There seem to be two different motivations for measurement. The first is the desire for accuracy. This applies to scientific measurement from the smallest subatomic particle to the largest astronomical distances. Precision is required to ensure accurate calculations. The second reason to measure is tied to competition. The human desire to know what is the tallest, fastest, and biggest of a given thing is fairly inescapable. Rankings for the hottest, driest, and most of anything require a way to measure those features and compare them.
In daily life most people employ measurement for the first reason. They need to know whether a room is big enough to hold a certain sofa or how much fabric to take in on a piece of second-hand clothing. Measuring tapes are useful in both of those circumstances — though there are two different basic styles of measuring tape in common household use. All tape measures are based on the simple idea of using a tape to measure the length or girth of something. The tape is then rolled into a coil for storage. Some tapes come on spools while others are in spring cases.
The sewing measuring tape is descended from cloth tapes that were in use at least as far back as the 1700s. Today these tapes are usually made from flexible fiberglass or plastic. They remain elastic enough to wrap around a body or piece of bulky furniture, but are far less likely to stretch out of shape as cloth does. The other style of tape measure is the construction or carpenters tape. It is usually made of metal or acrylic which allows it to hold position to measure large spaces. It has a spring mechanism that will automatically roll the tape back into a coil in a hard casing.
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