Essential Measurement

摘要

In everyday life, people do not give measurement a second thought. They just expect litres of fuel, kilograms of food and so forth to be correct. Despite this general lack of appreciation, good measurement is essential for the proper functioning of a modern society. In fact, I would go further and assert that civilisation and good measurement are partners that inevitably go together. For example you could not build monumental structures like the pyramids without good measurement, and it was not without reason that during the first imperial dynasty in China, the Qin dynasty, weights and measures were standardised. Beginning with the general idea of measurement, measurement quantities and the concept of a measurement system, this paper will examine the importance of reliable measurement. Examples will be given from everyday life where modern society implicitly relies on good measurement. My aspiration is that the whole paper will be a celebration of the metrologist's craft and that the reader will go away with a clear understanding of the importance of measurement to modern life.