Recent progress of the metric system 1


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ABSTRACT AN important report by Dr. Guillaume, presented at the meeting of the General Conference of Weights and Measures at Paris.in October last, has recently reached us. Dr. Guillaume


commences his report with an interesting account of some recent investigations which have been made at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures with respect to the permanency and


invariability of the iridio-platinum standards of the metre and the kilogram, which were distributed in 1889 to the several States participating in the Metric Convention of May, 1875. The


result of these researches is very satisfactory, and says much for the high standard of accuracy maintained in the metrological determinations of the bureau. Among other investigations which


have been undertaken at the bureau since the previous meeting of the general conference in 1901, attention is directed to the work of MM. Benoit, Fabry and Perot in connection with the


interferential measurement of light waves. The results obtained confirm in a remarkable manner the value found by Michelson and Benoit in 1892-3 for the length of the metre in terms of the


wave-length (λ) of the red radiation of incandescent cadmium, in dry air at 760 mm. pressure, and at the temperature of 15° on the normal hydrogen scale. The new value, viz.:— Access through


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PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE _Recent Progress of the Metric System_ 1 . _Nature_ 77, 611–612 (1908). https://doi.org/10.1038/077611a0 Download


citation * Issue Date: 30 April 1908 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/077611a0 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link


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