Re: Weights & Measures + Temperature

while that is the standard now, it was originally chosen because it was the
estimate for one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator to the
North Pole. Not exactly arbitrary, but chopped down to a convenient size.

stk

"steveb" <me@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:afmdk1tmuo85dbngp7aqi3pbeab2ua0r67@xxxxxxxxxx
> On 7 Oct 2005 09:39:48 -0700, alebrewer@xxxxxx wrote:
>
>>What's the meter based on? If you dig far enough, you'll find that
>>it's based on an arbitrary assumption on the circumference of the Earth
>>(itself, an arbitrary planet).
>
> No, it isn't
>
> It's based upon the wavelength of sodium light in a vacuum
>
> steveb


.

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