NOTE 1. The second may be supposd to be divided into 60 thirds, and these again into 60 fourths, &c. NOTE 2. April. June, September, and November, have each O days; each of the other months has 31, except Febwhich has 28 in common years, and 29 in leap years. ruary, hours, or NEW FRENCH WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. THE weights and measures in common use are liable to great uncertainty and inconvenience. There being no fixed standard at hand, by which their accuracy can be tested, a great variety of measures, bearing the same name, has obtained in different countries. The foot, for instance, is used to stand for about thirty different established lengths in the different countries of Europe. The several denominations also of weights and measures are arbitrary, and occasion most of the trouble and perplexity, that learners meet with in mercantile arithmetic. To remedy these evils, the French government in 1801 adopted a new system of weights and measures, the several denominations of which proceed in a decimal ratio, and all referable to a common permanent standard, established by nature, and accessible at all places on the earth. This standard is a meridian of the earth, which it was found convenient to divide into 40 million parts. One of these parts is assumed as the unity of length, and the basis of the whole system. This they called a metre, and is equal to about 39 English inches, of which submultiples and multiples being taken, the various denominations of length are formed. I. When the reduction is from a greater name to a less. RULE.* Multiply the highest name or denomination by as many 'as one makes of the next less, adding to the product the parts of the second name; then multiply this sum by as many as * The reason of this rule is exceedingly obvious; for pounds are brought into shillings by multiplying them by 20; shillings into pence by multiplying them by 12; and pence into farthings by multiplying them by 4; and the contrary by division; and this will be true in the reduction of numbers, containing any denominations whatever. A grade or degree of the meridian equal to 100000 metres, or 100th part of the quadrant. 3937100.00000 A cube, whose side is one tenth of a metre, that is, a cubic decimetre, constitutes the unity of measures of capacity. It is one makes of the next less name, adding to the product the parts of the third name; and so on through all the denominations to the last. called a litre, and contains 61.028 cubic inches. The English pint, wine measure, contains 28.875 cubic inches. The litre therefore is 2 pints and nearly one eighth of a pint.— Hence A decalitre is equal to 2 gal. 64,44 cubic inches. A Hectolitre 26 gal. 4,44 cubic inches. 23 The unity of weight is a gramme. It is precisely the weight of a quantity of pure water, equal to a cubic centimetre, which is 100th of a metre, and is equal to 15.444 grains troy. A milligramme is 1000th part of a gramme A centigramme 100th of a gramme A decigramme 10th of a gramme 15444-0234 II. When the reduction is from a less name to a greater. RULE. Divide the given number by as many as make one of the next superior denomination; and this quotient again by as A gramme being equal to 15 444 grains troy. A decagramme 6 dwt. 10 44 gr. equal to 5'65 drams avoirdupois. 100 myriograms make a tun, wanting 32 lb. 8 oz. LAND MEASURE. The unity is an are, which is a square decametre, equal to 3.95 perches. The deciare is a tenth of the are-the. centiare is 100th of an are, and equal to a square metre. The milliare is 1000th of the are. The deciare is equal to 10 ares; the hectare to 100 ares, and equal to 2 acres 1 rood 35 4 perchThe kilare is equal to 1000 ares, the myriare to es English. 10000 ares. For fire-wood the stere is the unity of measure. It is equal to a cubic metre, containing 35-3171 cubic feet English. decestere is the tenth of a stere. The The quadrant of the circle generally is divided like the fourth part of the meridian, into 100 degrees, each degree into 100 minutes and each minute into 100 seconds, &c. so that the same number, which expresses a portion of the meridian, indicates also its length, which is a great convenience in navigation. The coin also is comprehended in this system, and made to conform to their unity of weight. The weight of the Franc, of which one tenth is alloy, is fixed at five grammes; its tenth part is called décime, its hundredth part centime. The divisions of time soon after the adoption of the above underwent a similar alteration. |