XPost: van.general   
   From: invalid@invalid.ca   
      
   Gary wrote:   
   > On Mon, 21 Oct 2013 14:57:27 -0700, JM wrote:   
   >   
   >> Gary wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>> Thanks.  Litres, cubic metres, I had no idea of their   
   >>> relationship.   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >> OK. A quick, I mean very quick, explanation of the relation betwen   
   >> length, weight and capacity in the metric or international system.   
   >>   
   >> One metre is devided into 100 centimetres. No problem there. A cube   
   >> of 10 cm side would hold one litre. If filled with pure water and   
   >> under certain conditions of altitude and pressure, that one litre   
   >> of   
   >> water would weigh one kilogram. Got it ?   
   >   
   > SNIP   
   >   
   > Thanks again.   
   >   
   > One further question:  was it by design that a 10 x 10 x 10   
   > cm cube of water would weigh one kilogram?   
   >   
   > That is, did whoever designed the metric system use that   
   > amount of water to define how much a kilogram weighed?   
   >   
      
   Exactly. Came from the works of French physicists towards the end of   
   the 18th century -- some even had their head chopped off on the   
   guillotine but probably for other reasons. Wikipedia will give you all   
   details:   
      
   ... and even more details in French   
      
      
   > Otherwise, it seems like a weird coincidence.   
      
   No coincidence at all.   
      
      
   >   
   > - Gary   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)