Concepts of Metrology

Abstract

Metrology is an essential element of daily life, but goes almost unnoticed. A meter rule has become a common tool in most households. A length is measured, its value is noted, and in another place, another meter rule is used to compare the length of an item with the figures noted previously. It rarely occurs that this procedure results in significant deviations. In fact, using a reference (meter rule) to determine a value of a quantity (length) by comparison (measurement) is a basicmetrological activity. The procedure described above works, because themeters involved in this comparison relate to the same reference meter. The deviations between that reference meter and the customtools available in most households of the economically developed countries are not relevant for daily application needs – the meters are fit-for-purpose. It would, on the other hand, be considered as unreasonable by most people to use these tools for measurement in the sub-millimeter range. Themetrological concepts of measurement and fitness-for-purpose have become a matter of course.