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The Humble Centimetre

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talltim

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A good reason for not using cm is the potential for confusion. For example, if weather presenters said 10cm of rain had fallen it would be quite possible and reasonable to mishear that as 10mm, the error isn't immediately obvious because a factor of 10 difference is within expectations. If everyone sticks to mm or metres then the difference factor is 1000 and an error should be obvious just from the numbers. If we get 10 metres of rain we ought to be very worried.
For example, if weather presenters said 10mm of rain had fallen it would be quite possible and reasonable to mishear that as 10cm...

Actually, as they're measuring a liquid, you might even think they said 10ml
 
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DaleCooper

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For example, if weather presenters said 10mm of rain had fallen it would be quite possible and reasonable to mishear that as 10cm...

Actually, as they're measuring a liquid, you might even think they said 10ml

If 10ml of rain fell no one would notice.
 

Marton

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The US pint is logical in that it weighs a pound Of water just as the litre weighs a kilo

This makes Dilutions somewhat easier On a w/w basis

EDIT: in as much as there is any logic in Imperial units.
 

Struner

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I think the "degree Celsius" is the exception to that rule. (It is an SI unit although not the SI base unit for temperature).
Well, we don’t say “degrees Celsius”, just “degrees” OR just “kelvin” - the first meaning ° in day to day usage, so basically around 0° :p, the second starting from absolute zero.
Would the expression “degrees Celcius” have come about to distinguish from “degrees Fahrenheit”? - & vice versa?
 

DaleCooper

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A further thought:

Is Millicent Martin the same as 10 Micro Martin?

and

Do you need a thousand Milli Vanilli to make Vanilla
 

AM9

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A further thought:

Is Millicent Martin the same as 10 Micro Martin?

and

Do you need a thousand Milli Vanilli to make Vanilla
Not reaslly, Vanilli is the plural. One is a Vanillo, and a Vanilla is a female one. A Milli however often comes in bands.
 
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