Measurement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Measurement - Essay Example Without the invention of figures and measuring standards, it would be extremely difficult for industries to perform the tasks accurately and efficiently (Ambrose & Harris 45). One of the industries that measurement plays a large role in is Engineering and Construction and without this practice it would be extremely difficult for those working in this industry to perform their duties. Types of Measurement categories As mentioned earlier, there are different types of measurements that can be found with regard to what in particular an individual is trying to measure (Baines & Haslam 59). These measurements can either be used on their own or jointly depending on the task that the individual measuring wants to perform. The categories that are used for measurement of specific areas can be referred to as Units (Ambrose & Harris 36). Some of the aspects of objects that may require measuring include areas such as: Mass – This has to do with the weight of an object and is one of the mos t common aspects of measurement as it used in almost every single activity including the weighing of oneself in a bid to keep an eye on their body weight (Emerson 23). This is popularly referred to as body mass index. Length – This is in regard to how long an object is. ... Measurement Systems Measurement systems refer to the available units that an individual is able to conduct their measurements in (Emerson 47). The different systems available have different units of measurements that are used to calculate the various aspects of an object such as weight, length and so on. Three of the most common measurement systems that have been used over the years include the Imperial system and the SI system. The Imperial System This system is also known as the English system and was developed by the British. It was once the most popular system in use at one point in time before the switch to use of the SI system (Baines & Haslam 67). The main countries that used these system included the Common wealth countries, the United States and of course the Britons themselves. After a while the system became known as the U.S. Customary units as they maintained the use of these units after other countries made the switch to the SI system and it is still in use there and in certain Caribbean countries as well. Though Britain formally moderately changed to the SI system, many Imperial units still remain in use in this country. The SI System The full name for this particular system is the International System of Units and its abbreviation came from the French language (Systeme International d'Unites). It is a recent revision of the metric system and can be termed as the world’s most popular system of units at the moment with most countries either adapting all or part of the system (Ambrose & Harris 32). There are two categories of SI units in existence, they include the base units that deal with the simpler measurements such as time,