Who Invented the Metric System?
In short: The metric system had no single inventor: it grew from a 1670 proposal by Gabriel Mouton into a reform in revolutionary France that surveyed the meridian from Dunkirk to Barcelona and made its platinum standards law in 1799.
A 1:25 short film in the series “From Fingers to Qubits”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Metric system | Definition, Facts, & History | Britannica”; National Geographic, “How the French Revolution created the metric system”; MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive, University of St Andrews (J J O'Connor and E F Robertson), “Gabriel Mouton - Biography”; Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Gabriel Mouton | French mathematician | Britannica”; Springer Nature (book chapter on SpringerLink), “Reform of Weights and Measures in Revolutionary France”.
Sources used in this film
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Metric system | Definition, Facts, & History | Britannica · View →
- National Geographic — How the French Revolution created the metric system · View →
- MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive, University of St Andrews (J J O'Connor and E F Robertson) — Gabriel Mouton - Biography · View →
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Gabriel Mouton | French mathematician | Britannica · View →
- Springer Nature (book chapter on SpringerLink) — Reform of Weights and Measures in Revolutionary France · View →
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Metric system | Definition, Facts, & History | Britannica
- Also: National Geographic: The French Revolution not only toppled a king—it also forged the metric system
- Also: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive, University of St Andrews (J J O'Connor and E F Robertson): Gabriel Mouton - Biography
- Also: Encyclopaedia Britannica: Gabriel Mouton | French mathematician | Britannica
- Also: Springer Nature (book chapter on SpringerLink): Reform of Weights and Measures in Revolutionary France
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/who-invented-the-metric-system.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Science · Latest · A–Z · All topics
