History of Measurement and Measuring Systems - Essay Example

Units of measurement are among the oldest inventions by humans. The prehistoric societies inclusive of primitive humans used different measurements for purposes such as the construction of their dwellings to ensure that they were of opposite shapes and sizes. With time, man has become more accurate in making measurements due to advancements in technology. This paper focuses on the use of measurements by humans. The paper will discuss the history of measuring systems, who invented them, and their importance to engineering and construction. Additionally, how engineers observe measurements, why measurements are much needed in the world, the role of measurements in quality control, and different types of measurement techniques used in engineering will be discussed.

The term “measurement” is derived from the Greek word metron which means limited proportion. The first measurement systems were astronomical objects. Babylonians and Egyptians are believed to have invented the use of measurement. However, they mainly used comparisons to measure things. For example, they would compare the capacity of containers by filling the smaller container and emptying it into the bigger one to measure the volumes (Manseau & Shields, 2005).

However, Gabriel Mouton, who was an astronomer, invented the metric system. He also suggested the swing length of the pendulum, which is used as a unit of measuring length. In engineering and construction, there are different metric systems depending on what is being measured. For example, construction materials that are in liquid form are measured using measures such as gallons and liters. In the case of length, units such as inches, meters, and feet are used depending on the size being measured. While measuring mass, units such as pounds, kilograms, and grams are applied (Manseau & Shields, 2005). Although scientists make use of standardized metric units, there are two different types of metric systems. The type of metric system being used depends on the application. When measuring small units of length or mass, engineers make use of the CGS (centimeter-gram-second) system. However, MKS (meter-kilogram-second) system is used while measuring large quantities (Manseau & Shields, 2005).

 With globalization, the metric system is becoming widely acceptable worldwide though some countries such as the United States are resistant to switching to the metric system. The US makes use of a mixture of different systems of measurement. In 1960, the General Conference of Weights and Measures revised and simplified the measurement system. Seven units of measure were accepted and including a meter (for measuring length), kilogram (for measuring mass), Ampere (for measuring electric current), and Kelvin for measurement of thermodynamic temperature. The other units of measurement documented include mole for substance, candela for luminous intensity, and second for time (Manseau & Shields, 2005).

Measurement estimates used in construction include approximate measurements, detailed estimates, unit quantity method, total quantity method, and total quantity method. Having a standard unit of measure is important to enhance the international exchange of goods as well as the communication of ideas. Engineers are capable of designing and constructing buildings in different parts of the world due to the existence of common units of measure across the globe (Manseau & Shields, 2005).

Conclusively, measurement is as old as human beings are. However, the units and systems of measurements have undergone transformation resulting in standard units that enable sharing of information amongst different engineers across the globe.