this post was submitted on 19 May 2025
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Pretty sure fractions are pure math & not metric or imperial.
Americans do be dumb AF, though.
Yes and no. Imperial measurements that are not integers are displayed in fractions. Hence quarterpounders and thirpounders. In metrics, fractions are rarely used. Because the scales are more granular and because non-integers are usually displayed in decimals.
People thinking a third-pound-burger being smaller than a quarterpounder could not have happened with metrics, because, well, look at the title.
Often, they're not: look at packaging labels especially in grocery stores. Engineers use decimals regardless of unit.
Weight scales in the US don't mark 1⁄3.
Quarter & third likely show up for verbal ease/brevity of naming: saying 250 grams is a bit of mouthful & unlikely for naming anything. I suspect if Americans used metric, they might still use fractions to refer to burgers by weight/mass in kg (like drugs!).
Also convention. Nothing prevents 1⁄3 kg, 1⁄4 kg, and I'd expect to see 1⁄3 kg more often than 0.3̅ kg if rounding were avoided.
In metric, Americans still would get this wrong, because they don't understand fractions despite using them. Or are you suggesting everyone would get the order of 1⁄3 kg & 1⁄4 kg wrong?
Obviously 1/3 vs 1/4 is the same distinction regardless of unit. But part of the whole idea of metric is avoiding dealing with fractions in lieu of decimals. It's inherently less fraction-heavy.