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Metrology Legal metrology

• The word metrology is derived from the Greek words such as
“metro” which means measurement and “logy” means science
The application of measurement standards to the control of
the daily transactions of trade and commerce is known as
• Metrology is a science of pure measurement Legal Metrology

Eg: Volume of petrol or diesel purchased at a pump or the

weight of prepackaged grocery.
It is directed by National Service of legal metrology.

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Elements/Process of measurement Terminologies in Measurements

• Measurand: • Accuracy:
It is the physical or unknown quantity to be measured such as
length, angle, diameter, thickness etc. It refers to how closely the measured value agrees with the
true value
• Reference:
Reference or standard is the physical quantity or property to
which quantitative comparisons are made. • Precision:
• Comparator: It refers to repeatability and consistency of measurement
It is the means of comparing measuring measurand with when the measurements are carried out under identical
reference measurand conditions

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Factors affecting the Accuracy of the Measuring System

• Factors affecting the Standard (S)

• Factors affecting the Work piece (W)
• Factors affecting the inherent characteristics of
Instrument (I)
• Factors affecting Person (P)
• Factors affecting Environment (E)

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Terminologies in Measurements
• Higher accuracy can be achieved only if, ail the sources of error
due to the above five elements in the measuring system are • Sensitivity:
analyzed and steps taken to eliminate them. The above analysis Sensitivity may be defined as the rate of displacement of the
of five basic metrology elements can be composed into the indicating device of an instrument with respect to measured
acronym SWIPE, for convenient reference where, quantity.

• S –STANDARD W –WORKPIECE I –INSTRUMENT • Calibration:

Calibration is the process of checking the dimensions and
tolerances of a gauge or the accuracy of a measuring instrument
• P –PERSON E –ENVIRONMENT by comparing it to a instrument /gauge that has been certified as
a standard of known accuracy.

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Errors in Measurement Types of Errors

• The difference between the true value and the measured
value is known as error of measurement
• Error in measurement= Measured value – True value
• It may be expressed or evaluated either as an absolute error
or as a relative error
• Absolute error is the algebraic difference between the
measured value and the true value of the quantity measured
• Relative error is the ratio of the absolute error of a
measurement to the measurement being taken
Relative error=(Absolute error/ Measured value)*100

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Systematic Error
Gross Error • Systematic errors are errors associated with a fault in the
equipment such as defective or worn parts or in the design of
the experiment.
It mainly occur due to human mistake in reading • Systematic errors cannot be estimated by repeating the
instruments, recording and calculating measurement experiment with the same equipment
results • Systematic errors can be either static error or dynamic error
These errors can be avoided by adopting two means:  Static error:
 Greater care must be taken in reading and recording the It is caused by the limitations of the physical nature of the
data various components in measuring devices
 Two, three or even more reading should be taken for the  Dynamic error:
quantity under the measurement. It is caused by the instrument not responding very fast
enough to follow the changes in the measured variable. It is
caused by inertia, friction and clamping action
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Random Error Instrumental Error

These errors are due to the fault of the instrument.

• These are non consistent and the sources giving rise to
such errors are random
• It is caused by the sudden change in experimental Eg: Friction in the bearing of various moving
conditions and noise and tiredness of the working person components, stretching of spring or reduction in tension
• These include errors caused due to variation in position of due to improper handling or overloading of the
setting standards and workpiece, errors due to instrument
displacement of lever joints of instruments, friction etc

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Different types of instrumental errors: Observation Error

These errors are introduced by the observer.
• Zero error:
It is the indication of a measuring instrument for the zero • Parallax Error:
value of the quantity measured.  It occurs when the line of vision is not directly in line with
Eg: A digital weighing scale sometimes may not show the measuring scale or when the scale and the pointer are
zero value even if there is nothing on the scale. separated from each other
 A very common error that may occur in an instrument while
taking the readings
• Calibration error:
These errors are caused by the variation in the calibrated
scale from its normal value.

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Environmental Error

Parallax error These errors are due to the environmental conditions to the
measuring device such as effect of change in temperature,
humidity, barometric pressure, dust, vibration or external
magnetic or electrostatic field.

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Other Types of Errors Errors due to deflection

• Errors due to deflection When long bars are

• Errors due to misalignment supported as a beam, they
get deformed or deflected.
• Error due to contact pressure (Stylus pressure This elastic deformation
error) occurs because long bars,
• Error due to poor contact supported at ends sag
• Error due to vibration under their own weight.

• Error due to dirt

• Error due to wear in gauges
• Error due to looseness
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Error due to contact pressure or

Error due to misalignment (Stylus pressure error)
• The combined cosine The variation in the
and sine error occur if contact pressure between
the micrometer axis is anvils (stylus) of the
not truly perpendicular instrument and the work
to the axis of the work piece being measured
piece produce a considerable
difference in reading.
• Abbe’s Principle: The deformation of the
“The axis of the work piece and the stylus
measurement of the of the instrument depend
measured part should upon the contact
coincide with the axis of pressure and the shape of
measurement of the the contact surface
measuring instrument”.

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Error due to poor contact:

• Error due to vibration:
This type of errors are occurred due to vibration while taking
To avoid this type of error, the the reading. It can be avoided by the following measures:
gauge with a lesser area of 1) Keeping the laboratory away from the sources of vibration
contact should be used while 2) Keeping slipping cork, rubber pad under the gauge
measuring irregular or curved
surface and correct pressure • Error due to dirt:
should be applied while
If the foreign matters such as dirt, chips etc are present between
making the contact. datum and work piece surface, the error will be introduced in the
reading taken.
• Error due to wear in gauges:
Wear of the measuring surfaces of the instrument occurs due to
repeated use.

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Standards of Measurement
• A standard is defined as something that is set up and
established by authority as a rule for the measurement of
quantity, weight, extent, value or quality etc.

• According to the instrumental design, the length can be

measured by the following standards:
– Line standard
– End standard
– Wavelength standard

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Wavelength standard Subdivision of Standard

• When the length is measured as the distance between • Depending upon the functions and applications, the standards
wavelength of light, it is called wavelength standard of measurement are classified as
• As per Wavelength standard, meter is defined as equal to – Primary standard
1650763.73 wavelengths of the red orange radiation of – Secondary standard
Krypton isotope 86 gas – Tertiary standard

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 Primary standard:
• They are absolute standards of high accuracy which can be used as
ultimate reference standard to check, calibrate and certify the secondary
standard.
 Secondary standard:
• It is exactly like primary standard with respect to design, material and
length.
• These are compared with the primary standards and deviation if any are
recorded.
• These standards are kept at a number of places for occasional comparison
with tertiary standard.
 Working or Tertiary standard:
• These standard are used to check and calibrate laboratory instrument for
accuracy and performance.
• Eg: Manufacturing and mechanical components such as shaft, bearing,
gears etc use standard called working standard for checking component
dimensions.

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