A Measure of All Things: The Story of Man and Measurement

by Whitelaw

• ISBN13: 9780312370268
• ISBN10: 0312370261
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-08-07
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Summary

Every wonder how long a cubit really is? How much is in a hogshead and what it refers to? Or the difference between a light year, a parsec and a Planck length? How many pings there are in an acre and who uses which term in what context? Every wonder where all these terms and formats came from and how they are used? Well, wonder no more!In the tradition of Schott's Miscellany, A Measure of All Things is a well-researched page-turning, illustrated look at the way things concrete and theoretical are and have been measured. It ranges from the history of measurement systems (from the earliest times to the present) to the different classes of measurements (length, area, volume, mass, time, temparature, speed, power, energy, pressure and everyday, unscientific measurements). A Measure of All Things covers the origins of the various units of measurement, the ways in which they developed and changed over time, and the many connections between them.

Author Biography

IAN WHITELAW is an editor and writer who focuses primarily on scientific subjects. His work ranges from the very serious to the not-so-serious, including Habitus Disgustus: The Encyclopedia of Annoying, Rude and Unpleasant Behavior (Plume, 2006) and various writings on environmental topics for Greenpeace. He lives in Vancouver Island, Canada.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 6
Systems of Measurement
Early Forms of Measurement	p. 10
Ancient Mediterranean Measures	p. 12
Global Systems	p. 14
The English-Speaking World	p. 16
Imperial and Customary	p. 13
The Origins of the Metric System	p. 20
The Systeme International	p. 22
Metrication in the United States	p. 24
A Measure of Length
Feet, Furlongs, and Rods	p. 28
Miles and Yards	p. 30
Nautical Units	p. 32
Meter: The Base Unit	p. 34
Measuring the Universe	p. 36
Equestrian Measurements	p. 38
The Limits of Measurement	p. 39
Gauging Thickness	p. 40
A Measure of Area
Medieval Units of Land	p. 44
Units of Area	p. 46
Metric Area	p. 48
Defining Paper Sizes	p. 50
A Measure of Volume and Capacity
Metric Units of Volume	p. 54
Bottle Designations	p. 56
Imperial Units of Volume	p. 58
Liquid Barrel Volumes	p. 60
Cooking Measurements	p. 62
A Measure of Mass
Mass vs. Weight	p. 66
Imperial and U.S. Customary Units of Mass	p. 68
Small Amounts and Precious Goods	p. 70
Metric Mass	p. 72
Mass on the Atomic Scale	p. 74
The Density of Matter	p. 76
A Measure of Temperature
Hotness and Coldness	p. 80
A Matter of Degree	p. 82
Absolute Temperature	p. 84
A Measure of Time
Years and Months	p. 88
Time and the Systeme International	p. 90
Dividing the Second	p. 92
Measuring Geological Age	p. 93
A Measure of Speed
SI Units of Speed	p. 98
Average Speed	p. 99
Imperial and U.S. Customary Units of Speed	p. 100
The Speed of Light and Sound	p. 102
The Quest for c	p. 104
Acceleration	p. 106
A Measure of Force and Pressure
What Is Force?	p. 110
SI and U.S. Customary Units of Force	p. 112
Gravity and Weight	p. 114
Torque and Leverage	p. 116
Pressure	p. 118
Atmospheric Pressure	p. 120
A Measure of Energy and Power
Force in Action	p. 124
Non-SI Units of Energy and Power	p. 126
SI Units of Work, Energy, and Power	p. 128
Radioactivity	p. 130
Units of Electricity	p. 132
Radiant Energy	p. 134
Measuring with Lasers	p. 136
Explosive Energy	p. 138
Wind Power	p. 139
A Measurement Miscellany
Units of Digital Information	p. 142
Measuring Firewood	p. 144
How Hot is a Chill?	p. 145
Ring Sizes	p. 146
Units of Concentration	p. 148
Hardness	p. 150
Typography	p. 152
SI Diagram	p. 154
Epilogue	p. 156
Index	p. 158
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