Chapter 1
Introduction to Metrology
“Count what is countable, measure what is measurable and what is not measurable,
make measurable.” Galileo Galilei (1564–1642)
1.1 Metrology in General
The name ‘metrology’ derived from the fusion of two Greek source words: métron
meaning measurement; and lógos meaning science.
As defined by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM; Bureau
International des Poids et Mesures): “Metrology is the science of measurement,
embracing both experimental and theoretical determinations at any level of uncertainty in any field of science and technology.” It establishes a common understanding
of units, which become crucial to all human activity. The source word métron can be
found, among others, in the term ‘metronome,’ which is a device used in music for
the precise and loud measuring of musical tempo, with the help of the movement of a
pendulum. The word ‘metronome’ is also used in the theory of science information as
the smallest unit of metrical information obtained after an experiment is conducted.
The need to establish measuring methods and tools can be noticed from the earliest
period of the development of civilization. To be able to survive in a hostile environment, humans had to learn to estimate (to measure) the distance, speed, mass, time,
strength, temperature, and so on. In the beginning, the assessment of the properties
of the surrounding nature was conducted through senses and in relation to locally
agreed units. As it was emphasized in the introduction, a huge disadvantage of those
early systems, was the subjectivity of the measurements, which stemmed from the
fact that the result of the measurement depended on the specifics of the measuring
unit used. As an example, one can recall the ‘foot,’ used as a measuring unit, which
illustrates how much the result of measurement was dependent on the ‘owner’ of the
foot used to compare the length of other objects (Fig. 1.1).
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018
E. Bulska, Metrology in Chemistry, Lecture Notes in Chemistry 101,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99206-8_1
1
Introduction to Metrology
“Count what is countable, measure what is measurable and what is not measurable,
make measurable.” Galileo Galilei (1564–1642)
1.1 Metrology in General
The name ‘metrology’ derived from the fusion of two Greek source words: métron
meaning measurement; and lógos meaning science.
As defined by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM; Bureau
International des Poids et Mesures): “Metrology is the science of measurement,
embracing both experimental and theoretical determinations at any level of uncertainty in any field of science and technology.” It establishes a common understanding
of units, which become crucial to all human activity. The source word métron can be
found, among others, in the term ‘metronome,’ which is a device used in music for
the precise and loud measuring of musical tempo, with the help of the movement of a
pendulum. The word ‘metronome’ is also used in the theory of science information as
the smallest unit of metrical information obtained after an experiment is conducted.
The need to establish measuring methods and tools can be noticed from the earliest
period of the development of civilization. To be able to survive in a hostile environment, humans had to learn to estimate (to measure) the distance, speed, mass, time,
strength, temperature, and so on. In the beginning, the assessment of the properties
of the surrounding nature was conducted through senses and in relation to locally
agreed units. As it was emphasized in the introduction, a huge disadvantage of those
early systems, was the subjectivity of the measurements, which stemmed from the
fact that the result of the measurement depended on the specifics of the measuring
unit used. As an example, one can recall the ‘foot,’ used as a measuring unit, which
illustrates how much the result of measurement was dependent on the ‘owner’ of the
foot used to compare the length of other objects (Fig. 1.1).
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018
E. Bulska, Metrology in Chemistry, Lecture Notes in Chemistry 101,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99206-8_1
1