In misc.metric-system Jukka K. Korpela wrote:
"Julian Scarfe" wrote:

How can you possibly suggest that it would be more "practical" to
use kPa?

Because one digit less is needed, and conversions are easier when
powers of 1,000 are used as normally.


No, you need the same number of digits, and a decimal point in
addition. A pressure difference of 1 hPa corresponds to an altitude
difference of 8 m at sea level. That is just enough precision, but 80
m (corresponding to 1 kPa) would be intolerable. Pilots are usually
required to keep an assigned altitude to within +- 15 m (50 feet).

--
Klaus Wacker
Experimentelle Physik V http://www.physik.uni-dortmund.de/~wacker
Universitaet Dortmund Tel.: +49 231 755 3587
D-44221 Dortmund Fax: +49 231 755 4547