What Is the Best Unit of Length?: An Inquiry, Addressed to the International Association for Obtaining an Uniform Decimal System of Measures, Weights, and Coins (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

James Yates

9780332202853: What Is the Best Unit of Length?: An Inquiry, Addressed to the International Association for Obtaining an Uniform Decimal System of Measures, Weights, and Coins (Classic Reprint)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0332202852 ISBN 13: 9780332202853

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2017

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What Is the Best Unit of Length?

An 1858 inquiry argues for the metre as the universal decimal unit of length, offering practical reasons, expert testimony, and historical context. This edition presents the British Branch’s adoption of the metre and the accompanying report that frames the case for decimal measurement.

This concise historical tract gathers arguments, observations, and endorsements from scientists, engineers, and public figures of the era. It explains why a single, decimal unit of length could simplify arithmetic, engineering, and international trade, and it situates the metre within a broader push toward a uniform decimal system of measures, weights, and coins.

Learn the key claims made in favor of the metre as a length standard.
Hear perspectives from engineers, surveyors, and scholars of the period.
Understand the practical and philosophical considerations behind decimal measurement.
See how this movement sought to align national practices with international standards.

Ideal for readers of 19th‑century science, metrology, and the history of measurement reform, as well as anyone curious about how standard units evolved.

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