Speaker
Description
It is impossible to find a physics specialty that does not rely on accurate measurements, and confidence in any single measurement is based on the International System of units, the SI, which defines all the fundamental and derived measurement quantities required for science and engineering in the 21st Century. In parallel, there is a legal framework for international metrology, the Metre Convention, which lays out how measurements at different times and in different locations can be appropriately linked. 2025 marked the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention, the creation of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) and the beginning of the modern metrology era. Canada became a member state of the convention on June 15th 1907 and the National Research Council in Ottawa is responsible for ensuring that Canada continues to be aligned, scientifically and legally, with the Metre Convention and the International System of units.
When one considers measurements in any specialty, it is easy to focus only of one or two key units, whether it is kilogram and second for particle physics, or the coulomb and kelvin for condensed matter studies. But taking into account everything that goes into an experiment: from sample preparation to the dependencies of the measurement method, it becomes apparent that the complete SI (base and derived units) is likely represented:
second – controlling experimental acquisition times, determining particle velocities;
metre – positioning of equipment, characterizing optical path lengths;
ampere – power requirements, HV supplies, measurement of single electrons in quantum devices;
kelvin – environmental considerations, cryogenics, thermodynamics;
kilogram – weight limits for laboratory design, sample preparation;
mole – chemical analysis (even physicists have to do a little chemistry!);
candela – luminance characteristics of imaging displays and light sources.
This presentation will explore the history of international metrology and how it impacts measurements today. It will describe the activities of the Metrology Research Centre at the NRC – Canada’s National Metrology Institute - and how it is adapting to new challenges facing science, technology, and society in Canada as we move into the next 150 years of the Metre Convention.
| Keyword-1 | Metrology |
|---|---|
| Keyword-2 | traceability |
| Keyword-3 | primary standards |