science

Old Cornish units of measurement

Old Cornish units of measurement is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Old Cornish units of measurement rather than just read about it. In short: The old Cornish units of measurement were used in Cornwall in the 1700s. They are based on English measurements in their names and rough sizes, but had slight differences in their values.

Key takeaways

Old Cornish units of measurement belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Old Cornish units of measurement to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Old Cornish units of measurement from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The old Cornish units of measurement were used in Cornwall in the 1700s. They are based on English measurements in their names and rough sizes, but had slight differences in their values.

Area

Richard Carew's Survey of Cornwall (1602) says: Commonly thirtie Acres make a farthing land, nine farthings a Cornish Acre, and foure Cornish Acres, a Knights fee. But this rule is ouerruled to a greater or lesser quantitie, according to the fruitfulnesse, or barrennesse of the soyle. Cornish acre – 120 statute acres (or possibly 64), 8 score lease. Equal to 0.066 Acres. Cornish ferling/farthing – ¼ a Cornish acre Cornish lease – four sticks Cornish stick – four yards, three yards square Cornish Knight's fee – four Cornish acres Cornish rod – 160 lace to a Cornish acre, 36sq. rods Cornish lace – 18 ft square Cornish land rod/lorgh – half a lace, 9 ft square

Length

Capacity

Mass

Fish

Sources

Thornton B. Edwards, Cornish! a Dictionary of Phrases, Terms and Epithets Beginning with the word "Cornish", 2005.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Old Cornish units of measurement

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Old Cornish units of measurement claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Old Cornish units of measurement before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Old Cornish units of measurement ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Old Cornish units of measurement

In research: Old Cornish units of measurement appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Old Cornish units of measurement in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Old Cornish units of measurement is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cornwall-related lists, History of Cornwall, Obsolete units of measurement, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Old Cornish units of measurement outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Old Cornish units of measurement in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Old Cornish units of measurement means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Old Cornish units of measurement out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Old Cornish units of measurement in simple terms?

The old Cornish units of measurement were used in Cornwall in the 1700s. They are based on English measurements in their names and rough sizes, but had slight differences in their values.

Why does Old Cornish units of measurement matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Old Cornish units of measurement?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Old Cornish units of measurement.