Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The kilometre (SI symbol: km; / ˈ k ɪ l ə m iː t ər / or / k ɪ ˈ l ɒ m ə t ər /), spelt kilometer in American and Philippine English, is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand metres (kilo-being the SI prefix for 1000).
They found the cities to be separated by one degree of latitude and the corresponding meridian arc distance to be 66⅔ Arabic miles and thus calculated the Earth's circumference to be 24,000 miles (39,000 km). [3] Using this measurement, knowing that earth's circumference is 40,007.683 km makes the Arabic mile little more than 1,666.994 metres.
Posidonius calculated the Earth's circumference by reference to the position of the star Canopus.As explained by Cleomedes, Posidonius observed Canopus on but never above the horizon at Rhodes, while at Alexandria he saw it ascend as far as 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 degrees above the horizon (the meridian arc between the latitude of the two locales is actually 5 degrees 14 minutes).
While metric use is mandatory in some countries and voluntary in others, all countries have recognised and adopted the SI, albeit to different degrees, including the United States. As of 2011, ninety-five percent of the world's population live in countries where the metric system is the only legal system of measurement. [3]: p. 49, ch 2
The unit of length was 10 7 m (the hebdometre, nominally the Earth quadrant), the unit of mass was an unnamed unit equal to 10 −11 g and the unit of time was the second. The units of mass and length were scaled incongruously to yield more consistent and usable electric units in terms of mechanical measures.
For premium support please call: 800-290-4726 more ways to reach us
Today only the stone continues in customary use for measuring personal body weight. The present stone is 14 pounds (~6.35 kg), but an earlier unit appears to have been 16 pounds (~7.25 kg). The other units were multiples of 2, 8, and 160 times the stone, or 28, 112, and 2240 pounds (~12.7 kg, 50.8 kg, 1016 kg), respectively.
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!