What is s for length derived from?

  • Thread starter Thread starter KayEl9
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Length
AI Thread Summary
The letter "s" used to indicate length may derive from the German word "Strecke," meaning "distance" or "line segment." Some discussions suggest it could also originate from the Latin word "spatium," which translates to "path." There is uncertainty about whether "s" is an arbitrary label or has a specific etymological source. The connection to both German and Latin highlights the linguistic roots of the term. Understanding the origin of "s" can enhance clarity in discussions about measurements.
KayEl9
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
What is "s" for length derived from?

Hello.
I would like to ask what word is the letter "s" indicating length derived from? I can't seem to find it anywhere and I don't know if it is purely arbitrary label, or if it's from some actual word. Thank you very much.
 
Physics news on Phys.org


It might be from German "Streche, Strechung" or something like that.
 


"Strecke"="distance" or "line segment".

The german Wikipedia indicates that the latin "spatium" (~"Path") might be the origin.
 
Thread 'Question about pressure of a liquid'
I am looking at pressure in liquids and I am testing my idea. The vertical tube is 100m, the contraption is filled with water. The vertical tube is very thin(maybe 1mm^2 cross section). The area of the base is ~100m^2. Will he top half be launched in the air if suddenly it cracked?- assuming its light enough. I want to test my idea that if I had a thin long ruber tube that I lifted up, then the pressure at "red lines" will be high and that the $force = pressure * area$ would be massive...
I feel it should be solvable we just need to find a perfect pattern, and there will be a general pattern since the forces acting are based on a single function, so..... you can't actually say it is unsolvable right? Cause imaging 3 bodies actually existed somwhere in this universe then nature isn't gonna wait till we predict it! And yea I have checked in many places that tiny changes cause large changes so it becomes chaos........ but still I just can't accept that it is impossible to solve...
Back
Top