Re: Metric Time (was Re: Why not 13 months? (Was La Systeme Metrique))
Kevin Anthony Scaldeferri (coolhand@Glue.umd.edu)
12 Oct 1995 10:26:26 -0400
In article <45fbqr$3kd@shore.shore.net>, Whittet <Whittet@shore.net> wrote:
>
>Well for one thing there are exactly twice as many seconds in a century
>as inches in the circumference of the earth at the equator.
>
>The circumference of the earth at the equator is 24902.72727 mi
>There are 36524 days in a century
>
>365.24 x 100 x 24 x 60 x 60/24902.72727 x 5280 x 12 x 2=1
>
Very nice, except that there are actually 365.2422... days in a year.
Also, curiously, your "exact" value for the circumference of the earth
is exactly the number of places my calculator gives it to if I reverse
your calculation
Is the circumference of the earth at the equator really known to half
an inch? Using what assumptions. Spherical, or even perfectly
ellipsoidal, earth. That assumption is far enough from the true not
to give you that precision.
In fact I'm almost sure the circumference of the earth changes by
significantly more than half an inch due to the tides.
Kevin
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