Great stuff, Pat. Thanks!
Let me comment on a couple of things here, not meaning to detract from
the material, but taking the occasion raised by the notes below.
A pace to the Romans was two steps. This is what Joe Reid referred to
as a "double pace", a "pace" to him (and you) being one step. Thus one
thousand paces (= 2000 steps) in Latin evolved to the word "mile".
In your temperature chart you include phase transitions for water. I
would like to remind those on the list that those are no longer
defining points. Pure water freezes very, very close to 0 and boils at
normal atmospheric pressure very, very close to 100 on the Celsius
scale, but the scale is defined based on the triple point of water and
the size of the kelvin (thus on the zero point of the thermodynamic
scale).
That's a new version of the temperature ditty. I've been toying with
"forty is scorchy" as a new line at the top of the old one, but then I
end up with an odd number of lines.
Jim
On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, Pat Naughtin wrote:
> Dear Jim,
>
> Here's a few thoughts to help you get started on your 'survival crib sheet
> for travellers'.
....
> One metre is a long pace for a tall person, or two short paces for a short
> person.
....
> Lowest recorded air temperature = � 89 �C
> Freezing point of pure water = 0 �C
> Human internal body temperature = 37 �C
> Highest recorded air temperature = 58 �C
> Boiling point of pure water = 100 �C
....
--
James R. Frysinger University/College of Charleston
10 Captiva Row Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Charleston, SC 29407 66 George Street
843.225.0805 Charleston, SC 29424
http://www.cofc.edu/~frysingj [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cert. Adv. Metrication Specialist 843.953.7644
