Brij Bhushan Vij wrote in USMA 21733:
.
> Joseph B. Reid asked me as to: HOW I reached the definition for New Metre
>to be 1.11194886884 time the present unit metre. We are aware that: Polar
>radius of Earth is: 6356.784 km; Equitorial radius of Earth is: 6378.136 km;
>and Mean radius of Earth (considered to be a hypothetical sphere) is: 6371
>km. Based on this the Circumference is 40030.1592786 km. Since, FOUR
>quadrants and the 90-degree concept remain UNDISTURBED the Nautical
>kilometre is *derived* as 1/100th of the degree (to replace the 1/60th of
>degree as the Nautical Mile). A simple working shall show that this is
>similar to the *grad or the metric minute of arc-angle: that I showed in my
>paper The Metric Second (1973).
>From Brij's figures, based on a hypothetical spherical earth,
1 "nautical kilometre" = 40 030,159 278 6 / 36 000 = 1.111 948 868
84 km.
This implies an accuracxy of + or - 10 nm. Actually, Brij used an
incorrect value for pi. With the correct value for pi the answer would
have been 1.111 949 266 m + or - 1 um That is as far as my calculator will
go. The present standard of the metre is considered to be accurate to
within + or - 10 nm.
It is a pity that Brij wasn't in France from around 1790 to 1793 when the
concept of the metric system took form. Since 1799 the metre has not been
based on the distance from the north pole to the equator.
Joseph B.Reid
17 Glebe Road West
Toronto M5P 1C8 Tel. 416 486-6071
