Final answer:
Fewer feet are needed compared to centimeters to measure the same length because a foot is a larger unit than a centimeter. The U.S. customary system uses different units like inches and feet for everyday measurements, while the metric system uses powers of 10 for easy conversion between units.
Step-by-step explanation:
You need fewer feet than centimeters to measure the same length because a foot is a larger unit of measurement compared to a centimeter. In the U.S. customary system, which we often use in everyday life, there are 12 inches in a foot and 5280 feet in a mile, making the foot a medium-sized unit suitable for measuring things like furniture or room dimensions. On the other hand, the metric system uses powers of 10 for conversion, making it simple to switch between units; there are 100 centimeters in a meter and 1000 meters in a kilometer. For very small or very large objects, the metric system allows you to simply move the decimal point to use the most appropriate metric prefix, such as nanometers for optical design or kilometers for road construction. However, in many everyday applications, inches, feet, and yards provide a convenient means to measure short distances without large numbers that can be more cumbersome to work with.