A linear meter is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), different from square or cubic meters. The meter is defined as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. The definition has evolved over time to increase accuracy. A linear meter is sometimes used to measure materials like lumber, but it should always be considered simply as a measure of length to avoid confusion.
A linear meter is the somewhat redundant term for an International System of Units (SI) measurement of length. A linear meter is different from a square meter which is a unit of area or a cubic meter which is a unit of volume. Generally, the word linear is omitted as the meter is meant to be a unit of length rather than area or volume. However, in some cases, it is written as “running metre” to avoid confusion when using multiple units in a particular job or problem.
The metric system, which underlies the modern SI system, derives its name from the metre, which is one of the seven basic units of the SI system. The meter is defined as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. This definition has evolved since its first official designation by the French Academy of Sciences in 1791, when it was described as one ten-millionth of the distance from the north pole to the equator.
This initial definition of the meter was later found to have a margin of error of 0.2 mm (0.008 inch) due to a failure to account for the distortion in the spherical shape of the Earth due to the centrifugal forces associated with rotation causing the Earth to swell slightly at the equator and flatten slightly at the poles. Subsequently, a new prototype for the gauge, using the previous definition as a basis, was forged from an alloy of platinum and iridium and maintained under controlled conditions.
In 1960, the definition was changed yet again to further increase the accuracy of the linear metre. A wavelength of a certain type of radiation from decaying isotopes of the element krypton was used to define the meter. The current definition based on the transit time of light in a vacuum was adopted in 1983. All these definitions have little changed the everyday use of the linear meter by the most ordinary citizens. These definitions have always been more to the benefit of scientists and those who require extreme precision in measurements.
Today, the meter is one of the most recognizable units of measurement, even for countries like the United States that have been slow to adopt the metric system. That equals just over 3.28 feet or 1.09 yards. A thousand meters is a kilometre, the standard unit used for longer distances in many parts of the world.
In some cases, the term linear meter is used when talking about the amount of a material such as lumber. In these cases it is sometimes confused with square or cubic meters, units of area and volume. To avoid confusion, a linear meter should always be considered simply as a measure of length. When it comes to lumber, for example, a linear meter means a piece one meter long, regardless of the other dimensions of the board.
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