APPENDIX. 



METRIC SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AXD MEASURES. 



(FROM: MILLER'S "INORGANIC CHEMISTRY.") 



THE weights and measures used in this work are those 

 of the metric system, which, on account of their simplicity 

 and convenience, are now commonly employed by men of 

 science throughout the world. 



The unit of length in this system is the meter, which is 

 equal to 3.937 English inches. From this integer all meas- 

 ures of surface capacity and weight are derived. The sub- 

 divisions of the meter are marked by the Latin prefixes 

 deci, ten, centi, a hundred, and mitti, a thousand ; so that the 

 tenth of a meter is called a decimeter, the hundredth of a 

 meter a centimeter, and the thousandth of a meter a mil- 

 limeter. The higher multiples are indicated by the Greek 

 prefixes deca, ten, hecto, one hundred, kilo, one thousand ; 

 but the prefix kilo, or multiple by one thousand, is almost 

 the only one used in practice. For instance, the higher 

 multiple, or 1000 meters, is called a kilometer. It is used 

 as a measure of distance by road, and represents about 

 1094 yards, 16 kilometers being equal to nearly 10 English 

 miles. 



