The original definition of the meter was based on 1/10,000,000 of the meridian through which city between the North Pole and the Equator?

• A. The equator
• B. The meridian through Greenwich
• C. The meridian through Paris
• D. The North Pole

Answer: (C)

The meter was defined as 1/10,000,000 of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator along a single meridian. They chose the meridian that passes through Paris because the metric system was developed in France and Paris served as the reference line for these measurements. This is why the original definition uses the Paris meridian, not Greenwich, the equator, or the poles. Greenwich later became the standard for longitude and time, but the meter’s initial basis was tied to the Paris meridian.