Units of measurement are fundamental to any endeavor. In our lives, measurement affects lengths of classes, money, property and sports. Although society has functioned well with acceptable, but imprecise, definitions of units, todays complex technological society requires very precise definitions of physical quantities.
The purpose of this exercise is to help you to understand the units in use.
You will be asked to define certain terms. You may get the information from web sources, HOWEVER, you MUST provide the reference to the source of your information, either in the form of a literature citation if you get the information from a journal or a book, or the full URL if you take it from the web. Wikipedia entries are vvery informative, but there are other sources of information.
Provide the definitions of the following terms. Be sure to read each line carefully for the specific information that I require. Also answer in full sentences or paragraphs.
1. Foot - provide the historical background for this origin of this unit
2. Foot – provide the current precise definition of this unit in terms of the metric system
3. Mile - provide the historical background for this origin of this unit
4. Mile – provide the definition in terms of the Foot and Meter units
5. ounce - provide the historical background for this origin of this unit – Why is this used in reference to both weight and volume?
6. ounce – provide the relation of this to other units of volume
7. quart
8. gallon
9. pound
10. meter – provide the historical definition for the way that this unit was defined in 1790!
11. meter – provide the modern definition in terms of an absolute physical quantity
12. kilometer -
13. gram – how was this defined in 1790?
14 and 15. gram – what is the current definition and what is the kilogram standard and where is it?
16. second – provide the historical definition. What are the problems with the historical definition?
17. second – what is the modern definition.
18. What are SI units?