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# Why do scientists prefer the SI units over the old English system of measurement?

Apr 19, 2014

There are several reasons why SI is preferred to the old English system of measurement:

1. SI is not based on the arbitrary construct of the human body; rather, on precise and definite standards.

2. SI uses base 10, just like our number system, so it is much easier to learn, remember and convert between units.

3. The prefixes used in SI are from Latin and Greek, and they refer to the numbers that the terms represent. (For example, "kilo" as in "kilogram" means 1 000 and "milli" means 1/1000). You can now easily calculate the number of millimeters in a kilometer. (how many inches in a mile?)

4. SI units are interrelated in such a way that one unit is derived from other units without conversion factors. E.g. $1 N$ (Newton) is the force needed to give $1 k g$ (kilogram) of mass an acceleration of $1 \frac{m}{s} ^ 2$ Try that with the 'English' units.

5. SI is used in most places around the world, so our use of it allows scientists from disparate regions to use a single standard in communicating scientific data without vocabulary confusion.