Posted on 11/08/2010 11:57:39 AM PST by zeugma
I propose a new unit of weight. We shall call it the “Obama.”
The weight of One Obama is the equivalent of the total amount of bovine excrement that can fit in the Oval Office at one time.
What’s that in English?
Basically all the measurments in the metric system are now based on measurable physical properties. For example, the meter is based on the wavelength of light emitted from the atom Krypton. The sole exception is the kilogram which as the article mentions is based on an actual block of material stored in France. There used to be an actual “mother of all” meter sticks in France. The problem with the kg block is it changes over time so the kg is not a constant measure. The idea is to find some physical property that can be defined as a kg.
how about The Pelosi for the weight filling the volume of Congress?
The SI system is global hegemony on the part of France.
All of the lab work that I oversee has to use instrumentation that is traceable to NIST standards.
I wonder how a scale is supposed to be calibrated to Plank’s constant?
IOW - it is commendable that NIST is attempting to use standards that have greater stability, but how practical is the new standard?
The last one we lost was the meter, which had some relation to the distance from the equator to the North Pole, and made a metal bar that length. Then they found out that Earth measurement wasn’t right, and kept the bar as the standard. Then they defined it as some wavelength of an atom that matched the bar’s length. Now they define it by the speed of light, with something about relativity thrown in.
The all of these will continue to get redefined as science improves our understanding of the world. The funny part is that they redefine it at about what we currently think it is, giving some strange definitions.
One "pelosi" has already been defined as the amount of lateral torque that can be applied to one square inch of facial skin before it disintegrates.
not sure I like the idea of all that Carbon 12-Platinum-Iridium being shot around at my local deli counter...
Think how much faster the day would go by if it were only 10 hours long...
I'd assume that you'd have a known good device against you would calibrate your own equipment.
As time progresses and you're able to devise better ways to measure the properties of the universe, your known good device would have a higher and higher level of accuracy.
IOW - it is commendable that NIST is attempting to use standards that have greater stability, but how practical is the new standard?
For all practical purposes, they can now measure this stuff with enough significant digits as to make practical application of the standard moderately meaningless.
SI units are way easier to use in science but a hassle in engineering. When I have to do higher level calculations of most any sort, I resort to SI units in the equations. Then though as an engineer, I will need to convert the final results to English units so that the audience will relate to the numbers. All of my lower level calculations are directly in English units though.
There is a metric calendar out there. I remember seeing a webpage dedicated to it when I was doing some surfing about the subject of time.
Thats what I'm wondering. The article notes that the standard for mass will be changed from a gold plated standard to one that is based on Planck's constant. How are the secondary standards calibrated against a primary standard that is based on a constant that has units of J-s?
I thought of that too. I think Murphy's rules of such things is as follows:
Constants aren't.
Variables dont.
I think Monweds and Saturthurs are two of the days of the metric week.
And this helps me to remember how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon how?
And what exactly will be the new serving size for ice cream. Are they fluid ounces or weight?
And why do the french get to hold onto the artifact. Don’t we have “top people...really, top people...” to hold onto important artifacts?
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