<!-- 
.. title: Metric volume vs Imperial volume: base 10 vs base 2
.. slug: metric-volume-vs-imperial-volume-base-10-vs-base-2
.. date: 2015-02-09 06:44:53 UTC+11:00
.. tags: 
.. link: 
.. description: 
.. spellcheck_exceptions: Data's
.. type: text
-->

I grew up with metric, so I have a natural bias. Metric seems orderly in it's progressions and Imperial seems utterly inconsistent. Imagine my surprise at the apparent order in US volumes revealed at [Flowing Data's Baking units demystified post](http://flowingdata.com/2015/02/06/baking-units-demystified/). It dawned on me that the order is a question of base:

* Metric volumes are base-10
* US Imperial volumes are base-2

Specifically

* 1 gallon = 4 quarts
* 1 quart = 2 pints
* 1 quart = 4 cups
* 1 cup = 8 fluid oz
* 1 fluid oz = 2 tablespoons

I was quite excited that I'd just missed a fundamental mapping and incorrectly judged the system and then I looked at the [Wikipedia Cup (unit) page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cup_%28unit%29) and gave up all hope:

* US customary cups vs US legal cups vs UK cups
* US customary pints vs Imperial pints
* International teaspoons vs Australian teaspoons

It seems the Imperial orderly progressions are limited to the base-2 US customary baking volumes. Oh well. And why do we measure ingredients by volume anyway?

Add metric vs imperial volumes post
Add metric vs imperial volumes post
