I notice the Wikipedia article does not have corresponding article in German or French. In the Dutch language article ( https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megameter ) it is noted that apart from its use for measuring very long wavelengths in oceanography, it is hardly ever used. I agree with Brian, the metricpioneer site is great, but stick to everyday usage unless there is a very good reason to do otherwise. I suggest that you treat the yottametre and the like in the same way that you would treat a discussion of sex with a six-year old - if they ask, tell them, if they don’t ask, they don’t need to know.
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Brian White Sent: 28 December 2013 03:55 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:53477] Re: Math Test David...I love what you do...and the metricpioneer site is great. But on this subject you've plain got it wrong. Sorry. _____ From: John M. Steele <mailto:[email protected]> Sent: 12/27/2013 15:52 To: U.S. Metric Association <mailto:[email protected]> Subject: [USMA:53476] Re: Math Test I suggest you instead use the Wikipedia articles on the metre and history of the metre. Link to the first is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metre It has the advantage of actually using references. The other one might have been written by ACWM or BWMA as they both like to assert the meter was redefined. It was not. The meter was intend to be one ten millionth of the distance from equator to pole, an impractical measurement to make regularly. The original meter standard, the Metre des Archives, from 1799, was a little off; however, it became the official standard and new meter prototypes made as a result of the 1875 Treaty of the Meter matched it and each other to the limits of 1875 technology. The polar circumference of the earth is 40 007 863 m or 40.007 863 Mm. You could also look up the equatorial and polar radius of the earth per the WGS84 ellipsoid and perform the elliptic integral if you like. _____ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, December 27, 2013 5:53 PM Subject: [USMA:53475] Re: Math Test According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megametre The Earth's polar circumference is 39.94 Mm. (It was exactly 40 Mm from 1791 to 1875, but the definition of the metre was changed; see metre). The distance from Amsterdam to Marseille is approximately 1 Mm. The Earth's equatorial diameter is 12.76 Mm. The mean distance from the Earth to the Moon is 384.4 Mm. Jupiter's equatorial diameter is 143 Mm. Quebec province's total area is 1.542 Mm2. The speed of light is approximately 299.792 Mm/s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigametre One astronomical unit (AU) or Earth's average distance from the Sun is 149.6 Gm. Jupiter's average distance from the Sun is 778.5 Gm. PSR J1719-1438 b's average distance from the pulsar PSR J1719-1438 is 0.666 Gm, which is the smallest orbit of any known exoplanets. The mean diameter of the Sun is 1.393 Gm. The mean diameter of red supergiant star Betelgeuse is 1302 Gm. David Pearl MetricPioneer.com <http://metricpioneer.com/> 503-428-4917 ----- Message from [email protected] --------- Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2013 22:10:31 -0000 From: Martin Vlietstra <[email protected]> Subject: RE: [USMA:53471] Re: Math Test To: [email protected] > I tutor physics at British "A Level" standard (years 12 & 13) on a > one-to-one basis. England has a number of examinations boards, each of which > has its own variant of the syllabus. There are also two distinct physics > exams - one which prepares students to study physics at university as part > of a science/engineering degree and one to emphasis the roile of physics in > the practical world. I tutor both. > > Some of the boards dispense with prefixes completely, others expect students > to understand prefixes between "nano" and "giga", but "megametre" and > "giogametre" are never used. I also checked Wikipedia to see what was done > in other languages: > > English - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System > German - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnensystem > French - https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syst%C3%A8me_solaire > Spanish - https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistema_Solar > Russian - > https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%BD%D0% > <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%25> > > B0%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B0 > Japanese - https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%AA%E9%99%BD%E7%B3%BB > > None used Mm or Gm, but rather used thousands, millions or billions of > kilometres or au (astronomical units) - a unit that is listed in the SI > brochure as being permitted to be used alongside SI. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > Of [email protected] > Sent: 27 December 2013 15:59 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:53471] Re: Math Test > > Small minds are self-limiting. What is the width of a hydrogen atom? > How far is Jupiter from the sun? Intelligent people need appropriate units > to measure very small and very large things. > > David Pearl MetricPioneer.com 503-428-4917 > > ----- Message from [email protected] --------- > Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2013 22:12:41 -0000 > From: Martin Vlietstra <[email protected]> > Reply-To: [email protected] > Subject: [USMA:53469] Re: Math Test > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > >> I also agree. In addition, I would be wary of talking about >> megametres (even though the term is technically correct) - this unit >> is hardly ever used in the literature. I think it appropriate to >> limit oneself to the prefixes "mega" to "micro" until one is ready to >> start introducing joules, watts and the electrical measurements when >> once could extend the range upwards to "terra" and downwards to "pico" >> (both of which are used in IT or in electrical measurements. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On >> Behalf Of Ressel, Howard (DOT) >> Sent: 26 December 2013 13:26 >> To: U.S. Metric Association >> Subject: [USMA:53468] Re: Math Test >> >> I agree, too much math and work for 8:30 on December 26th. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On >> Behalf Of Harry Wyeth >> Sent: Wednesday, December 25, 2013 11:46 PM >> To: U.S. Metric Association >> Subject: [USMA:53463] Re: Math Test >> >> What is the point here? I started the survey and quit when >> encountering all the arcane prefixes. If the goal is to educate folks >> about the simplicity of SI, this is a great way to botch it. No real >> person in a metric country will ever know what a yota-whatever is, and >> it is not necessary. If we could get people to just deal with liters, >> kilometers and meters, and kilograms (and a few of their variations >> that we all use), that is all we need to do. The results of this >> "survey" will be meaningless, regardless of the good intent of the person > who created it. >> >> HARRY WYETH >> >> >> On 12/25/13, 1933:33, [email protected] wrote: >>> https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/25LRWBD >>> >>> >>> David Pearl MetricPioneer.com 503-428-4917 >>> >>> > > ----- End message from [email protected] ----- > ----- End message from [email protected] -----
