More things are metric than you think!

The common misconception of most people is that the metric system is foreign and that until the 1970's we didn't use metric to measure things. This is however not true and there are more metric things around than one might expect.

Photography

Anybody who has been involved for any length of time in pre-digital photography will no doubt have owned a 35mm camera. This device is metric in the very name and all of the lenses will have focal lengths and apertures measured in metric.

Paper

I once read somewhere that A4 paper wasn't metric. Well, if you think it isn't then think again because it is very much metric! Paper weight is also measured in metric... GSM means Grams per Square Metre.

Electricity

Volts, amps, watts, all of these things seem to have been around forever and are all part of the metric system. Electrical wire is sold in metric sizes, both thickness and length.

Computers

That's not a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive you have there. Get a ruler and have a look, the disk itself is actually 94mm x 90mm x 3mm. Even the disk inside is not 3.5 inches! The 3.5 inch name came purely from US dominance of the computer market

Cars

Even back in the 1970's car engine sizes were given in cc or litres. You will also be unable to buy petrol or oil anywhere outside the USA in anything other than litres. Look at the owners manual on any recent new car and you will find that almost all information on size and weight will be given exclusively in metric units.

Roads

All road engineering is carried out using metric. Next time you're on a motorway of dual carriageway you'll see those little markers by the side of the road - they are located every 100 metres. If you see roadworks on the same roads you will also notice that signs will usually be placed next to these markers (sign says "Road works 800 yards" the chances are you can count off 8 markers, exactly 800 metres!). Also, all specifications for road signs and markings are metric.

Only the "public face" of motoring, the distance and speed signs, are exclusively imperial! 

Weather Forecasts

All official weather forecasts are in metric. Rainfall always in millimetres , wind speed in metres per second, temperatures in celcius. It is only journalists who still insist on converting these back to inches, knots and Fahrenheit... and often make mistakes while doing so!

Law and government

Laws have been in place for some time which specify that news laws use metric. Local authorities and central government alike are required to carry out all procurement in metric. All official documents must use metric units. Even official documents referring to roads and transport will use km instead of miles!