Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

The fascinating stories behind the essential seven units of measurement that allow us to understand the physical world From the beginning of history, measurement has been interwoven into the human experience, shaping our understanding of nature, personal relationships, and the supernatural. We measure the world to know our past, comprehend the present, and plan the future. Renowned physicist Piero Martin explores how scientific knowledge is built around seven key pillars of measurement: the meter for length; the second for time; the kilogram for mass; the kelvin for temperature; the ampere for electricity; the mole for quantity of substance; and the candela for luminous intensity. Martin examines the history and function of these units and illustrates their applications in rich vignettes on topics ranging from quarks and black holes to coffee and beer. He delves into not only the all-important numbers but also anecdotes that underline each unit’s special quality. At the same time, he explains how each unit contributes to important aspects of science, from classical physics to quantum mechanics, from relativity to chemistry, from cosmology to elementary particle physics, and from medicine to modern technology. Martin eloquently shows how the entire universe can be measured and understood using just a few units.

Metric system --- Metrology --- Units of measurement --- History. --- Science --- Weights And Measures

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This first of three volumes starts with a short introduction to historical metrology as a scientific discipline and goes on with an anthology of acient and modern measurement systems of all kind, scientific measures, units of time, weights, currencies etc. It concludes with an exhaustive list of references. Units of measurement are of vital importance in every civilization through history. Since the early ages, man has through necessity devised various measures to assist him in everyday life. They have enabled and continue to enable us to trade in commonly and equitably understood amounts, and to investigate, understand, and control the chemical, physical, and biological processes of the natural world. The essence of the work is an alphabetically ordered, comprehensive list of measurement nomenclature, units and scales. It provides an understanding of almost all quantitative expressions observed in all imaginable situations, including spelling variants and the abbreviations and symbols for units, and various acronyms used in metrology. It will be of use not only to historians of science and technology, but also to economic and social historians and should be in every major academic and national library as standard reference work on the topic.

Weights and measures --- Measures --- Physics --- Metrology --- Units of measurement --- Weight (Physics) --- History --- History. --- Civilization-History. --- Economic history. --- Finance --- History of Science. --- Cultural History. --- Economic History. --- Financial History. --- Economic conditions --- History, Economic --- Economics --- Annals --- Auxiliary sciences of history --- Civilization—History. --- Finance—History. --- Weights and measures - History - Encyclopedias --- Civilization - History --- Economic History --- Civilization

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

"Measurement is all around us-from the circumference of a pizza to the square footage of an apartment, from the length of a newborn baby to the number of miles between neighboring towns. Whether inches or miles, centimeters or kilometers, measures of distance stand at the very foundation of everything we do, so much so that we take them for granted. Yet, this has not always been the case. This book reaches back to medieval Italy to speak of a time when, far from being obvious, measurements were displayed in the open, showing how such a deceptively simple innovation triggered a chain of cultural transformations whose consequences are visible today on a global scale. Drawing from literary works and frescoes, architectural surveys and legal compilations, Emanuele Lugli offers a history of material practices widely overlooked by historians. He argues that the public display of measurements in Italy's newly formed city republics not only laid the foundation for now centuries-old practices of making, but also helped to legitimize local governments and shore up church power, buttressing fantasies of exactitude and certainty that linger to this day. This ambitious, truly interdisciplinary book explains how measurements, rather than being mere descriptors of the real, themselves work as powerful molds of ideas, affecting our notions of what we consider similar, accurate, and truthful." -- Publisher's description.

Measurement --- Metrology --- Weights and measures --- History --- Social aspects --- Historiography --- Italy --- Civilization --- Historiography. --- Measurement - Italy - History - To 1500 --- Measurement - Social aspects - Italy --- Metrology - Italy - History - To 1500 --- Metrology - Social aspects - Italy --- Weights and measures - Social aspects - Italy --- Metrology - Italy - Historiography --- Italy - Civilization - 1268-1559 --- Mesure --- Métrologie --- Poids et mesures --- Histoire --- Aspect social --- Italie --- Civilisation --- Measuring --- Mensuration --- Mathematics --- Technology --- Physical measurements --- Science --- Measures --- Physics --- Units of measurement --- Weight (Physics) --- Church history. --- Italian history. --- history of measurements. --- history of medieval art. --- history of precision. --- history of trade. --- medieval architecture. --- medieval history. --- objectivity.