This is the sixth part in a series of notes that will help teachers understand what SI is and how to use it in a common-sense way. This part discusses the history of SI in America and AAPT's current role in protecting the physicists' perspectives in making changes.

There is much more metrication going on in the United States than is apparent to the casual observer, and more than those who want to delay adoption seem to know. However, use of metric measures has not grown as fast as many had hoped. The following were some of the important steps in advancing the metric system in the U.S.

Progress has not been as rapid as prescribed, but many government agencies and projects use primarily metric measures, without much awareness by teachers and the public. Students will find that familiarity with the metric system will be expected in many jobs....

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