Introduction – History of Metrology
Today, we would like to walk you through the past of the field of metrology. Understanding the history of a topic is important because it helps us know how things work and how to improve. The history of metrology is a fascinating story that may have unfolded differently than you expect. Based on natural principles, our understanding of standardized measurement has only improved since it began thousands of years ago. Having knowledge of the past is pivotal to understanding how progress occurs and to continuing to build for innovation to take place. At Higher Precision, we aim to bring you the trifecta of tools, quality, and knowledge. We believe in discussing out shared history to assist us in knowing what is possible and collaboratively working toward a future of incredible metrology.
What is Metrology?
Metrology is the science of measurement. Briefly, the field of metrology aims to establish a unified standard by which different measurements can be compared, to find ways to make measurements across a range of contexts maintain high accuracy and precision, and to determine what defines various types of measurement units. There are three distinguished subfields that fall under the umbrella of metrology—scientific or fundamental metrology; applied, technical, or industrial metrology, and legal metrology. All integral to the way in which our world works, we will cover more about these subfields later on.
Metrology in Daily Life
Whether you are directly aware of it or not, metrology makes many of our daily activities possible. From brewing your morning cup of coffee to determining the radiation dosage to treat cancer, metrological principles are all around us. Based in long-standing historical principles, metrology is an integral part of the digital era we live in today. The cell phone you may be reading this on required metrological principles to be both developed and built. Each detail in the field of medicine is based within metrology as well. Do you need a flu shot? Did you take ibuprofen the last time you had a headache? Did your grandmother recently get a bone density test? Each and every measurement was grounded in the agreed upon standards put forth by those current and past who have worked in metrology. Metrology involves the tested infrastructure, the complex scientific principles, the behavior of various materials, the development and use of tools, and more. The bridges we drive across safely, the delicious ice cream we ate for dessert, the warm coat we are wearing all winter long – the list is endless for how metrology is present in our daily lives.
The Origins of Metrology
The idea of and need for measurement dates back thousands of years. As early as 6,000 B.C., people developed measurement methods in order to calculate values relating to agriculture. In order to manage the growth of smaller populations and reduce the likelihood of famine, people needed to understand the distribution of crops and the amount of food consumed. There have likely been more systems of measurement in our history than we are able to determine today. These would have been used around the world for purposes of trade and acculturation. Importantly, there was a great deal of natural inconsistency as the methods of measurement changed over time and across continents. For example, in ancient Egypt, the common form of measurement called the cubit, was determined by the length of a forearm. As you might imagine, the Egyptian cubit varied widely depending on the person conducting the measurement. However, this simple method was regularly used to measure such things as flooding caused by the Nile and various part of the architecture process. Similarly, the Roman mile consisted of measuring 1,000 paces of two steps each. Frequently marked by marching armies, these distances measuring length were frequently influenced by such things as the physical build of the individual, weather conditions, and army logistics.
During the Scientific Revolution, metrology was required to expand beyond basic measurement of length, time, and weight in order to accommodate more scientifically advanced physical properties such as thermodynamics, electricity, and atomic matter. Additionally, there was a general movement toward broader standardization of measurement. In 1875, at the Meter Convention, also known as the Treaty of Meter, scientists began to establish an internationally recognized system of standards that could be agreed upon by all.
The French Revolution’s Role in Metrology
Since the French Revolution in the 18th century, the metric system has been established as the universal system of measurement across the world with the exception of the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar (or Burma). The metric system helped to standardize the innumerable ways to measure time, length, weight, etc. in use at the time. In France alone, it is estimated there had been a minimum of 250,000 different units to measure weight. Other local measurement customs of the time included measuring land in days, thus referencing the amount of time it would take the land to be worked, and measuring cloth based on the width of local looms used to weave it. During the French Revolution, many of society’s traditions were being overturned as a part of the broader efforts to take down the monarchy and the church, and the development of a central measurement system was a part of these efforts. The decimal system originated initially with the Republican Calendar, which intended to take our record of time away from its religious roots and to orient time to a factor of 100. On this proposed calendar, each day was made up of 10 hours, which was each subsequently made up of 100 minutes, which was each subsequently made up of 100 seconds. While the idea of this breakdown of time did not remain across the years, the decimal system of measurement did. Put forth by scientists from the Enlightenment, the meter was decided to be one ten-millionth of the total distance from the North Pole to the equator. After a journey of seven years, the astronomers Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre and Pierre Mechain were able to calculate the complete distance of this meridian, thus starting the basis for universally standardizing measurement.
Transitioning to the Metric System
At first, there was little acceptance of the new metric system, as the average person was not prepared to stop local rituals and customs that had supported measurement up to that point. Overall, it took approximately 100 years for the practice of using the metric system to officially catch on. As the industrial revolution was gaining traction, military travel required more accurate mapping of lands, and scientific study began to spread, the metric system became a necessity to help assure precision and consistency in measurement. Finally, in 1875, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures was formed as the oldest metrology institution. The International Bureau of Weights and Measures continues to promotes the standardization of the candela, the mole, the kelvin, the ampere, the second, the kilogram, and the meter.
