When dealing with fractions of an inch, measuring devices ALWAYS use base 2 denominators (1/2 inches, 1/4 inches, 1/8 inches, 1/16 inches). They actually have ticks on the tape measure to represent those values. By convention, measurements are as well written down using that same principle.
It’s so ubiquitous, that people fall apart if it’s deviated from.
Also, from a practical perspective, there won’t be an explicit mark on a tape measure for any of those measurements, so they’d need to kinda fudge that if they wanted to take a more precise measurement with a standard tape measure.
In Canada at least, it’s pretty common for a tape measure to have metric and imperial units. Not sure if that’s the same on the US. In this situation, I’d just use the metric. And for any of the highlighted measurements, I don’t think I’d be to stressed out about if I mismeasured by a 16th of an inch anyways.
bobs_monkey@lemm.ee 2 years ago
In the US trades, every measurement is expressed in ft/in, with fractions by 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 as they’re expressed on a standard US tape measure. No one uses 5ths, 10ths, etc
eager_eagle@lemmy.world 2 years ago
frankly, using predetermined denominators only seems marginally better to me
it makes me wonder who decided that
32 3/8 inwas more readable than32.375 inMrQuallzin@lemmy.world 2 years ago
Useful for tape measures. 3/8in would be 6 marks in (6/16)
fhqwgads@possumpat.io 2 years ago
To be fair 10ths are a thing in surveying. And occasionally engineering I guess but I’ve never seen it.
I want a ruler in 3rds just to mess with people now though.
Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 2 years ago
There’s a 12ths scale on a carpenters square. Used mostly for roofs I believe.
riodoro1@lemmy.world 2 years ago
Except 1/100 and 1/1000 because consistency