On 22nd July 1799, the definitive standards of the metric system, the platinum metre and the platinum kilogramme, were ceremonially deposited in the French National Archives, and on 10th December 1799 a law was passed confirming their status as the only legal standards for measuring length and mass in France. The accurate determination of these standards had occupied a number of outstanding French scientists for 10 years, using elaborate equipment partly made from platinum by Etienne Lenoir, a skilled instrument maker. This work had been undertaken after more than a century of discussion. The events surrounding this momentous occasion, which now affects all our everyday lives, are described here.
Origin
Unknown
Journal Title
Platinum Metals Review 44 3 2000 125-134
Sector
General
Class
G 2248