The International System of Units
The International System of Units is more informally known throughout the world as the metric system. Initially signed into actuality in 1875, the International System of Units includes physical artifact standards housed on international ground located within the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. The metric system was designed to be based on the principles and behavior of nature itself. For example, the connection of the meter back to the distance between the north pole and the equator. However, each singular unit had to be measured somehow, and the physical object designed to represent such a measurement came with its own flaws including wear and accessibility. In 1960, international scientists began to agree on the use of specific nature-based standards that are less subject to change. For example, measures of time are based on an unchanging frequency of microwave radiation released and absorbed by a cesium atom. In 1983, the unchanging speed of light in an empty space or vacuum was determined as the basis for length measurements with the meter equaling the distance light travels in a certain period of time.
Conclusion
Metrology is interwoven into our history and will be central to our future. All around us each day metrology allows us to complete our jobs, get healthcare, see family and friends, and change the world. Understanding the history of metrology is just as important as seeing where it will take us in the future. Take a look at what Higher Precision has to offer with the highest quality metrology tools and see just how powerful measurement can be. Contact us today to learn more about how metrology can help improve your life!
Read Part 2: The future & advancements of Metrology.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What makes metrology important?
- Metrology is the scientific study and application of measurement. By establishing and maintaining unified standards, the field of metrology allows different measurements to be communicated and compared across the whole world. Just think how different our lives would be if you could not tell someone consistently how much medication you needed? The size of your feet for shoes? How much distance to go before getting somewhere? Metrology is important because it is everywhere and allows our world to function as we know it. A lot of history and work has gone into the development, understanding, and maintenance of measurement. While metrology has been around for thousands of years, it is only more recently that the field has fully defined all unit standards based on physical laws of nature, thus ensuring their consistency and durability over time.
- How are the French Revolution and metrology connected?
- The history of the French Revolution is forever tied to the history of metrology through the development of the metric system. First defined as an international system of measurement in 1875, the metric system was initially due to the revolutionary inspiration of the time. At the 1875 Meter Convention in France, the metric system was made official by some of the prominent scientific thinkers of the Enlightenment. Measurement certainly existed before this time, but there was a great deal of inconsistency due to use of quantities like paces or the length of a forearm. Given the different ways of measuring found internationally, prior to the establishment of the metric system, engaging in trade and communication with other areas of the world was quite complex. It was the combination of the need and the scientific minds of the time that put forth the international system of units, or metric system, and advanced the field of metrology significantly during the French Revolution.
- What are the different subfields of metrology?
- There are three main subfields of metrology. These include: scientific or fundamental metrology; applied, technical or industrial metrology; and legal metrology. Fundamental or scientific metrology is focused on accuracy and precision in measurement. This subfield aims to determine unit standards, maintain traceability and calibration consistency, and develop new technologies that help further the field. Applied, technical, or industrial metrology encompasses the application of measurement principles within manufacturing. This subfield aims to maintain quality and sustainability of measurement tools and products within the world of industry. Legal metrology involves the study and application of legislation to the field of metrology. This subfield is most important in handing economic or financial concerns around metrology-related processes.
GLOSSARY TERMS
- International System of Units
- The international system of units is also known as the metric system. The international system of units became the official system of measurement in 1875 at the initial Meter Convention in France. Based on physical principles within nature, the international system of units creates a centralized system of determining the quantity of all areas in the physical world, such as a meter of length of a second of time. The original meter was determined to be a specific portion of the distance between the north pole and the equator. The physical artifacts that represent the standards for this system of measurement continue to be located in the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. Overtime, metrologists have continued to refine the international system of units in order to build standards that are more constant over time.
- Measurement
- Measurement is the process of quantifying attributes of our world or objects within our world. Allowing for comparison between two things, measurement permits us to represent our world in numeric form. While measurement and metrology have been around for thousands of years, the process of measurement was standardized into a coherent and international system in 1875 at the Meter Convention in France. Measurement is central to industry, science, medicine, technology, and more. Measurement is all around us and pivotal to our daily life.
- Meter
- A meter in the world of metrology refers to the fundamental unit of length as represented in the metric system (also known as the international system of units). Originally based on the distance between the north pole and the equator, the meter continues to be the standard used across the majority of the world to represent length and distance. Now, the meter is based on the physical properties of light and the distance it can travel over the course of a second.
- Metric System
- The metric system is also known as the international system of units. The metric system is a collection of quantitative representations of measurement. This system was first made official at the Meter Convention in France during 1875. Each unit within the metric system can be traced back to physical principles within nature. This centralized system of determining the quantity of all areas in the physical world creates a way in which to standardize measurement internationally. For example, the meter was originally determined to be a specific portion of the distance between the north pole and the equator. The International Bureau of Weights and Measures in France continues to house the original physical artifacts that represent the standards for this system of measurement. Metrologists have continued to refine the metric system standards in order to connect them back to physical properties that are more constant over time.
- Unit
- A unit refers to a unit of measurement, which is the specific quantity allotted to represent a standard amount of matter or space. There are seven total base units that define all measurements. Any unit not within this base set can be calculated and/or defined as derived from one of these base units. The seven base units of measurement include: time (second), distance (meter), mass (kilogram), electric current (ampere), temperature (kelvin), the amount of a substance (mole), and luminous intensity (candela).