Why there was a need to standardize unit?

Answer 1

So other scientists have something to compare it to. All the scientists need a comon measurement so the can replicate experiments.ADDITIONAL INFO.Can you imagine the chaos and cheating and confusion if every country had their own special STANDARDS for measuring things. People have a tendency to cheat if they can. That is why every length measuring instrument , and every weight measuring instrument is certified as very accurate, by Government Inspectors. If a person tells the Weights and Measures Dept. that they have been sold something which is not correct weight or length, then an inspector goes to that seller's shop or factory and Fines them heavily, or takes them to court to prevent them from cheating the public.

Answer 2

How long is one foot? My feet are longer than my daughter's. Whose feet do we use to measure? At one point, the length of a foot was the length of the king's foot, and that changed every time a new ruler (no pun intended) was on the throne.

So legend has it, but more likely it was, like most older anthropocentric units, a vaguely-agreed average which in time was replaced by a standard enshrined in a centrally-held, physical sample.

We have to remember that until historically very recently, measurements had to be based on, and serve, physical quantities that could be moved by people and simple, often human-powered, machines. So they were proportioned with that in mind, rather than mathematical neatness.

I can recall school "sums" like the cost of 3cwt 1qr of coal at £12 3s 6d per Ton - but I'd struggle to calculate it now!

Answer 3

People normally want to know how much they are getting when they buy something. And in that context, it helps if everyone uses standard units.