Mars Climate Orbiter: The Metric System
Mars Climate Orbiter
As science progresses through the 21st century, our race must not totally forgo the hard work and dedication past scientists have put in to developing standards and models that everyone can use worldwide. Hundreds of years ago, scientists worked to create methods of classifying and interpreting data that could be read and understood by people universally. In September of 1999, scientists at NASA lost contact with a multi-million dollar project during an atmospheric entry to mars all because of a human error. Scientists from different fields came together to design and program the Mars Climate Orbiter, but did not utilize a universal measuring system for the entire project. This confusion should not have happened because …show more content…
The metric system bases its values on properties of one hundred. The history of the metric system dates back to the 18th century. The goal of the metric system was to unify measurements across the continent so that people could communicate numbers accurately. In 1799 the first proclamation became in order in France, when the prototype kilogram and the prototype metre were held in the archives to ensure a universally defined weight and length. This system was not accepted at first because of the trouble people had with converting their measurements to metric. Eventually laws were past to make all other systems of measurement illegal to use. Napoleon himself authorized the use of a French measurement system because he did not accept the metric system. After a hundred years of fighting, the metric system finally prevailed in the mid 1900s. The metre was changed with new discoveries about the size of the earth, but the kilogram still resembles the prototype developed in the 18th century. School systems teach the metric system to students usually when they start learning about science, and the scientific method. The metric system usually only appears in America when speaking of scientific quantities. The only reason people in America use the metric system when doing science is because science represent a certain purity and hierarchy. These qualities need to …show more content…
The imperial based system that the students are taught though, is the English system that is hundredths of metric units apart from the actual imperial system. This early knowledge of the imperial system forces most children and many adults to still not understand anything but the imperial system. In 1824, the units of the imperial system were introduced to the United Kingdom, and its commonwealth countries excluding America. The introduction of this system required that a gallon would be exactly 231 cubic inches. From there, more rules were added that standardized length, and length in the imperial system. Many of the nations who used the imperial system, including America are being forced to convert to the metric system. This further ensures that mistranslations will not occur between businesses, people, and
As science progresses through the 21st century, our race must not totally forgo the hard work and dedication past scientists have put in to developing standards and models that everyone can use worldwide. Hundreds of years ago, scientists worked to create methods of classifying and interpreting data that could be read and understood by people universally. In September of 1999, scientists at NASA lost contact with a multi-million dollar project during an atmospheric entry to mars all because of a human error. Scientists from different fields came together to design and program the Mars Climate Orbiter, but did not utilize a universal measuring system for the entire project. This confusion should not have happened because …show more content…
The metric system bases its values on properties of one hundred. The history of the metric system dates back to the 18th century. The goal of the metric system was to unify measurements across the continent so that people could communicate numbers accurately. In 1799 the first proclamation became in order in France, when the prototype kilogram and the prototype metre were held in the archives to ensure a universally defined weight and length. This system was not accepted at first because of the trouble people had with converting their measurements to metric. Eventually laws were past to make all other systems of measurement illegal to use. Napoleon himself authorized the use of a French measurement system because he did not accept the metric system. After a hundred years of fighting, the metric system finally prevailed in the mid 1900s. The metre was changed with new discoveries about the size of the earth, but the kilogram still resembles the prototype developed in the 18th century. School systems teach the metric system to students usually when they start learning about science, and the scientific method. The metric system usually only appears in America when speaking of scientific quantities. The only reason people in America use the metric system when doing science is because science represent a certain purity and hierarchy. These qualities need to …show more content…
The imperial based system that the students are taught though, is the English system that is hundredths of metric units apart from the actual imperial system. This early knowledge of the imperial system forces most children and many adults to still not understand anything but the imperial system. In 1824, the units of the imperial system were introduced to the United Kingdom, and its commonwealth countries excluding America. The introduction of this system required that a gallon would be exactly 231 cubic inches. From there, more rules were added that standardized length, and length in the imperial system. Many of the nations who used the imperial system, including America are being forced to convert to the metric system. This further ensures that mistranslations will not occur between businesses, people, and