MATHS WORKSHEETS

History of the Metric System  Do you remember some of the different ways in which we can measure length? Our hand, Our arm or Our feet Of course, the problem here is that people's hands, arms and feet are of different lengths. For centuries, people tried to find a single or standards measure that would be the same everywhere.  Finally, in 1791, a new standard unit was agreed upon. It was not like any of the earlier units. It was to be: One ten-millionth of a quarter of a circle on the earth, passing through Paris and through the North and South Poles.  In 1789, a revolution took place in France. The new government wanted a modernize the country and expand trade. But the existing units of measurement differed from province to province and even from town to town! How could modernization possibly take palace? In 1793, a special name, meter, was given to this unit of length. Meter is a French word adapted from the Greek word metron, meaning measure. But, of course, the meter