Metrology

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Template:Globalize Metrology is variously described as the science of measurement; the science of accuracy and precision; the history of measures; the history of measurement and other definitions. It is a field of study which has been highly politicized and nationalized with sharp even severe rhetoric as the field progressed.

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Introduction

Metrology, as defined by the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) in its 2000 publication International Vocabulary of Terms in Legal Metrology [1], is the "Science of Measurement." Legal metrology is further defined in this same international standard as: "part of metrology relating to activities which result from statutory requirements and concern measurement, units of measurement, measuring instruments and methods of measurement and which are performed by competent bodies." [ibid] The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) further defines metrology as "...the science of measurement, embracing both experimental and theoretical determinations at any level of uncertainty in any field of Science and Technology." [2]

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Historical development

Metrology was originally a study of historical measurement examining ancient, beginning of history documents from Assyria, Egypt, Greece and Roman origin. Early metrologists asserted that early cultures used a system of measurement in commerce that created a foundation for the study of scientific measurement. The studies by John Greaves (1602-1652) and Eduard Bernard (1638-1697) assert that a basic unit of measurement was used between cultures of the time based on the foot or cubit and that the basic measure of length cubed and filled with rainwater gives the basic measure of weight as a standard.

There seems to have been a great deal of politicization of the study of metrology, especially at the beginning of the 20th century which became nationalistic in nature. The battle lines were drawn between English, French, Italian and German interests and schools of thought. Many schools of thought proclaimed themselves as 'new' and 'improved' versions of metrology and clashed severely with the other schools.

La metrologia non é scienza, é un incubo. (Metrology is not a science; it’s a nightmare). -G. De Sanctis

Historically, measures of space are defined as discrete units of length, area, and volume. Measures of time are defined as a length of time for which a phenomena may be observed. Time is thought of both as an ongoing and continuing process and as having a period or duration for an event and so may be additionally described as cyclical, sequential, periodic or a singularity. Measures of other physical properties such as weight are defined first as physical properties of the space time continuum and then given additional descriptors such as mass and energy.

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Mechanisms of metrology

One small subset of this study has to do with standards of measure. A small subset of that area of study is the definition of standards and the scientific methodology of ensuring that standards of measure meet specified degrees of accuracy and precision. In the United States, the master reference standards are maintained through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). By convention, a standard is ten times more accurate and precise than the measurement being tested. Template:Disputeabout

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References

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External links

de:Metrologie fr:Métrologie nl:Metrologie pl:Metrologia ru:Метрология

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