Body measurements Info

Related to the last point the french word for inch is pouce which also. Say we are using hands as a measure. Thus if we were to use body parts as a standard of measurement the idea of standard measurement wouldnt exist. Although we might think there is an inescapable logic in dividing it in a systematic manner this ignores the way that measuring grew up with people measuring shorter lengths using other parts of the human body. Yes your body and its various parts can serve as a quick length estimator. Various lengths have been derived from body dimensions hands feet spans cubits and the like.

What an interesting post. What is the problem with using parts of the body as a unit of measurement. The width of your palm is about 4 inches. The digit was the smallest basic unit being the breadth of a finger. Many have similar size for example hand and palm so you can just choose ones you prefer perhaps ones with numbers easier to remember. Many real life math problems dont require exact solutions or precise calculations.

So my palms quickly gave a nice measurement. Many body distances can be used as measures but you dont need all of them. Feet are not equal 2. What is the problem with using parts of the body as a unit of measurement. When you need an approximate idea of length you have a handy dandy ruler always nearby. Standard units ensure consistent equal measuring 3.

It does not include derived units further unless they are also themselves human based. These units are thus considered to be human scale and anthropocentric. Women dont have hoo hoo dillies so they cant measure things using one. 10 responses to body parts as tools of measurement chris on january 21 2009 136 am. Devin johnston on january 21 2009 259 am. What is the advantage of metric units.

Another measurement that i use is an inch made by bending my ring finger into a tabletop shape. My hoo hoo dilly is bigger than yours and we dont have a standard hoo hoo dilly size. Calibrating yourself a first step is to choose your measures and measure your choices. The sizes of different peopleõs body parts ie. Very easily by not using them. One individuals hand will likely not be the same as another persons hands therefore if we were building a wall 50 hands tall the actual sizes of the wall would be different.

The si units system simply uses the meter and units derived from that kilometer nanometer etc. How does si address the problem of using body parts as a unit of measurement. This is a list of units of measure based on human body parts or the attributes or abilities of humans. Why were customary or standard units established.