National Metric Day

National Metric Day is celebrate on the 10th day of the 10th month and it recognizes the metric system, its history, and its benefits.

The metric uses decimals as a method of measuring mass, distance, and volume. Though Simon Stevin, a Flemish mathematician, first suggested such a system in his 1586 publication De Thiende (The Tenth), centuries passed before the metric system became an accepted form of measurement.

The metric system uses the following base units:

• Meter - measures length
• Kilogram - measures mass
• Liter - measures volume

These units are broken down by the power of 10 and the terms used for smaller and larger units carry across the base units.

Another metric unit of measure is Celsius. Also known as centigrade, this unit measures temperature. The boiling and freezing points of water are 100 degrees apart. While Fahrenheit marks the freezing point of water at -32°F, Celsius marks it at 0°C.

In the United States, the metric system became the preferred system for weights and measures in trade in 1988. However, the metric system still competes with the Imperial system of measurements. Distances are measured by miles, not kilometers. Recipes measure volume and weight by cups and ounces. Football measures distance by the yard.

Source: National Day Calendar
www.nationaldaycalendar.com