Chapter 2
Metrological Infrastructure
2.1 A Short History of the Development of International
Metrology Infrastructure
1789: Introduction of the metric system
1875: The Metre Convention was signed
1960: Système International d’Unités was established, with the international abbreviation SI
1999: The MRA CIPM [Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA); International
Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM; Comité International des Poids et
Mesures)] was signed.
2.2 The Development of Modern Metrology
and International Infrastructure
Nowadays, it is hard to imagine a modern society functioning without an adequate
transport and communication infrastructure, as well as without suppliers of goods
and services. All of these activities require measurements, and effective operation
of related structures would not be possible without an adequate infrastructure to
ensure the comparability of measurement results. This means that the metrological
infrastructure is of fundamental importance for the development of society. In times
of globalization, it must be a structure that transcends borders and political divisions.
Measurements are an integral part of our lives and a tool to describe the world
around us through the numbers and the relationships between them. We buy 2 kg
of potatoes, 200 g of candy, 30 L of fuel. We pay for consumed water in the house,
and the fees are calculated on the basis of the counter (the number of liters of water
used). Every day, we check the outside temperature in order to wear suitable clothing;
before going on a long journey, we measure the pressure in the tires of our car. We buy
© 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_2
13
Metrological Infrastructure
2.1 A Short History of the Development of International
Metrology Infrastructure
1789: Introduction of the metric system
1875: The Metre Convention was signed
1960: Système International d’Unités was established, with the international abbreviation SI
1999: The MRA CIPM [Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA); International
Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM; Comité International des Poids et
Mesures)] was signed.
2.2 The Development of Modern Metrology
and International Infrastructure
Nowadays, it is hard to imagine a modern society functioning without an adequate
transport and communication infrastructure, as well as without suppliers of goods
and services. All of these activities require measurements, and effective operation
of related structures would not be possible without an adequate infrastructure to
ensure the comparability of measurement results. This means that the metrological
infrastructure is of fundamental importance for the development of society. In times
of globalization, it must be a structure that transcends borders and political divisions.
Measurements are an integral part of our lives and a tool to describe the world
around us through the numbers and the relationships between them. We buy 2 kg
of potatoes, 200 g of candy, 30 L of fuel. We pay for consumed water in the house,
and the fees are calculated on the basis of the counter (the number of liters of water
used). Every day, we check the outside temperature in order to wear suitable clothing;
before going on a long journey, we measure the pressure in the tires of our car. We buy
© 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_2
13