On Saturday 16 July 2016 04:48:11 John Hasler wrote: > Dennis writes: > > BTW: one inch now equals 2.54 cm *exactly*, in case you haven't been > > keeping up! (Used to be approx 2.54 cm.) This is what I mean by > > arbitrary. Don't like the conversion ratio? Then just change it! > > It wasn't a change in conversion ratio. It was change in definition. > Originally US length measures were defined by a physical standard > derived from the British yard such that the inch worked out to close to > 2.54cm. In 1893 the inch was defined as 2.54cm and BIPM-supplied meter > and kilogram standards became the official US measurement standards. It > took until 1930 for the Brits to catch up.
Not quite accurate, though sufficiently jingoistic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inch Lisi
