1. SI System of Measurement
Intro to the
SI System of Measurement
(Metric System)

2. History of the SI System
In 1795 there were over 700 different units of measurements in France alone. Many often referred to parts of the human body: the digit, the hand, the foot, the cubit, the pace, and the fathom. The same thing was true in other countries all over the world. The biggest problem was that these units were not fixed and they varied from country to country, town to town, and from person to person.
Until the late 1700’s, there was no UNIFIED system of measurement. For example, despite the best efforts of Charlemagne and many kings of France after him, the country’s measurement system was one of the most chaotic in the world.

3. 10 If you can count to ten, you can measure with the metric system.4
Click here and watch this detailed VIDEO explanation before moving to the next slide
If you can count to ten, you can measure with the metric system.
In 1790, in the midst of the French Revolution, the National Assembly of France requested that the French Academy of Sciences create a standardized system of measurement for all measurements that was SIMPLE and SCIENTIFIC. Thus the Metric system was created.
The System is a decimal system (No Fractions) based on the number…

4. That means technically we should no longer be using inches, feet, gallons, pounds, and miles.
Soon after its creation, it was adopted and slowly introduced into many countries. In fact the US Congress passed a law in 1866 naming the metric system as the official measurement system of the United States.

5. The distance is the same, but the definition has changed.
Metric vs. SI System
The SI System basically redefined the base units of the Metric System in a more precise way.
For example, in the Metric System one meter was defined as one ten-millionth of the distance between the equator and the North Pole
… and now the SI system defines one meter as the path travelled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second.
The distance is the same, but the definition has changed.

6. Could the United States finally adopt the metric system?
The United States is one of only THREE countries in the world that has not yet made the complete conversion to the SI System, which is making it harder and harder for US businesses to take part in International trade.
Could the United States finally adopt the metric system?
Click here to watch one opinion about making the change.

7. Don’t worry, not many people do.
Do you know how tall you are in centimeters or how much you weigh in kilograms?
Don’t worry, not many people do.
Click here for a short video
Why is this? It’s because it’s hard to make a change. Many people were set in their ways or didn’t have a need or desire to learn a new system at that time, but now it is time to change.

9. Click here to watch a video to learn how to CORRETLY measure.
(You only have to watch the first 8.5 minutes)
PLUS: you can find more helpful measurement videos on Mr. Racchini’s Website.