The sun., 1919-09-21

II Mum now on lne IHedSurer ,oL
r time, space, mass and energy
will have to figure in stores,
grades, sthenes, kilojoules, PIECES. cou-
lombs, thermies, lumens, luSes. pilots.
dioptries, poncelets-wordsf for weights
and measures that are now part of
the metric system.
The President OF France by execu-
tive decree signed July a6 by NJ.
Poincare and officially promulgated
August 5 has given names under the
metric system to the secondary units
of measures, subdivided into geometric
units of mass, time, mechanics, cleo
tries, calorifics and optics. The de-
cree enumerates and defines these
units.
The unit of surface is defined as
the square metre. the area contained
in a square one metres length on all
sides. The designation, are, is given
to the square decimetre in soil meas
urement.
The cubic metre is the name OF the
, unit of volume, contained in a cube
one metres length of every side. For
the measurement of wood, the stere
is declared the name equivalent for a
cubic metre. The cubic decimetre, as
always will answer to the name of
litre for the measurements of liquids,
cereals and pulverized materials.
The right angle is recognized as the
unit of angle, and is Invisible into one
hundred parts by new plan of meas
urement, while the old measurements
of degrees, minutes and seconds are
allowed to continue simultaneously in
use. The hundredth part of a right
angle is to be Known as a grade.
THE Carat Stays.
The decree graciously permits, pre-
sumably in complaisance toward an
cient and accepted custom, that in
| transactions relative to diamonds, fine
pearls and precious stones the de-
nomination of carat may be given to
the decigramme. So the carat main
| tains commercial standing.
| AS to units of time, 1t is granted
| that in addition to the second, the
principal unit, one may use the minute.
which is composed of so seconds, and
the hour, which is composed of 60
minutes"-just as has been generally
understood by all who can read time
for some time.
The unit of force is the sthene-a
force which in a second communicates
to mass equal to a ton the develop
| ment of speed of a metre a second.
KiIojottIe is the unit of energy. 1t
| represents the work produced by a
sthene whose point OF application is
deplaced a metre in the direction of
the force" The unit of power is the
! hn
one kilojOuIe a second The niece is
/ the unit Of pressure-the uniform
pressure which, distributed over a sur
face OF one square metre, produces a
| total effort of one sthene.
The difference of potential, electro
motive or tension is considered in the
definition OF electrical units The unit
OF potential difference and Of electro
motive force or tension is the. volt
The volt is the potential difference be-
tween\ the eXtremities of a conductor
whose resistance is one ohm traversed
by an invariable current equal to one
ampere.
| The volt is lawfully represented by
the international volt" says the decree
defined at the conference of London.
what a COuIomb Is.
| The unit of the quantity of cleo
tricity is the couIomb-that quantity
carried during a second by an invari-
able current of an ampere-also claw
fully represented" by the international
cOalomb. zone may also use" says
the kind permission, as a unit OF cleo
trlcal quantity the ampere- heure, com
posed of 5000 coulombs and represent
ing the quantity of electricity carried
in an hour by current OF an ampere.
Enumerating and defining calorific
units, the decree orders that, for tenn
peratures. higher than 240 degrees.
the centesimal degree is represented
by the variation of temperature
which produces the hundreth part of
| the development of pressure passed
| through a mass of hydrogen when,
the volume being variable. the tenn
perature passes from that of pure
melting ice (O-zero) to that of vapor
OF water distilled in boiling Goo de-