What is the metric system? Detailed answer

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What is the metric system? Detailed answer

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What is a metric system?

Each country in the world uses its own methods of measuring volume, weight and quantity, that is, it has a special system of measures. It is essential for the successful trading and exchange of goods. But the most difficult thing is that in different countries these systems of measures do not coincide.

So, for example, the United States borrowed from the British a special, "English" system.

Today, the US is practically the only country that uses it.

Units of measurement for weight, volume and quantity have come down to us from time immemorial. When the ancient Romans wanted to measure length, they used the length of the foot as a unit of measurement. The English still measure length in feet: one foot is equal to 30,48 cm. An inch (2,5 cm) is equal to the width of a finger. The length of a yard (91,44 cm) is equal to the length of an arm.

Long distances were measured in ancient Rome in steps: 2000 steps later became equal to one mile, or 1,609 km. Of course, standards such as arm length or stride length were not accurate. So, in ancient Rome, a foot was measured in 200 different ways. And in America at the time of the first settlers in different colonies there were different units of measurement!

Today it is very important that the units of measurement are the same for all countries. Therefore, the US Congress is given the right to establish uniform measures. In Washington, the Bureau of Standards keeps weight and length standards. For example, there is a bar of platinum, which is very carefully guarded. This bar is a standard of length: the correctness of other units of measurement can be checked by comparing them with standards that are in Washington. In the UK there is a museum of units of measurement: it is located near London, in the observatory of the city of Greenwich.

In France, in 1789, an international system for measuring length, weight and volume was adopted. It was called the "metric system". Now most countries use it.

The metric system uses the meter as its basic unit of measurement. One meter equals 39,37 inches. This measurement system is based on the number 10; each subsequent unit of measure is 10 times the previous one (for example, one meter is equal to 10 decimeters or 100 cm).

Author: Likum A.

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

Why is a rattlesnake poisonous?

Scientists believe that there are currently between 3000 and 3500 species of snakes. From 10 to 15% of them are poisonous. They infect or kill their prey with poison. The rattlesnake is a type of venomous snake. The rattlesnake belongs to the group of vipers or vipers. All members of this group are poisonous. The rattlesnake has a scaled rattle, which is where they get their name from. This rattle is very sensitive to the slightest changes in temperature. It allows snakes to detect the presence of a warm-blooded organism even in the dark.

Rattlesnakes have a highly developed and perfect venom system. The fangs are long. Each canine is mounted in a short "upper jaw" and can rotate. When the snake wants to close its mouth, the jaw rotates so that the fangs fit in the mouth and the mouth can close. in relation to the throat.

The poison that the snake releases into its prey affects the blood cells and blood vessels. They swell and bleed. The venom of some snake species, such as the South American rattlesnake, also affects the nervous system.

Rattlesnakes are found only on the American continent, there are about 30 different species of them. Their rattle consists of dry, keratinized ringlets of skin, scales that are firmly attached to each other. When a snake shakes its tail, which happens when it is angry, the scales rub against each other. There is a soft thump or dull sound. This rumble warns animals of danger.

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New dedicated capacitance meter 09.01.2003

QuadTech specialists, formerly GenRad (USA), have developed a new capacitance meter Capacitance Meter 1930, which supplemented the 1900 series of professional immittance meters.

This device is optimized for automatic measurement of a wide range of parameters of capacitors of various types, including tantalum. The main advantage of the new device is its ability to measure small values (of the order of microohms) of the equivalent loss resistance in a series equivalent circuit (Equivalent Series Resistance - ESR). The basic error of the instrument is 0,1%. It allows you to measure a total of 20 parameters of capacitance (0,01 pF...10 F), resistance (0,1 μOhm...100 MΩ), inductance (0,001 nH...100 H), dielectric loss tangent, the quality factor of the phase angle, etc.

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