Handbook of Mass Measurement

"How much does it weigh?" seems a simple question. To scientists and engineers, however, the answer is far from simple, and determining the answer demands consideration of an almost overwhelming number of factors. With an intriguing blend of history, fundamentals, and technical details, the Handbook of Mass Measurement sets forth the details of achieving the highest precision in mass measurements. It covers the whole field, from the development, calibration, and maintenance of mass standards to detailed accounts of weighing designs, balances, and uncertainty. It addresses the entire measurement process and provides in-depth examinations of the various factors that introduce error. Much of the material is the authors' own work and some of it is published here for the first time. Jones and Schoonover are both highly regarded veterans of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology. With this handbook, they have provided a service and resource vital to anyone involved not only in the determination of mass, but also to the entire field of precision measurement.

Table of Contents:
Mass and Mass Standards. Recalibration of Mass Standards. Contamination of Mass Standards. Cleaning of Mass Standards. From Balance Observations to Mass Differences. Measurement Uncertainty. Weighing Designs. Calibration of the Screen and the Built-In Weights of a Direct-Reading Analytical Balance. A Look at the Electronic Balance. Buoyancy Corrections in Weighing. Air Density Equation. Density of Solid Objects. Calculation of the Density of Water. Conventional Mass; Concept, Intent, Benefits, and Limitations. A Comparison of Error Propagations for Mass and Conventional Mass. Examination of Parameters that can Cause Error in Mass Determinations. Determination of the Mass of a Piston-Gage Weight, Practical Uncertainty Limits. Response of Apparent Mass to Thermal Gradients and Free Convective Currents. Magnetic Errors in Mass Metrology. Effect of Gravitational Configuration of Weights on Precision of Mass Measurements. Between-Time Component of Error in Mass Measurements. Laboratory Standard Operating Procedures. Control Charts. Tolerance Testing of Mass Standards. Surveillance Testing. The Mass Unit Disseminated to Surrogate Laboratories Using the NIST Portable Mass Calibration Package. Highly Accurate Direct Mass Measurements without the Use of External Standards. The Piggyback Balance Experiment; An Illustration of Archimedes' Principle and Newton's Third Law. The Application of the Electronic Balance in High Precision Pycnometry. Appendices.

About the Author :
Jones, Frank E. | Schoonover, Randall M.