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( Systems of measurement)
A system of measurement is a set of units which can be used to specify anything which can be measured and were historically important, regulated and defined because of trade and internal commerce. Scientifically, when later analyzed, some quantities are designated as fundamental units meaning all other needed units can be derived from them, whereas in the early and most historic eras, the units were given by fiat (See Statute law) by the ruling entities and were not necessarily well inter-related or self-consistent. The French revolution gave rise to a scientific system, and there has been steady significant pressure since to convert to a scientific basis from so called customary units of measure. In most systems, length (distance), weight, and time are fundamental quantities; or as has been now accepted as better in science and engineering, the substitution of mass for weight, as a better more basic parameter. Some systems have changed to recognize the improved relationship, notably the 1824 legal changes to the imperial system. Later science developments showed that either electric charge or electric current must be added to complete the minimum set of fundamental quantities by which all other metrological units may be defined. Other quantities, such as power, speed, etc. are derived from the fundamental set; for example, speed is distance divided by time. Historically a wide range of units were used for the same quantity; for example, in several cultural settings, length was measured in inches, feet, yards, fathoms, rods, chains, furlongs, miles, nautical miles, stadia, leagues, with conversion factors which are not simple powers of ten or even always simple fractions within a given customary system. Nor were they necessarily the same units (or equal units) between different members of similar cultural backgrounds. It must be understood by the modern reader that historically, measurement systems were perfectly adequate within their own cultural milieu, and the understanding that a better more universal system (based on more rationale and fundamental units) only gradually spread with the maturation and appreciation of the rigor characteristic of Newtonian physics. Moreover, changing one's measurement system has real fiscal and cultural costs.
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Systems of measurement Subcategories
Systems of measurement Articles
The 5 NLP Representational Systems: How You Build Your Model Of The World by Steve Bauer
In previous articles you’ve been learning that you make sense of events in your surroundings through your model of the world. In other words, you create maps that help you navigate through your day-to-day situations. A map is a representation...
An overview of Hydroponics Systems by Susan Slobac
Hydroponics gardening is a fantastic way to garden indoors. A soilless method of gardening, you can utilize a growing medium (or not) and feed the plants using a nutrient solution. Grow lights are used to ensure that plants receive adequate light s...
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