Metrology, Standards and Calibration

Metrology covers three main topics:

1. The definition of internationally accepted units of measurement.

2. The realisation of units of measurement by scientific methods and development of measurement standards and systems for absolute and relative measurement.

3. The establishment of traceability chains by determining and documenting the value and accuracy of a measurement and disseminating that knowledge.

1. Justify the theoretical basis for the fundamental constants and explain why they should be considered constant.

2. Explain the theoretical definitions of the SI base units and relate them to fundamental constants where appropriate. Describe experimental methods of realising SI base units and derived units.

3. Analyse the methods of deriving/measuring fundamental constants and SI base units and hence describe their limitations.

4. Describe possible ways of using fundamental constants to devise more stable and accurate ways of realising the SI base units and derived units.

5. Describe processes of dissemination of standards to calibration laboratories, describe calibration procedures, analyse and state uncertainties arising.

6. Source calibration standards and trace these back to primary standards.

7. Translate questions of interest into statistical hypothesis, make decisions and draw conclusions on the basis of statistical analysis.