Concept in Definition ABC

We have the need to measure what surrounds us, from the length of things to the distance from one point to another. When we do this type of operation math, we are handling the concept of length. In other words, the measurement of any kind of distance implies the idea of ​​length.

The meter is the most universal measure of length

One meter equals 10 decimeters, 100 centimeters, or 1000 millimeters. When we talk about meters, we also use other types of magnitudes associated with it, such as the kilometer (1000 meters) or the hectometer (100 meters).

From the meter and its different associated units, it is possible to specify the measurement of any reality. For example, we can calculate the length of a circumference multiplying the length of the diameter by the number pi.

If the aim is to determine the Geographical coordinates of a place, it will be necessary to set the length and also the latitude (Longitude is the angular measure of the distance between a geographic point and the

meridian Greenwich mean and latitude is the angular measure of the distance between a geographic point and the equator).

The history of the subway

In ancient societies all kinds of standards were established to measure distances. There were hundreds of different measurement units on the planet as a whole: rod, foot, cubit, span, Roman mile, breaststroke, inch, step and many others. All of them generated various problems: they were imprecise, they made it difficult to communication between different cultures and were not universally accepted.

From the French Revolution the possibility of reunifying the system of measures was considered. For this to be possible, it was necessary for the new measure to meet some requirements:

1) that it was universal,

2) that he had a scale brand new and

3) that it did not depend on a pattern object that could be degraded.

Finally it was agreed that the meter would be the new standard and this unit was extracted from the measurement of the meridian line that crosses Paris. In fact, a meter is equal to 1 / 10,000,000 of 1/4 of a terrestrial meridian.

To calculate the exact measurements, a triangulation system based on trigonometric calculations was used. From all these calculations the exact measurement of the meter in 1799 was extracted. As is logical, at the same time the metric system that continues in force to the present was proclaimed. The standard meter used was made from an alloy of platinum and iridium. The final meter was a model for all humanity.

Topics in Length