1. by: Holly Baust and Chris Conover
Chapter 6
By Tens and Tenths
Metric Measurement
by: Holly Baust and Chris Conover

2. History of Measurement
Measure became important when humans began to trade.
i.e. how much grain, how large a horse, how long a rope, etc.
Units were agreed-upon and became standards for systems of measurement
Early standards included:
Span
Palm
Digit
Foot
Cubit
Fathom

3. History of Measurement
Example
Measure the width of your desk using your span
Compare your span with some of your neighbors
DISADVANTAGES ??

4. English System of Measurement
The standards were based on a king or another prominent person.
King Henry I
Yard
Tip of his nose to the tip of his thumb with his arm stretched out
Became basis for English system
Still used in the United States
Used almost nowhere else
Disadvantages ?

5. History of the Metric System
In 1790, Bishop Charles Maurice de Talleyrand proposed a system.
Based on one full swing per second made by a pendulum
Rejected by the French Academy of Sciences because temperature and gravity differs throughout the world.
Instead, a system based on the length of a sea-level meridian arc

6. The Meter Meter : one ten-millionth of the meridian arc
Advantage : system is comprised of multiples of powers of ten
Multiples of ten less than a meter are named with Latin prefixes
Multiples of ten greater than a meter are named with Greek prefixes

7. The Meter Nano 0.000000001 10-9 Micro 0.000001 10-6 Milli 0.001 10-3
Centi
Deci
no prefix
Deka
Hecto
Kilo
Mega ,000,
Giga ,000,000,

8. The Meter How did they determine the length of the meridian arc?
Instead of using the unit degree, the French Academy defined grade (grad) as the new unit of angular measure based on the powers of ten.
100 grades = Right Angle
400 grades = Circle
Replaced grades with radians
Area, volume, and mass

9. History of the Metric System
1795 : Republic of France accepted the French Academy’s system
1812 : Napoleon discarded this system
1840 : Napoleon reinstated it as the mandatory French system
1875 : 17 countries signed the Treaty of the Meter
1960 : Meter redefined in terms of wavelength.
1983 : Redefined again to the distance traveled by light inside a vacuum during a second.

10. The U.S. and the Metric System
1866 : Made the metric system legal, but not mandatory in commerce.
1875 : Signed the Treaty of the Meter
1975 : Metric Conversion Act
Urged voluntary conversion to the metric system
Little progress was made
U.S. is one of the last to adopt the metric system as its official measurement system

11. Length
                                                                                                                                                                           
Activity

12. Timeline
Bishop Charles Maurice de Talleyrand proposed a system based on the length of a pendulum that would make one full swing per second.
1795 -France officially adopted the metric system.
1812 -Napoleon temporarily suspended the compulsory provisions of the 1795 metric system adoption.
1840 -The metric system reinstated as the compulsory system in France.
The use of the metric system made legal (but not mandatory) in the United States. This law also made it unlawful to refuse to trade or deal in metric quantities.

13. Timeline
1875 -The Convention of the Metre signed in Paris by 17 nations, including the United States. The Meter Convention, often called the Treaty of the Meter in the United States, provided for improved metric weights and measures and the establishment of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) devoted to international agreement on matters of weights and measures.
1960 -The meter was redefined in terms of wavelengths of light.
1975 -The Metric Conversion Act of 1975 (Public Law ) passed by Congress. The Metric Act established the U.S. Metric Board to coordinate and plan the increasing use and voluntary conversion to the metric system. However, the Metric Act was devoid of any target dates for metric conversion.
1983 -The meter is redefined in terms of the speed of light.

14. Future Timeline before the end of 2009 2009 December 31
The U.S. should allow metric-only packaging by amending the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA). This would be a good step towards meeting EU requirements for SI-only labels in 2009.
2009 December 31
All products sold in Europe (with limited exceptions) will be required to have only SI-metric units on their labels. Dual labeling will not be permitted. Implementation of the labeling directive, previously 1999 December 31, was extended by the EU Commission for 10 years, giving more time for companies to comply and for U.S. regulations to allow metric-only labeling on consumer products.

15. Works Cited
Berlinghoff, William P., and Fernando Q. Gouvêa. Math Through the Ages: a Gentle History for Teachers and Others. Farmington: Oxton House,
"Early Measurement History." ThinkQuest. Oracle Education Fund. 11 Sept <
"Toward a Metric America." The National Institute of Standards and Technology. Dec NIST. 6 Sept <
U.S. Metric Association. 3 Sept U.S. Metric Association. 3 Sept <