit (inch) is divided in half and half and so on. Fractions is the best way to work with a system based on halves. But a foot is divided in 12.
Why does the US use imperial units?
In Great Britain, it was Imperial weights and measures and Fahrenheit. "Because Britain had so much influence here in North America, Canada and the United States sided with the Imperial system as well," said Krashinsky.
Does inches use decimals?
You'll find that some museums give dimensions only in inches or centimetres rather than both but they'll be written as they should be: inches are written with fractions while centimetres use a decimal point.