It's a bit philosophical....
2006-11-15 23:32:50 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Not philosophical at all. The metre is defined by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures as the distance travelled by light in absolute vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. See below for a timeline of the changing definitions.
2006-11-15 23:39:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
The lenght of a meter is presently defined as a fraction of the distance travled by a particle of light moving at the speed of light in a vacuum for one second. However since light changes in accordance to the medium its traveling in,there is no such thing as an perfect absolute vaccum.
A more pratical definition would be a meter is equal to one thousand toenail tichness.Since toenail vary very slightly there is still the same relative error.The thickness of the toe nail is close to onemillimeter.Its something we can visualize.
The meter standard is kept in Paris,France. So the standard at STP is what is used to match lenghts of the metric system.
So the Standard is the only basic measure of lenght. Any lenght taken from the standard is still subject to error no matter how small the discrepency.
2006-11-16 08:16:07 · answer #2 · answered by goring 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is a fascinating bit of history here. According to the
International System of Units(SI) the meter was defined by the
distance between 2 lines inscibed on a highly stable
platinum-iridium bar. In 1983 the meter definition was switched
to the length of the path traveled by light in a vacuum during
a time interval 1/299,792,458 of a second. This , by the way,
fixed the value of a key physical contant, the speed of light,
at exactly 299,792,458 meters per second.
This brings up the second. It used to be defined in terms of
the rate of rotation of the earth. As the space age unfolded
this means became sloppy. It was determined that the rotation
of our planet is not constant. In 1967 SI redefined it to be
the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels
of the ground state of the cesium 133 atom.
If you don't subscribe to Scientific American, you might find
them at a public library. Article on this in the December 2006
issue.
2006-11-16 09:04:00 · answer #3 · answered by albert 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Apparently, the ANSWER to the question posed here takes longer than a meter to execute. (I think the light trapped inside my right eyeball fractured when I read the refractory explanation for the second time. And my toenails will never again look the same)! You folks must be math professors.
Just wait. Some day YOU'RE gonna' want to know where a comma goes. And then I'LL get my revenge....
2006-11-19 01:56:22 · answer #4 · answered by zan n 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
One meter is the length - in which all the good deeds of a human being are put.
2006-11-16 07:42:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Sorry, but I thought a meter was 39.37 inches.
Good luck.
Jaime
2006-11-16 07:40:43 · answer #6 · answered by El Santo Gordo 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
1/299792458 th of the distance travelled by light in one second
2006-11-16 07:36:19 · answer #7 · answered by The Potter Boy 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The time is 1/299,792,458secs
2006-11-16 09:34:23 · answer #8 · answered by Austin 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The distance a fly would fly if inserted in GWB's left ear before it leaves he's right ear.
2006-11-16 08:06:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
1m is 100 cm
2006-11-16 07:36:10 · answer #10 · answered by skjw88 1 · 2⤊ 1⤋