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VK6BE > DRAKE 14.05.11 17:03l 32 Lines 1703 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 940205VK6BE
Read: GUEST DK3UZ DL1LCA DG4IAK
Subj: Re: G0TEZ > Warren's league
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<OK0PPL<DB0RES<ON0AR<ON4HU<F8COJ<F8COJ<VE3UIL<VK2DOT<
VK2DOT<VK6ZRT
Sent: 110514/1527Z @:VK6ZRT.#BUN.#WA.AUS.OC #:2786 [Boyanup] $:940205VK6BE
From: VK6BE@VK6ZRT.#BUN.#WA.AUS.OC
To : DRAKE@WW
As a teacher with the job of comverting my class to the decimal system in
money and metrics let me say that the conversion as done in this country
was the best thing that happened in a century. Out went rods, poles,
perches roods, acres, and with it ounces, pennyweights, lbs, quarters,
hundredweights and tons. Also out with inches and small portions of such,
feet, yards, chains, furlongs, fathoms.Further out with halfpence,
florins, shillings, crowns, pounds. And there were others such as drams,
pints, quarts, gallons, firkins, hogsheads etc.. A whole huge burden was
taken off the back of the teachers of maths in primary school when we went
decimal and metric. I was there; huge sigh of relief and about half of my
maths programme out the window replaced by a simple system. Europe beat us
to it by a long chalk and the Yanks did half the job but only half.
Maths tests pre metrics and decimals. Example convert 14356 half pence to
pounds shillings and pence. Conversely Reduce $5,15 and 6 1/2 pence to
half pence.Or how many inches in 1 mile 15 chains.
You are laughing but this sort of exercise was a reality in 1960 here.
Decimal coinage came in and as with other decimal measurements (metrics
etc.) it became a simple matter of moving a decimal point around. Life
made easier for child and teacher.The one weakness in the decimal system
is the division by three or multiple thereof where you have a recurring
decimal but that is no big deal as we round to the nearest stable figure.
No problem.
Cheers,
Bob VK6BE.
>On the other hand you end up with a string of decimals when
10 is used, metric sucks when it comes to doing the math!
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