physics- standartisation of the meter [Archive]

Mag10

Sep20-04, 01:43 PM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>\n\nhy there!\nam searching for news about the topic "standartization of the length\nof one meter".\n"when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are\nmeasured by? and were is this meter situated?\nplease try to give me some help...\nregards magnus\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>hy there!
am searching for news about the topic "standartization of the length
of one meter".
"when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are
measured by? and were is this meter situated?
please try to give me some help...
regards magnus

Jon Bell

Sep21-04, 03:30 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>\nOn Mon, 20 Sep 2004, Mag10 wrote:\n\n> "when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are\n> measured by? and were is this meter situated?\n\nSince 1983, there is no "original meter" (physical object). The meter is\nnow defined as the distance that light travels in 1/299792458 second,\nexactly.\n\nHere\'s a Web page that gives a brief history of the various international\ndefinitions of the meter:\n\n<http://www.mel.nist.gov/div821/museum/timeline.htm>\n\n--\nJon Bell <jbellm4h@presby.edu> Presbyterian College\nDept. of Physics and Computer Science Clinton, South Carolina USA\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>On Mon, 20 Sep 2004, Mag10 wrote:

> "when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are
> measured by? and were is this meter situated?

Since 1983, there is no "original meter" (physical object). The meter is
now defined as the distance that light travels in 1/299792458 second,
exactly.

Here's a Web page that gives a brief history of the various international
definitions of the meter:

<http://www.mel.nist.gov/div821/museum/timeline.htm>

--
Jon Bell <jbellm4h@presby.edu> Presbyterian College
Dept. of Physics and Computer Science Clinton, South Carolina USA

Dirk Van de moortel

Sep21-04, 03:32 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>\n"Mag10" <magnus_deissler@web.de> wrote in message news:a27000e4.0409200730.1ee618c3@posting.google.c om...\n>\n>\n> hy there!\n> am searching for news about the topic "standartization of the length\n> of one meter".\n> "when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are\n> measured by? and were is this meter situated?\n> please try to give me some help...\n> regards magnus\n\nTry here:\nhttp://www.mel.nist.gov/div821/museum/timeline.htm\nhttp://www.mel.nist.gov/div821/museum/length.htm\nThat should cover your entire homework ;-)\n\nDirk Vdm\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>"Mag10" <magnus_deissler@web.de> wrote in message news:a27000e4.0409200730.1ee618c3@posting.google.c om...
>
>
> hy there!
> am searching for news about the topic "standartization of the length
> of one meter".
> "when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are
> measured by? and were is this meter situated?
> please try to give me some help...
> regards magnus

Try here:
http://www.mel.nist.gov/div821/museum/timeline.htm
http://www.mel.nist.gov/div821/museum/length.htm
That should cover your entire homework ;-)

Dirk Vdm

J. J. Lodder

Sep22-04, 03:45 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>\nMag10 <magnus_deissler@web.de> wrote:\n\n> hy there!\n> am searching for news about the topic "standartization of the length\n> of one meter".\n\nThis is an enormous subject.\nYou should try to be a bit more specific.\n\n> "when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are\n> measured by?\n\nFor starters:\nThe original \'metre\' was defined as 10^{-7} of the quadrant\nof the earth, as measured along the meridian of Paris.\nIt was therefore not a material standard.\nAfter a heroic measuring campaign of the meridian (between Dinkirk\nand Barcelona) a prototype metre was produced\n(we would now say \'a secondary standard\')\nwhich was deposited in the \'Archives Nationales\' in Paris.\nIn practice this secondary standard became the primary one,\nand copies of it were distributed worldwide\nto establish the metric system.\n\n> and were is this meter situated?\n\nIt was replaced (with the treaty of the metre)\nby a new (then) primary standard, a platinum-irridium bar,\nwhich is kept in Sevres, in an underground vault, near Paris.\n(together with -the- standard kilogram,\nat the bureau International des Poids et Mesures)\n\nIt\'s continued presence there is verified once a year,\nby the three persons responsible for this task,\nbut this is by now a ritual act without any practical significance.\n\n[skip many steps]\nBy now we have come full circle,\nand the metre is once again not material,\ndefined as an exact fraction of the lightsecond.\n\nAnd to complete the circle, metre standards do still exist,\n(in the form of stabilized lasers of calibrated wavelength)\nbut these are again only secondary standards.\n(and occasionally redefined when beter technology becomes available)\n\nBest,\n\nJan\n\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>Mag10 <magnus_deissler@web.de> wrote:

> hy there!
> am searching for news about the topic "standartization of the length
> of one meter".

