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On 7 April 1795, the metric system was formally defined in French law. [Note 10] It defined six new decimal units: [26] The mètre, for length—defined as one ten-millionth of the distance between the North Pole and the Equator through Paris; The are (100 m 2) for area [of land] The stère (1 m 3) for volume of firewood
The metric system is a system of measurement that standardizes a set of base units and a nomenclature for describing relatively large and small quantities via decimal-based multiplicative unit prefixes.
Before the establishment of the decimal metric system in France during the French Revolution in the late 18th century, [5] many units of length were based on parts of the human body. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] Units in use varied by location and the advantages of the decimal system were known only among scientists.
Gravitational metric system was a little-used variant of the metric system that normalised the acceleration due to gravity. Metre–tonne–second system of units was a variant of the metric system used in French and Russian industry between the First and Second World Wars. Between 1812 and 1839 France used a quasi-metric system: Mesures usuelles
Under the décret impérial du 12 février 1812 (imperial decree of 12 February 1812), a new system of measure – the mesures usuelles ("customary measures") was introduced for use in small retail businesses – all government, legal and similar works still had to use the metric system and the metric system continued to be taught at all levels ...
The metric system was first described in 1668 and officially adopted by France in 1799. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, it became the dominant system worldwide, although several countries, including the United States, China, and the United Kingdom continue to use their customary units. [ 12 ]
This led to the creation of the decimal-based metric system in 1795, establishing a set of standards for other types of measurements. Several other countries adopted the metric system between 1795 and 1875; to ensure conformity between the countries, the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) was established by the Metre Convention.
The current international standard for the metric system is the International System of Units (Système international d'unités or SI). It is a system in which all units can be expressed in terms of seven units. The units that serve as the SI base units are the metre, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, mole, and candela.