In history, there were times when we used to measure things with our bodies. Applying hands, fingers, arms and feet was the normal and generally accepted way of explaining how big or long an object was. As you might expect, this practice was highly inaccurate. In order for us to avoid uncertainties today we use two different systems of measurement. The US Standard system and the decimal system.
The US Standard measurement system is based on the inch, foot, yard and mile. This system is used in countries like England, Canada and the USA. The main disadvantage of this practice is the lack of simple relationships between the units. For instance, there are 12 inches in a foot, 3 feet in a yard, 5280 feet in a mile. Converting between different units can take some time.
Most countries use the decimal system. These measurements are based on multiples of ten. The base unit is the meter which was originally defined as one ten-millionth of the distance between the North Pole and the Equator. This system allows an easier conversion between the units. For example 1 kilometre (km) = 1000 metres (m) = 100,000 centimetres (cm).
Which measurement system do you use?