Measurement using body parts was often done in the past and was highly useful. The exact length varied according to whose arm was being used and could be from 18 to 22 inches.
Measurement Of Length Standard Units And Instruments
Body parts used for measurement. It probably goes without saying that the unit foot was based on the length of a mans foot. The width of your palm is about 4 inches 10 centimeters. Example carpenters use their thumb to measure small insignificant measurements. Quinaria the cross sectional area of a pipe created from a flat sheet of. Hand hand fingers thumb. An average foot is about 12 inches long.
A cubit was a measurement based on the forearm from elbow to fingertip. Your forearm from elbow to fingertip. This is a list of units of measure based on human body parts or the attributes or abilities of humans. From nose to finger tip. It does not include derived units further unless they are also themselves human based. Your forearm is about 15 feet 46 centimeters.
Cubit from latin cubitum the elbow. Digit in latin digitus could mean either finger or toe. Here are a few more. The distance between your nose. It probably goes without saying that the unit foot was based on the length of a mans foot. Using your body to estimate length your hand.
The thumb measures 1 inch which is now the basis of measurement. Long before the thumb would be used to measure almost everything. Eight body based units of measurement cubit. The cubit was just one of numerous units of measurement based on the typical size of body parts. Stretch out the fingers of your hand. The same is true of digit in modern english.
These units are thus considered to be human scale and anthropocentric area. This is the distance from a mans elbow to the tip of his middle finger which would be about 18 inches for the.