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stickmakerHere are my notes for how things are measured in the Kingdom of the Compact:
Measurements
Length
Solar Mile, aka Sol = Unit of length. Originally defined as one hundred-millionth of the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. Today the standard definition is one thousand times the distance between two fine, incised lines in the polished top surface of a slab of quartz in the Department of Measures building in Avignon. From this standard most other official measurements in the Compact are derived.
1 Solar Mile = 1 Sol = one thousand New Toise = 4600 Solar Feet ( = 0.93 statute miles = 4910.4 statute feet = 58924.8 statute inches = 1.5 kilometers = 1500 meters)
1 New Toise (pronounced "toys," plural: toises) = 1/1000 of a Solar Mile = 4.6 Solar Feet ( = 4.9104 statute feet = 1.497 meter)
(The old toise - well, one of the most common of them - was 1.949 meter, the same as the fathom - well, one of them.)
1 Solar Foot = 12 Solar Inches ( = 32.6 cm = 1.07 statute feet = 12.84 statute inches)
1 Solar Inch ( = 2.72 cm = 1.07 statute inches)
Volume
1 Dram = 0.5 cubic Solar Inch ( = 2.52 ml)
1 Roquille = 1 cubic Solar Inch = 8 Drams ( = 20.16 ml)
1 Pinte = 3 cubic Solar Inches = 27 Roquilles = 216 Drams ( = 544.32 ml)
1 Velte = 10 cubic Solar Inches = 1000 Roquilles = 37.037 Pinte ( = 20.16 liters)
1 Cubique = 1 cubic Solar Foot = 1.728 Velte = 64 Pinte ( = 34.837 liters)
1 Cubic Toise = 1 cubic New Toise = 97.336 Cubique = 168.2 Velte = 6229.5 Pinte ( = 3391 liters)
Weight/Mass/Force
1 Grain = 1/10th Roquille of water ( = ~2 mg)
10 Grains = 1 Roquille of water ( = ~20 mg)
1 Cinqcents Grain = 5 Roquille of water ( = ~1 g)
1 Once = 20 Cinqcents = 100 Roquille of water ( = ~20 g)
1 Livre = 25 Ounces ( = ~500 g)
1 Talent = 2500 Livre ( = ~50 kg)
1 Millelivre = 10 Talents ( = ~500 kg)
1 Ton = 2 Millelivre ( = ~1000 kg)
Time
Same as ours.
Money
1 Copper coin
1 Silver coin = 1 Sous = 100 Copper coins
1 Silver bar = 1 Livre = 20 Silver coins (historically, one pound of silver; here 500 grams or 1 livre weight)
1 Gold coin = 1 Crown = 10 Silver coins = 1/2 Silver bar
Small gold bar = ? = 10 Gold coins
Large gold bar = ? = 10 Small bars
It's largely based on pre-Revolutionary French units. I'd appreciate comments on the system, especially if someone finds I've made a math error. I'd also appreciate names for the small gold bar and large gold bar.
Measurements
Length
Solar Mile, aka Sol = Unit of length. Originally defined as one hundred-millionth of the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. Today the standard definition is one thousand times the distance between two fine, incised lines in the polished top surface of a slab of quartz in the Department of Measures building in Avignon. From this standard most other official measurements in the Compact are derived.
1 Solar Mile = 1 Sol = one thousand New Toise = 4600 Solar Feet ( = 0.93 statute miles = 4910.4 statute feet = 58924.8 statute inches = 1.5 kilometers = 1500 meters)
1 New Toise (pronounced "toys," plural: toises) = 1/1000 of a Solar Mile = 4.6 Solar Feet ( = 4.9104 statute feet = 1.497 meter)
(The old toise - well, one of the most common of them - was 1.949 meter, the same as the fathom - well, one of them.)
