When the inch was first created how it maintained before rulers were created?
2006-06-13 07:14:21 · 5 answers · asked by viperman_79 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
According to some sources, the inch was originally defined informally as the distance between the tip of the thumb and the first joint of the thumb.
2006-06-13 07:17:17 · answer #1 · answered by Brian L 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It seems to me the "inch" was created by King Henry VIII as the length of a part of his thumb. Inches, feet and yards are actually an artificial and arbitrary measurement. The only TRUE natural measurement was the Cubit or, more exactly, the ROYAL CUBIT which was the measurement used for building the Pyramids. There are actually two "Cubit" measurements, the ROYAL and the PROFANE, with the former used for things built for the Pharaoh and the latter used by the common people.
A Cubit is about the same length as a "yard".
The Cubit is actually a fractional part of the circumference of the earth and this is why it's a 'natural' measurement. During the building of the Pyramids, both the Royal AND the Profane Cubits were use for measurements and the famous sarcophagus in the Great Pyramid uses the Royal Cubit for the outside measurement and the Profane Cubit for the inside
2006-06-14 00:06:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure about the "inch" specifically, but various weights and measures have been around as long as there has been commerce. The "standard" cubit and divisions of the standard were maintained by having artifacts. These artifacts were not used for active measurement, but rather for comparison to working standards or in this case rulers that were used for the field measurements. Artifacts are typically well cared for.
In modern times, there was a "standard meter" that was maintained at the BIPM in France (I believe) but the definitions for measures have changed to allow the reproduction of basic measurement units in the laboratory.
For more information try looking (in the US) at the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) website.
2006-06-13 16:40:14 · answer #3 · answered by frieburger 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The original "inch" likely was the width of a man's thumb. Often measurements changed when "rulers" changed because the king's son might have a bigger or smaller "foot" than his dad.
2006-06-13 17:09:52 · answer #4 · answered by Kes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what Brian said, I think the Egyptians originated those measuring units; a yard, a foot, a cubit, etc
2006-06-13 14:19:38 · answer #5 · answered by pfzelaya 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