Re: off topic Question of the day..
On Saturday 16 July 2016 04:48:11 John Hasler wrote:
> Dennis writes:
> > BTW: one inch now equals 2.54 cm *exactly*, in case you haven't been
> > keeping up! (Used to be approx 2.54 cm.) This is what I mean by
> > arbitrary. Don't like the conversion ratio? Then just change it!
>
> It wasn't a change in conversion ratio. It was change in definition.
> Originally US length measures were defined by a physical standard
> derived from the British yard such that the inch worked out to close to
> 2.54cm. In 1893 the inch was defined as 2.54cm and BIPM-supplied meter
> and kilogram standards became the official US measurement standards. It
> took until 1930 for the Brits to catch up.
Not quite accurate, though sufficiently jingoistic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inch
Lisi
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