METROLOGY

PREAPARED BY : ENGR. RENZO M. JOGNO

Ma n k i n d m e a s u r e s

The death penalty faced those who forgot or neglected their duty to calibrate the
standard unit of length at each full moon. Such was the peril courted by the royal
site architects responsible for building the temples and pyramids of the Pharaohs
in ancient Egypt, 3000 years BC.
The first royal cubit was defined as the length of the forearm from elbow to tip
of the extended middle finger of the ruling Pharaoh, plus the width of his hand.
The original measurement was transferred to and carved in black granite. The
workers at the building sites were given copies in granite or wood and it was
the responsibility of the architects to maintain them.
The science of measurement – metrology – is probably the oldest science in the
world and knowledge of how it is applied is a fundamental necessity in
practically all science based
professions!
Metrology is separated into three categories with different levels of complexity
and
accuracy:
 Scientific metrology deals with the organization and development of
measurement standards and with their maintenance (highest level).
 Industrial metrology has to ensure the adequate functioning of measurement
instruments used in industry, in production and testing processes, for
ensuring quality of life for citizens and for academic research.
 Legal metrology is concerned with measurements where these influence the
transparency of economic transactions, particularly where there is a
requirement for legal verification of the measuring instrument.
ENGLISH AND METRIC
SYSTEM OF MEASUREMENTS
IMPORTANCE OF DIMENSIONS AND UNITS
Any physical quantity can be characterized by dimensions. The magnitudes
assigned to the dimensions are called units. Some basic dimensions such as mass
m, length L, time t, and temperature T are selected as primary or fundamental
dimensions, while others such as velocity V, energy E, and volume V are
expressed in terms of the primary dimensions and are called secondary
dimensions, or derived dimensions.
A number of unit systems have been developed over the years. Despite strong
efforts in the scientific and engineering community to unify the world with a
single unit system, two sets of units are still in common use today: the

English system, which is also known as the United States Customary

System (USCS), and the metric SI (from Le Système International d’
Unités), which is also known as the International System.
Metric System
The SI is a simple and logical system based on a decimal relationship between
the various units, and it is being used for scientific and engineering work in most
of the industrialized nations, including England.
English System
The English system, however, has no apparent systematic numerical base, and
various units in this system are related to each other rather arbitrarily (12 in 1 ft,
1 mile 5280 ft, 4 qt gal, etc.), which makes it confusing and difficult to learn.
The United States is the only industrialized country that has not yet fully
converted to the metric system.