Measuring instrument

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This Source

In the physical sciences and engineering, measurement is the activity of obtaining and comparing physical quantities of real-world objects and events. Established standard objects and events are used as units, and the measurement results in a given number for the relationship between the item under study and the referenced unit of measurement. Measuring instruments and formal test methods are the means by which this translation is made. All measuring instruments are subject to varying degrees of instrument error and measurement uncertainty.

Physicists use a vast range of instruments to perform their measurements. These range from simple objects such as rulers and stopwatches to electron microscopes and particle accelerators. Virtual instrumentation is widely used in the development of modern measuring instruments.

Mass

• Balance
• Weighing scales
• Automatic checkweighing machines
• Mass spectrometer
• Katharometer

Time

• Calendar
• Chronometer
• Clock
• Atomic clock
• Radiometric dating

Timeline of time measurement technology

Length (i.e., distance)

• Altimeter (measures height)
• Architect's scale
• Caliper
• Engineer's scale
• Gauge blocks
• Interferometer
• Micrometer
• Odometer
• Opisometer
• Rule
• Tape measure
• Laser rangefinder
• Ultrasound distance measure
• GPS
• Electronic distance meter
• Surveyor's wheel

Area

• Planimeter

Angle

• Cross staff
• Quadrant
• Reflecting instruments
• Octant
• Sextant
• Reflecting circles
• Repeating circles
• Protractor
• Theodolite
• Graphometer
• Circumferentor

Temperature

• Thermometer
• Thermocouples
• Thermistors
• Pyrometers
• Electromagnetic spectroscopy

Humidity

• Hygrometer

Pressure

• Barometer
• Manometer
• Pitot tube (used to determine speed)
• Anemometer (used to determine wind speed)
• Tire-pressure gauge
• Sphygmomanometer (used to determine Blood pressure)

Flow measurement

• Water Meter
• Gas Meter
• Metering pump
• Mass flow meter

pH

• Calomel electrode
• Digital pH meter

Level

• Spirit level
• Laser line level
• Dumpy level
• Tiltmeter

Radiation

• Geiger counter
• Nichols radiometer

Sound

• Sound level meter

Light

• Photometer
• Spectrometer

Speed

• Speedometer
• Tachometer (speed of rotation)
• Airspeed indicator

Torque

• De Prony brake

Electronic test equipment

These are instruments used for measuring electrical properties. Also see meter (electronics).

• Electrometer (measures charge)
• Ammeter (measures electrical current)
• Galvanometer (measures current)
• Ohmmeter (measures resistance)
• Voltmeter (measures voltage)
• Wheatstone bridge
• Multimeter (measures all of the above)
• Oscilloscope
• Watt meter (measures power)
• Electric energy meter (measures energy)
• Electricity meter (measures kWh usage)

Hardness

• Durometer

Density

• Aerometer
• Pycnometer

Uncategorized

• Colorimeter (measures absorbance, and thus concentration)
• Radiometry
• Microscope
• Spectroscope is an important tool used by physicists.
• Densitometer measures light transmission through processed photographic film or transparent material or light reflection from a reflective material.
• Force platform measures ground reaction force
• Postage meter measures postage used from a prepaid account.
• Parking meter measures time a vehicle is parked at a particular spot, usually with a fee.

Notes

Note that the alternate spelling "-metre" is never used when referring to a measuring device.

See also

• History of weights and measures
• List of measuring devices for a more comprehensive, alphabetical list of devices
• Timeline of temperature and pressure measurement technology
• Medical testing equipment lists specialized measuring instruments

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Monday March 10, 2008 at 05:42:10 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation