Why the difference?!
Why the difference?
English pint = 20 fl.oz. American pint = 16fl.oz.
English gallon = 8 pints American gallon = 6 pints
2 months ago
I stand corrected over the gallon and apologise it was my understanding it was 6 pints.
Answers:
2 months ago
I stand corrected over the gallon and apologise it was my understanding it was 6 pints.
Oh, it gets even more confusing than that. Since the American fluid ounce is 4% larger than the Imperial fluid ounce, the Imperial Pint is only equal to 1.2 American Pints, and not 1.25 like you'd think it would be.
To answer your question, it's because the standard units of measurement in Great Britain and the United States are based, at least partially, on different systems of measure.
United States Customary Units (more commonly called 'English Units') are based almost entirely on the Avoirdupois system of measurement, especially when it comes to units of mass and volume (the one big exception being the Troy system, which is still used internationally to weigh and measure precious metals). As the name would lead you to believe, the Avoirdupois system of measurements does not come from England, but like so many other things in American culture, comes instead from France.
Because there were no other real competing systems here (The British at the time were familiar with it, the French used it exclusively, the Native Americans would have known of it since most of their dealings were with the French, etc), there was no need to alter the traditional weights and measures used in that system, so we've never made alterations to it.
On the other hand, the British had several competing systems of measure to contend with, and it led to confusion as people tried to convert back and forth between the French Avoirdupois system and the "native" systems of measure.
So, to solve the situation, the British opted to adapt the different competing systems of measurement, including the Avoirdupois system, to one another and come up with a single system of measurements to use. When they did so, they had to change the quantities to "average out" the differences between the different systems they were using, in order to appease everyone. The system they ended up with wasn't exactly like any of the competing systems, but it was pretty close to all of them, so that's what they went with.
So, the short answer is that British and American pints are different amounts because the American system of measurement is the pure form of the Avoirdupois system, while the British system is a synthesis of that system and native British systems of measurement.
Americans cant drink as much as the English
uhhh, not sure, but an American gallon is 8 pints, not 6.
2 pints in a quart times 4 quarts per gallon= 8.
Becuase American measurements have a tendency to be confusing and not make much sense.
The US pint is 1lb and the UK pint is 1.25lbs, hence the two sayings "a pint's a pound the world around" and " a pint of clear water weighs a pound and a quarter".
My theory is it was America's way of slapping Britain in the face after the revolutionary war. I think that's also why we Americans spell the color g-r-a-y instead of g-r-e-y.
Senseless. Only three countries left in the world use the English system - Liberia, Myanmar and the USA. Why learn, or care, about a dead system? Like asking questions about Latin conjugations!
An american gallon is 8 pints just like yours.
http://www.metric-conversions.org/volume...
The METRIC System.
Years ago, the Brits and Yanks, were at loggerheads.
The America adopted their own set of standards.
England never changed. At the moment, most of the Western world has the METRIC system
America and England stand out on their own.
Cheers,
Franciscus v
don' have any idea.
Not sure but with the American obesity problem, we don't need more pints or gallons!