Metric vs. other measurement systems - chart

[carl blum]

Hi Gang:
A cubic yard of water weights 1,685.6 pounds
A cubic meter of water weights 1000 kg, or a metric tonne
One seems easier to remember.
Carl.

[Karl_H]

Hi Gang:
A cubic yard of water weights 1,685.6 pounds
A cubic meter of water weights 1000 kg, or a metric tonne
Carl.

Either way, that is 0.1915 Asian elephants - unless you use African bush elephants, then it is 0.1296 elephants.
Karl

[metric_taper]

Instead of water as some weight volume standard, use some other material, and you get the same random number calculation.
In the end, either system is based on random selection of some standard unit dimension, and it's arbitrary. But we can calculated stuff, in either system. And metric, for most stuff is the easiest to translate, as water is most of what is common experience, to use for relative reference.