In the late eighteenth century in France, a new system of measurement called the metric system was invented. The standard of length was related to the dimensions of the Earth rather than to the dimensions of a man.
The units in the system were defined so that they were related to each other in units of ten—that is, to fit into the decimal system of counting. In addition, an attempt was made to establish a simple relationship between the units of length, volume and mass.
The basic unit of length is the meter, about 39.37 U. S. inches. Volume is based on the cube of a length measure, such as cubic centimeter. Mass and weight are based on the standard kilogram. Temperature is measured on the Celsius, scale with zero as the freezing point of water and 100° as the boiling point.
