science

Outline of the metric system

Outline of the metric system 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 Outline of the metric system rather than just read about it. In short: The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the metric system: Metric system – various loosely related systems of measurement that trace their origin to the decimal system of measurement introduced in France during the French Revolution. Nature of the metric system The metric system can be described as all of the following: System – set of interacting or interdependent components forming…

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the metric system: Metric system – various loosely related systems of measurement that trace their origin to the decimal system of measurement introduced in France during the French Revolution.

Nature of the metric system

The metric system can be described as all of the following:

System – set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole. System of measurement – set of units which can be used to specify anything which can be measured. Historically, systems of measurement were initially defined and regulated to support trade and internal commerce. Units were arbitrarily defined by fiat (see statutory law) by the ruling entities and were not necessarily well inter-related or self-consistent. When later analyzed and scientifically, some quantities were designated as base units, meaning all other needed units of measure could be derived from them.

Essence of the metric system International System of Units (SI) is the system of units that has been officially endorsed under the Metre Convention since 1960. Child articles are: SI base unit SI derived unit Non-SI units mentioned in the SI Metric prefixes

Underlying philosophy Discussions of the underlying philosophy of the metric system (and other systems of measure) include:

Coherence (units of measurement) Realisation (metrology)

Metric units of measure Articles that exist for many metric units of measure are catalogued below.

History of the metric system History of the metric system – the metric system developed from a decimal system of measurement adopted by France after the French Revolution.

Chronological history of the metric system Principal dates in the development of the metric system include:

1792 – Initiation of a decimal system of measurement by the French Revolutionary Government 1799 – The Metre des archives and kilogram des archives become the standards for the metric system. 1861 – Concept of unit coherence introduced by Maxwell – the base units were the centimetre, gram and second. 1875 – Under the Convention of the metre, a new body the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) was set up and given responsibility for the new international prototype of the kilogram and international prototype of the metre which replaced the old French copies as the definitive prototypes of the metre and the kilogram. 1881 – International Electric Congress agrees on standards for electrical units (formalised in 1893) 1921 – Convention of the metre extended to cover all physical units of measure 1960 – The CGPM published the metric system under the name "International System of Units" (SI) a coherent system of units based on the kilogram, metre, second, ampere and kelvin.

History of metrication

History of metrication – metrication is the process by which legacy, national-specific systems of measurement were replaced by the metric system.

Metrication in Australia Metrication in Barbados Metrication in Canada Metrication in Chile Metrication in Guatemala Metrication in Hong Kong Metrication in India Metrication in Ireland Metrication in Jamaica Metrication in New Zealand Metrication in Peru Metrication in Sweden Metrication in the United Kingdom British Metrication Board Metrication in the United States Plan for Establishing Uniformity in the USA, Thomas Jefferson's report (1790) which included a proposal for decimal system based on a "decimal foot" United States Metric Board

Historical metric system variants Four variants of the metric system that predate the introduction of SI (1960) are described in varying levels of detail:

MKS system of units formed the basis for SI. Centimetre–gram–second system of units was the principal variant of the metric system that evolved in stages until it was superseded by SI. Gravitational metric system was a little-used variant of the metric system that normalised the acceleration due to gravity. Metre–tonne–second system of units was a variant of the metric system used in French and Russian industry between the First and Second World Wars. Between 1812 and 1839 France used a quasi-metric system:

Mesures usuelles

History of metric units History of the metre

Politics of the metric system Prior to 1875 the metric system was controlled by the French Government. In that year, seventeen nations signed the Metre Convention and the management and administration of the system passed into international control.

Metre Convention describes the 1875 treaty and its development to the modern day. Three organisations, the CGPM, CIPM and BIPM were set up under the convention. General Conference on Weights and Measures (Conférence générale des poids et mesures or CGPM) – a meeting every four to six years of delegates from all member states. The International Committee for Weights and Measures (Comité international des poids et mesures or CIPM) – an advisory body to the CGPM consisting of prominent metrologists. The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (Bureau international des poids et mesures or BIPM) – an organisation based at Sèvres, France that has custody of the international prototype of the kilogram, provides metrology services for the CGPM and CIPM, houses the secretariat for these organisations and hosts their formal meetings. Both the European Union and the International Organization for Standardization have issued directives/recommendations to harmonise the use of units of measure. These documents endorse the use of SI for most purposes.

European units of measurement directives ISO/IEC 80000

Future of the metric system 2019 revision of the SI – changes in the definitions of the International System of Units, which are based on defined values of physical constants, in use since May 2019.

Metrication groups and authorities US Metric Association (USA, 1916–current) Metric Commission (Canada, 1971–1985) Metrication Board (United Kingdom, 1969–1981)

Metric system publications Plan for Establishing Uniformity in the Coinage, Weights, and Measures of the United States text (Thomas Jefferson 1790)

Persons influential in the metric system Simon Stevin (1548–1620) Gabriel Mouton (1618–1694) Marquis de Condorcet (1743–1794) Pierre Méchain (1744–1804) Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749–1827) Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre (1749–1822) Adrien-Marie Legendre (1753–1834) James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin (1824–1907) Giovanni Giorgi (1871–1950)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Outline of the metric system

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Outline of the metric system 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 Outline of the metric system 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 Outline of the metric system 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 Outline of the metric system

In research: Outline of the metric system 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 Outline of the metric system 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: Outline of the metric system is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Metric system, Outlines, Outlines of society, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Outline of the metric system 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 Outline of the metric system in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Outline of the metric system 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 Outline of the metric system out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Outline of the metric system in simple terms?

Why does Outline of the metric system 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 Outline of the metric system?

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 Outline of the metric system.