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seked
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Diagram explaining the Egyptian seked, showing a pyramid with labeled dimensions and a triangle illustrating the run and rise. A formula box defines seked as the ratio of run to rise, with an example calculation.
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seked

unit of measurement
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Diagram explaining the Egyptian seked, showing a pyramid with labeled dimensions and a triangle illustrating the run and rise. A formula box defines seked as the ratio of run to rise, with an example calculation.
Egyptian seked The Egyptians defined the seked as the ratio of the run to the rise, which is the reciprocal of the modern definition of the slope.

The seked was a unit of measurement used in ancient Egypt, primarily for determining the slope of pyramid faces. It represented the horizontal distance in palms for a vertical rise of one cubit (seven palms). This measurement was crucial for architects and builders, allowing them to calculate the dimensions and angles of structures like pyramids. The concept is related to the use of similar triangles in surveying, a practice that predates the Greek mathematician Thales of Miletus. The goddess Seshat was associated with measurement and was believed to assist in astronomical and astrological measurements for temple construction.12

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4 Britannica Sources
  1. mathematics - Geometry
  2. secant
  3. Seshat
  4. Sebek

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