Science Skills
Measuring Length
Lesson 1.3
 
The original meter was defined as one ten-millionth of the meridian passing through the city of Paris.


Explore the History of the Meter

Visit the website, LENGTH: Evolution from Measurement Standard to a Fundamental Constant to learn about the history of measuring length.

Be ready to answer some questions when you return!
  1. In the United States, who has the responsibility for realizing the values of SI units of length?
  2. What is the current definition of a meter?

Head back out to the Internet to the UK's National Physical Laboratory website on the History of Length Measurement. Click on the numbers at the left to go from page to page.

Be ready to answer some questions when you return!

  1. What was the Mètre des Archives?
  2. When did people first attempt to standardize measurements?
  3. What instrument is used to produce the current standard of length?

Be sure to write your answers to the questions in your e-journal!