1 Solar Foot = 12 Solar Inches ( = 32.6 cm = 1.07 statute feet = 12.84 statute inches)
1 Solar Inch ( = 2.72 cm = 1.07 statute inches)
Volume
1 Dram = 0.5 cubic Solar Inch ( = 2.52 ml)
1 Roquille = 1 cubic Solar Inch = 8 Drams ( = 20.16 ml)
1 Pinte = 3 cubic Solar Inches = 27 Roquilles = 216 Drams ( = 544.32 ml)
1 Velte = 10 cubic Solar Inches = 1000 Roquilles = 37.037 Pinte ( = 20.16 liters)
1 Cubique = 1 cubic Solar Foot = 1.728 Velte = 64 Pinte ( = 34.837 liters)
1 Cubic Toise = 1 cubic New Toise = 97.336 Cubique = 168.2 Velte = 6229.5 Pinte ( = 3391 liters)
Weight/Mass/Force
1 Grain = 1/10th Roquille of water ( = ~2 mg)
10 Grains = 1 Roquille of water ( = ~20 mg)
1 Cinqcents Grain = 5 Roquille of water ( = ~1 g)
1 Once = 20 Cinqcents = 100 Roquille of water ( = ~20 g)
1 Livre = 25 Ounces ( = ~500 g)
1 Talent = 2500 Livre ( = ~50 kg)
1 Millelivre = 10 Talents ( = ~500 kg)
1 Ton = 2 Millelivre ( = ~1000 kg)
Time
Same as ours.
Money
1 Copper coin
1 Silver coin = 1 Sous = 100 Copper coins
1 Silver bar = 1 Livre = 20 Silver coins (historically, one pound of silver; here 500 grams or 1 livre weight)
1 Gold coin = 1 Crown = 10 Silver coins = 1/2 Silver bar
Small gold bar = ? = 10 Gold coins
Large gold bar = ? = 10 Small bars
It's largely based on pre-Revolutionary French units. I'd appreciate comments on the system, especially if someone finds I've made a math error. I'd also appreciate names for the small gold bar and large gold bar.
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no subject
Date: 2013-02-22 07:05 pm (UTC)Oh; the reason the meter was so far off is that one of the men sent out to make measurements instead stayed in a fancy hotel eating and drinking the funds and sending back educated guesses. :-)
People who aren't familiar with the history of metrology (not meteorology) don't realize just how good our ancestors were with non-electronic equipment. (Yes, ancient humans really did measure and lay out the foundations of those pyramids. :-)
I'm an engineer, I've had surveying, this is also an interest of mine beyond what I needed for my career. So, I know a lot more about it than most people.
I do appreciate your comments. I have a bad habit of lazily skipping over things, and need to be kept on my toes. You not only caused me to check and reassure myself, in the process of checking I learned a couple of new things.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-23 12:23 am (UTC)It also suggested some base units to derive things from, which does drag in metrology.
The suggested units were based on the mass of the electron, the speed of light, and a few other things.
As I recall the only measurement currently based on a physical standard is the kilogram. Length is now based on wavelengths of light generated by a specific quantum transition in s specific isotope. And the speed of light is now a defined constant, so time is derived from the definition of length & the speed of light.
Or I may have that backwards.
Current is the weird one, with the ampere having a truly bizarre (but more or less reproducible) definition, with the Coulumb (unit of charge) derived from that and the time definition.
Odd factiod: The US gallon is apparently legally *defined* as 231 cubic inches. And the inch is defined as 2.54 cm.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-23 03:50 am (UTC)One of the more interesting books in my home library is _Secrets of the Great Pyramid_. It's not by a pyramidiot, but by a professional metrologist. He does a good job of recounting the history of various projects in modern (post-medieval, that is) times to measure various things in Egypt, primarily the Great Pyramid, as well as the post-ancient history of exploration. He also goes into a lot of detail on the various measurement systems (there were at least two cubits, the sacred and the profane, both repeated endlessly in carvings and drawings) the ancient Egyptians used.