History of Measurement

In ancient times, people needed

measurement to determine how long or wide
things are. They need to measure objects to
build their houses or make their clothes.
Later, units of measurement were used in the
trade and commerce.
In the 3rd century BC in Egypt, people used their body parts to
determine the measurements of objects

Digit Palm
is the tip of the index finger Width of
one’s hand
excluding the thumb
 Arm Span is the distance
between the middle fingertips
on each hand when you
stretch your arms out as far
as they can reach

Yard is the
distance between
your nose and
fingertip when your
arm is extended

Foot span is the distance
between the tip of the tiptoe and
end of the ankle
Pace is the distance
covered during a single step
while walking.
The hand span
1/2 The palm is
was considered as
1/6 considered 1/6
a half cubit
cubit
Cubit
Discrepancies arose when the people started comparing their measurements to one another
because measurements of the same thing differed, depending on who was measuring it.
Because of this, these units of measurement are called non-standard units of measurement
which later on evolved into what is now the inch, foot, and yard, the basic units of length in
the English system of measurement. The results of measuring are merely approximations
since measurements are not always exact. Oftentimes, there is a relative error involved.
The English System of Measurement was widely used until 1800’s and the 1900’s when
the Metric System of Measurement started to gain around and became the most used
system of measurement worldwide.

First described by Belgian Mathematician Simon Stevin in his booklet, De Thiende (The Art
of Tenths) and proposed by English philosopher, John Wilkins, the Metric System of
Measurement was first adopted by France in 1799. In 1875, the General Conference on
weights and measures was tasked to define the different measurements.
System of Measurements
Metric System English System
Basic unit of: Basic unit of:

Length/distance = meter Length = inch/ft/yard

Mass (weight) = gram Mass (weight) = ounces/pounds

Capacity (volume) = liter Capacity (volume) = cups/quarts/galloon

Temperature = Celsius Temperature = Fahrenheit

Time = Seconds/Minutes Time = Seconds/minutes

Metric System
 Metric comes from the Greek word
“Metron” meaning measure
 Universal system of measurement
 Based on units (or powers) of 10 or
multiples of 10
English System
 Most commonly used in the US
 Units are not systematically related
to each other and require
memorization
CONVERSION OF
UNITS FOR TIME
60 seconds = 1 minute
60 minutes or 3,600 seconds = 1 hour
24 hours = 1 day
7 days = 1 week
12 months = 1 year
1 year = 365 days
10 years = 1 decade
100 years = 1 century
1000 years = 1 millennium
CONVERSION OF
UNITS OF
MEASUREMENTS
The conversion of units
allows unit conversion to
take place between metric
and imperial units of
measurement for units of Refer to videos downloaded in Youtube
length, area and volume,
and between seconds,
minutes, and hours.
PATTERNS