Sophisticated measurement techniques

Author: French Smart Association
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Our understanding of the external world is achieved through senses (sight, taste, hearing, touch, smell, balance). These senses convey related information; whether the weather is clear or cloudy, whether the sound is sharp or low, whether an object is light or heavy. Generally, this is sufficient for us to perceive the outside world, but sometimes our senses can be wrong. If we want to accurately understand things, we should measure and quantify them. For example, to know the weight of a pineapple, we should use a measuring tool—a balance—and a unit of measurement—grams. Weighing a pineapple means making the weight of the weights on one side of the balance equal to the weight of the pineapple on the other side. Measurement is the process of expressing weight, time, distance, and other quantities in numbers. Humans have long used periodic phenomena like water flow and sand flow to calculate time. Some measuring tools are much more precise than others. For example, a stopwatch is much more precise than a regular clock. A regular clock can only indicate seconds, while a stopwatch can measure to the nearest hundredth of a second. It is important to choose the appropriate measuring tool that suits your needs.
Sometimes, when we measure something, it is difficult or even impossible to measure it directly. We cannot measure the height of the Egyptian pyramids with just a ruler. So, how do we measure the height of a tree, the speed of a racing car, or the thickness of a piece of paper? This book will answer these questions.