This is an enormous subject.
You should try to be a bit more specific.

> "when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are
> measured by?

For starters:
The original 'metre' was defined as 10^{-7} of the quadrant
of the earth, as measured along the meridian of Paris.
It was therefore not a material standard.
After a heroic measuring campaign of the meridian (between Dinkirk
and Barcelona) a prototype metre was produced
(we would now say 'a secondary standard')
which was deposited in the 'Archives Nationales' in Paris.
In practice this secondary standard became the primary one,
and copies of it were distributed worldwide
to establish the metric system.

> and were is this meter situated?

It was replaced (with the treaty of the metre)
by a new (then) primary standard, a platinum-irridium bar,
which is kept in Sevres, in an underground vault, near Paris.
(together with -the- standard kilogram,
at the bureau International des Poids et Mesures)

It's continued presence there is verified once a year,
by the three persons responsible for this task,
but this is by now a ritual act without any practical significance.

[skip many steps]
By now we have come full circle,
and the metre is once again not material,
defined as an exact fraction of the lightsecond.

And to complete the circle, metre standards do still exist,
(in the form of stabilized lasers of calibrated wavelength)
but these are again only secondary standards.
(and occasionally redefined when beter technology becomes available)

Best,

Jan

Joseph.D.Warner

Sep24-04, 08:09 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>Mag10 wrote:\n> hy there!\n> am searching for news about the topic "standartization of the length\n> of one meter".\n> "when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are\n> measured by? and were is this meter situated?\n> please try to give me some help...\n\n\nGo to this website\n\nhttp://www.mel.nist.gov/div821/museum/timeline.htm\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>Mag10 wrote:
> hy there!
> am searching for news about the topic "standartization of the length
> of one meter".
> "when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are
> measured by? and were is this meter situated?
> please try to give me some help...

Go to this website

http://www.mel.nist.gov/div821/museum/timeline.htm

Philip McSweeney

Sep24-04, 08:09 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>Wikipedia is your friend:\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metre\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>Wikipedia is your friend:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metre

Nick Maclaren

Sep24-04, 08:10 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>In article <Pine.OSX.4.58.0409210014340.26286@jtbell.presby.e du>,\nJon Bell <jtbellj3p@presby.edu> writes:\n|> On Mon, 20 Sep 2004, Mag10 wrote:\n|>\n|> > "when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are\n|> > measured by? and were is this meter situated?\n|>\n|> Since 1983, there is no "original meter" (physical object). The meter is\n|> now defined as the distance that light travels in 1/299792458 second,\n|> exactly.\n\nWon\'t it be fun if the hypothesis that the speed of light is\nvarying with time proves to be correct :-)\n\nIn particular, in 1800 a metre as defined then and a metre using\nthe definition of the year 2000 would significantly different!\n\n\nRegards,\nNick Maclaren.\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>In article <Pine.OSX.4.58.0409210014340.26286@jtbell.presby.ed u>,
Jon Bell <jtbellj3p@presby.edu> writes:
|> On Mon, 20 Sep 2004, Mag10 wrote:
|>
|> > "when" did "who" create the original meter where all other meters are
|> > measured by? and were is this meter situated?
|>
|> Since 1983, there is no "original meter" (physical object). The meter is
|> now defined as the distance that light travels in 1/299792458 second,
|> exactly.

Won't it be fun if the hypothesis that the speed of light is
varying with time proves to be correct :-)

In particular, in 1800 a metre as defined then and a metre using
the definition of the year 2000 would significantly different!

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.