Definitely the grad (or grade) in calculators IS the French grade of 100 grades to a quarter circle!
Marcus On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 12:37:03 James Wentworth wrote: >Hmm...I wonder if "grad" might be an abbreviation for gradient? The >scientific calculators I have used could do angular computations in three >different units: degrees, radians, and gradients. > >We never used gradients in any of my college classes, but I recall a >professor referring to them as "grads" when he briefly mentioned >degree/gradient conversion during a lesson on degree/radian conversion. -- >Jason > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Joseph B. Reid <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 12:11 PM >Subject: [USMA:26390] Re: French (and US) grade definition > > >James Wentworth wrote in USMA 26388: > >>Joseph B. Reid <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >><I have discovered a definition of the grade (1/100 of the right >>angle) in French, see my USMA 26381.> >> >>That is the definition I was taught in school. A 0% grade road or field is >>perfectly horizontal while a vertical wall or cliff has a 100% grade. The >>math textbook mentioned that the grade (English spelling) is the French >>grad, in which 400 grads make a complete circle (3600). I am gratified by >>this because this is another example of "hidden" metric that Americans have >>long used and accepted, even on road signs. -- Jason > > > >But the French word is grade. My Petit Robert French dictioary does >not list grad My Muret-Sanders German-English dictionary gives 4 >meanings for grad, but not in the sense that we are discussing. It >has no entry for grade. > > > >-- >Joseph B. Reid >17 Glebe Road West >Toronto M5P 1C8 Telephone 416-486-6071 > > ____________________________________________________________ Get 25MB of email storage with Lycos Mail Plus! Sign up today -- http://www.mail.lycos.com/brandPage.shtml?pageId=plus
