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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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15y ago
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15y ago

The standard meter (metre) was not defined in 1719. It was not until the 1790's that it was set as a standard. It was proposed that the metre would be defined as one ten millionth the distance from the earth's north pole to the equator as measured along a meridian. There is a good explanation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meter

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14y ago

In 1791, the French Academy of Sciences selected the definition of the metre as being one ten-millionth of the length of the Earth's meridian along a quadrant, that is, the distance between the Equator and the North Pole.

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Q: How was the length of a standard meter defined in the year 1791?
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Who invented the meter stick?

To measure the length, height, or width of something that has physical dimensions. Frequently the meter stick has a length of 1m. Gabriel Mouton, the vicar of St. Paul's Church in Lyon, France, is considered by many as the "founding father" of the metric system. It was originally made of titanium.


What is the basis of a kilometer?

The world official standard of length is the Metre. (In USA they spell it - Meter. They like to be different to the rest of the world.) A French scientist Charles Marie de La Condamine, went on an expedition and measured the distance from the Equator to the North Pole. This distance was multiplied by 4 to assess the perimeter of a line of Longitude around the Earth. This distance was divided by 10 Million and given the name Metre (not meter) The French government used this length as a standard, but actually Condamines measurements were found about 50 years later, to be inaccurate by an amount of 1/5th of a millimetre. (believe it or not) In 1791 on 30th March . The French Government made a brass bar in 1795 , having a cross sectional shape of an X . Since 1795 there have been very minor changes to the 'Metre Bar' but they are only very minor changes. The name Kilometre was adopted as being 1000 Metre, and used for measuring large lengths, and the name Millimetre , for small lengths ( 1Metre = 1000 millimetre).


Who discovered titanium and when it was discovered?

Titanium was first discovered in 1791 by William Gregor, an English pastor, who found a reddish brown calx he couldn't recognize. Later in 1795, Martin Heinrich Klaproth, an Austrian chemist, identified titanium as a new element.


When did the metric system originate?

1818


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Related questions

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

by the demension of the planet earth


What was the length of a meter in the year 1791?

The meter was invented in 1791. As being 1/10,000,000 of the distance from the North Pole to the equator.


How was the length of the standard meter defined defined in the year 1791?

The metre was originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the north pole running through Paris (making the distance from the equator to the north pole 10,000 km and the circumference of the earth 40,000 km [round that great circle]). It has since been redefined


How was the stardard meter defined in 1791?

As 10 dm. A cubic dm (deci-meter) cube happens to be able to contain exactly 1 liter of water at 20 degrees C. with cats


How was a meter defined in 1791?

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.


Who invented the meter stick?

To measure the length, height, or width of something that has physical dimensions. Frequently the meter stick has a length of 1m. Gabriel Mouton, the vicar of St. Paul's Church in Lyon, France, is considered by many as the "founding father" of the metric system. It was originally made of titanium.


What was used in determining the original length of a meter?

The origins of the meter go back to at least the 18th century. At that time, there were two competing approaches to the definition of a standard unit of length. Some suggested defining the meter as the length of a pendulum having a half-period of one second; others suggested defining the meter as one ten-millionth of the length of the earth's meridian along a quadrant (one fourth the circumference of the earth). In 1791, soon after the French Revolution, the French Academy of Sciences chose the meridian definition over the pendulum definition because the force of gravity varies slightly over the surface of the earth, affecting the period of the pendulum.


When did the word meter become used as a measurement term?

It was established in 1791.


What is the standard number for MDCCXCI?

1791 M=1000 D=500 C=100 X=10 I=1


How is a meter calculated?

It was originally determined to be 1/10,000,000 of the distance from the equator to the north or south pole. That's why it is easy to remember that the circumference of the earth is 40,000,000 meters, or 40,000 km.


What century is 1791?

1791 was in the 18th Century.


Bill of rights in 1791?

December 15, 1791