The Metric System

1286 Words3 Pages

The Metric System

Unlike Present Day, where most scientific groups and people use the standard unit of measurement; the metric system, there used to be a time when a variety of units of measurement were frequently used throughout the world, some units were also measured using the human body. For example length could be measured in numerous ways such as feet, hands, cubits, palms, rods, furlongs and many more. This creation of multiple varying units created an absence in common measurement standards, leading to a lot of misunderstanding and a significant drop of efficiency in the trade between countries. This havoc remained persistent until the eighteenth century when those countries had learnt that “United We Stand; Divided We Fall”-Aesop.

Towards the end of the 18th century the French government set out to amend and alleviate this problem and replace the chaotic collection of units then in use. The goal of this effort was to produce a universal system of measurement that did not rely on a collection of distinct standards, and to use the decimal system rather than fractions. In 1790, the French general assembly gathered with the academy of science to devise such a system; the system devised is known as the metric system By 1960, the metric system was officially named Système International d'Unités (SI) and currently is used in almost every country in the world except the United States of America.

The main reason the metric system is known for its simplicity is because there is only unit of measurement or a base unit for each type of measured quantity measured; length mass, weight, etc… There are a few base units in the metric system but the most common ones which are used are the meter, gram and liter. As an example if ...

... middle of paper ...

...20 000 Properties, Homes, Houses, Real Estate for Sale. Web. 07 Oct. 2011. .

Kenney, Ian. "The Disadvantages of the Metric System of Measurement | EHow.com." EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | EHow.com. Web. 07 Oct. 2011. .

"Metric 4 US - Why Metric Is the Better System." Metric 4 US - Metric Is the Better System for America! Web. 07 Oct. 2011. .

Think Metric. "Use Metric Now — What Is the next Step?" Think Metric! Web. 07 Oct. 2011. .

Wikipedia. Road Signs. Photograph. China. Wikipedia. Web. 07 Oct. 2011. .

Open Document