Matt wrote:if you hadn't learned on the fractions, you probably wouldn't find them easier to do. base 10 decimal calculations are far more efficient, simply because converting them requires no changes to the numbers themselves; which makes it faster and easier to do the calculations in your head. I'd put forward that most anyone trained on the decimals could do that calculation without even consciously making the conversion, which you couldn't do with the fractions.
so how done one know 10mm goes in to 1 cm without being taught? I'm sure many people see "10mm" & the first reaction is "0.1cm". I, naturally, converted 11/16 to 22/32 once I saw that the other number was in x/32 form.
as long as there's different units used it must always be converted & increases the chance of mistake. If it was "1.7cm" & "23.6cm" I would agree with you... unless you compared it to 22/32" * 9 9/32". then there's still no conversion.
Eigther way, I prefer fractions. On the scale in my barn, do you know how much MORE space I'd need in my notebook if instead of "3 11/16lb" milk it would be 3.6875lb? (the fractions are written verticly, not horizontly so I use 1 number space as opposed to 4). Of course then it would all be in kg's anyway. Silly rest of world. :p
For people who don't bother to think with frations decimels, in general, are easier.