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How was a meter defined in 1791?

Updated: 12/15/2022
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In the eighteenth century, there were two favoured approaches to the definition of the meter. One approach suggested that the metre be defined as the length of a 'seconds pendulum' (pendulum with a half-period of one second). Another suggestion was defining the metre as one ten-millionth of the length of the Earth's meridian along a quadrant (the distance from the Equator to the North Pole).

In 1791, the French Academy of Sciences selected the latter definition (the one related to Earth's meridian) over the former (the one with the pendulum) because the force of gravity varies slightly over the surface of the Earth's surface, which affects the period of a pendulum.

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Q: How was a meter defined in 1791?
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How was lenght of a standard meter defined in the year 1791?

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In the 18th century it was felt that a standard unit of length was needed. The French Academy of Sciences decided in 1791 that the meter would be defined by the dimensions of the planet earth. The metre would be a unit of length such that Earth's meridian line (a line linking the equator with the north pole) was equal to ten million meters. Over the following years measurements of the meridian line that passes through Paris were attempted, so that a standard meter could be cast in metal.


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As scientists study new areas the meter is involved in these new areas and new definitions in terms of the new areas are defined. The original meter was defined in terms of the earth studies, as electricity was studied, the speed of light became important and the meter was defined in terms of the speed of light. As science expands the definitions of the meter will expand.


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What is the exact length of a Meter?

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