MAY 20, 2018

Why the US still uses Fahrenheit

WRITTEN BY: Kathryn DeMuth Sullivan

The US is one of the only countries still using the Imperial System of measurement, which includes our wacky Fahrenheit temperature scale as well as gallons and feet and inches. Though the Imperial system made sense several hundred years ago, why hasn't the US switched over to the Metric System, to align with the rest of the modern world?

The US spends a lot of extra money and time because of it's Imperial System. Children have to learn how to use two measurement systems in school, making STEM classes more difficult; companies have to create two sets of products; people even run the risk of accidental overdose from medications with different prescription amounts in differing units. But knowing all this, the US actually has attempted to switch over to the Metric System twice...it just didn't work. And according to Vox, there's no financial proof that switching over would really be worth it in the end - and it certainly hasn't caught on with the US public. What's your opinion on Fahrenheit versus Celsius? Share in the comments below!