history of measurement: powerpoint presentation
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Hello everyone! This is my PowerPoint presentation on the History of Measurement.TRANSCRIPT
HISTORY OF MEASUREMENT
By: Ishaq Shah
Ms. Hamrani’s Intro To Eng. Class Block: 4A
HOW MEASURING UNITS CAME TO EXISTENCE
Many civilizations needed measurements
to construct, make clothing, barter food,
and even raw materials. The Egyptians
amongst many other civilizations were the
first to begin recording measurements.
Due to the Pharaoh's excessive need for
monuments and worship from his peasants,
Egyptians began recording measurements
around 3200 BC. We see this as evidence
through the pyramids of today, the
Phoenix, and other monuments in Egypt
today.
(The Amazing Pyramids and the Phoenix)
SPECIF IC TOOLS USED FOR MEASUREMENTS
In ancient Egypt, lengths were
measured by cubit rods. As
evidence these rods were found
in the tombs of officials. Greeks
measure of length were based
on the human body such as the
foot and the finger segments.
Which the Roman Empire
adapted or refined into a larger
foot.
Cubit Rods
Greek’s measurements of the Human Body.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS
THE INDONESIANS,
EGYPTIANS,
MESOPOTAMIANS, ELAM,
AND THE INDUS VALLEY
PEOPLES, WERE ALL
MAJOR CONTRIBUTERS TO
THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THE DEVICES AND UNITS.
BLUNDERS OF FAULTY MEASUREMENTS
The Great Kersten Blunder – Kersten was a
programmer who programmed the Vigor space
probe and sent it towards Venus. He made a
very small error of conversion from millimeter
to inches, and the probe missed Venus and was
sent hurling in space. This caused 2 billion
dollars of technology to be abolished.
The Mars Climate Orbiter suffered a dramatic
disaster when programming teams from Europe
and USA worked in two different measurement
systems to program the Orbiter. It missed Mars
and completely vanished into space.
The Great Kersten Blunder
The Mars Climate Orbiter
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
1. According to archeological records, which civilizations were the
first to record measurements?
The Egyptians were the first, and were followed by the Sumerians,
and then the Chinese.
2. Around the time of the Roman Empire the terms inch, foot, and
yard were refined. What was the length of a foot based on?
The term “Foot” came to existence when someone unknown
measured a standard person’s foot. Some say it was a king’s foot,
but however some feet were smaller and sometimes larger than 12
inches.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
3. For what reason did the French Academy of Science create the metric system?
The main reason for the invention of the metric system by the French Academy of
Science was to create a measurement system that could be used internationally by
standards of weight, distance, volume and temperature.
4. What was the Treaty of the Meter (May 20, 1875)?
It was an agreement to oversee the standards of the metric system. Numerous countries
were involved.
5. How was the length of a standard meter defined in the year 1791?
It was defined by the dimensions of the planet Earth.
6. How was the length of a standard meter redefined in the year 1983?
On October 20, 1983, the meter was officially redefined by the distance traveled by light.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
7. What was the significance of the Metric Act of 1866?
It was significant because it recognized the Metric System as a legal system of
measurement in the United States.
8. What were some of the early tools to help aid in measurement?
The human body, and the cubit rods were some of the earliest tools in aiding
measurements.
9. What major engineering blunders were results of faulty measurement?
The error in conversion of mm. to in., resulting in the loss of the Venus Probe.
Different use of measuring systems (metric and standard) of the USA and
Europe, caused the Mars Climate Orbiter to be abolished.
RESOURCES
http://inventors.about.com/od/mstartinvention
s/a/
Measurement.htm
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHisto
ries.asp?historyid=
ac07
( Inventors.about.com – historyworld.net )