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Wondering what to do during the wild, wet new year? Come to Explorit Science Center and investigate estimation and measurement during the current exhibition, "Bigger Than a Breadbox." Measurement is used to determine the quantity of something. The most popular systems of measurement today are the metric system and the English System.
When people first needed to measure length, they often used parts of the body, such as a hand or foot. The length between the first and second joint of the king's index finger was considered one inch. Sometimes, local custom determined the length of an inch such as "three barley corns, round and dry."
But what happened when a new king came to the throne or a barley crop had an unusually long or short growing season, resulting in different size kernels? It soon became clear that a standard was needed. Measurements taken in one place at a certain time needed to match measurements taken somewhere else at a different time.
In the 1600's, Gabriel Mouton, a French clergyman, suggested that a standard unit of measurement be set using a decimal system. In the 1700's, a new unit, the meter, was defined as a particular fraction of the earth's dimension. In 1960, the 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures redefined the meter in terms of a particular wavelength of the radiation from the isotope krypton 86.
For most people, the most commonly used measurements are for length, mass, temperature, time, volume, force, and weight. The first four, length, mass, temperature, and time, can be used to derive the other quantities.
Using the meter, the kilogram, the kelvin (also known as the degree Kelvin), and the second, people can also find volume, which is how much space an object takes up at a particular time under certain circumstances, force, which is a measurement of how hard someone or something pushes or pulls on an object, and weight, which is a measurement of the force of gravity acting on a body.
In today's world, standards of measurement are critical. The exactness and precision that is needed to build everything from microprocessors to space shuttles is phenomenal. And what about the baseball diamond at the new Diamond Park?
To learn more about estimation and measurement, come to Explorit! Explorit Science Center is located at 3141 5th Street in East Davis. Public hours are Saturday from 11 am to 4:30 pm, Sunday from 1:00 to 4:30 pm, and Tuesday through Friday from 2:00 to 4:30 pm. Admission is $3; members, teachers, and children under 4 are free. For more information, call Explorit at 756-0191.
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Would you like to test your estimating talents... and perhaps win a tasty or entertaining treat? A jar full of M&M candies has been placed in the Explorit lobby. Can you guess, or calculate, how many pieces it contains? Now try guessing how many blue candies are mixed in with the rest.
The four people who guess the exact number -- or closest to it -- will win one of four prizes. Two sets of four tickets to see the performance of Fred Garbo on Sunday, January 12 at 2 p.m. have been generously provided by UC Davis Presents. Fred Garbo presents a fabulous program filled with balloons, juggling, creatures of whimsy and other family fun. In recent years, Garbo has performed in Davis to rave reviews from all ages. Science Center visitors would surely have fun speculating about the science behind his blow-up costumes and gravity-defying stunts.
Two other lucky guessers will win the jar full of M&Ms or a package of candy by the yard, both generously provided by Nugget Market. This estimation challenge will only run through January 9, so stop by soon to submit your guess.
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Are you cooking up a storm this holiday season? Do you get the munchies when it's cold and you're huddling under the blankets for warmth? Do you shop at Nugget Market?
Nugget Market will donate 1% of all receipts (not including tax) to Explorit Science Center. Please collect your receipts and drop them off at Explorit or mail them to us at 3141 5th Street.
Unfortunately, Nugget cannot donate from credit card receipts, so only cash, checks, and ATM purchase receipts can be accepted. Receipts must be dated between September 1, 1996 and June 15, 1997.