PHY 211 Net Research Project for 8/25/97

Standards of Measurement

NIST Headquarters
The most widely used system of measurement is the International System (SI) of units in which length is measured in meters, time in seconds, and mass in kilograms. Definitions of base and derived units in the SI system can be found on the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) homepage.

The governments of most countries maintain an institution responsible for assuring that commercial, industrial, and scientific facilities adhere to the standards. This is critical for maintaining international trade and information exchange. In the US, the institution responsible for measurement standards is the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (under the Department of Commerce). The questions below can be answered by a scouting around the links given. There are 5 bonus points to be had. Good luck!

Questions:

Which of the SI base units listed in Table I at the NPL site would you consider truly fundamental? That is, which ones are not defined in terms of any other units?
What is the name of the field of study of measurement?
Where is NIST headquarters located?
Who regulates Daylight Savings time (and the US time zones)?

Be sure to enter your full name. Enter your email address ONLY if you want the number of points awarded e-mailed to you. Responses should be brief but complete. You must click the SUBMIT button to submit your entry. Entries are due by noon on Monday of next week.