That is, a larger unit divided into ten smaller units, and these smaller units each divided into ten even smaller units, and so on.Īs we can see, not all of the early measuring systems were base 10. It was a base-ten system, meaning that smaller units taken to the power of ten made up larger units. This new system was the decimal metric system.
It was not until the French Revolution and subsequent colonization of various regions of the world by France and other European nations that adopted this new system, that the new measuring system was developed and adopted across the globe. Lack of standardization caused similar problems with the units for volume as with those for mass and length.Īs early as the 13th century, and possibly even earlier, scientists and philosophers discussed creating a unified measuring system. For example, the volume of a container, like a jug or a cauldron, would be determined by the number of small items of relatively uniform size, for example, seeds, that fit into the container. Initially, volume was also measured using these small items. Since neither the value of the units nor the number of units that they were divided into were universal, there were confusions and disagreements when merchants from different regions traded with each other. The value of these units varied from region to region, and each larger unit was often comprised of 60, 100, or another number of the smaller units. These larger units often had artifacts, which were standardized weights, generally made of stone. Different regions often used these smaller units such as seeds, and the larger units which were often multiples of the smaller units. It was originally based on the weight of a carob seed. A classic example of this is the unit of mass still in use, the carat, now used for measuring precious stones. Weights, on the other hand, were based on the mass of an individual seed, grain, bean, or another similar object.
0 kommentar(er)
