Metroloogia

Metroloogia is the science of measurement, focusing on the definition of units, the development and maintenance of measurement standards, and the methods used to obtain and evaluate numerical quantities. It aims to ensure that measurements are accurate, reproducible, and traceable to internationally agreed references, enabling comparability across time and space. The field encompasses theoretical foundations, practical metrology, and the governance of measurement activities in society.

The discipline is typically divided into three subfields. Scientific metrology concerns the definition and maintenance of units (especially the International System of Units, SI), the realization of reference standards, and high-precision measurement techniques. Industrial metrology provides calibration services and measurement support for manufacturing, engineering, and quality control. Legal metrology covers measurements used in commerce, health, safety, and environmental regulation, as defined by law and enforced by authorities. International coordination is led by bodies such as the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) and its Comité International des Poids et Mesures, with National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) like NIST, PTB, and LNE maintaining national standards. Accreditation and conformity assessment bodies (for example ILAC and ISO/IEC 17025) support the competence of laboratories and measurement processes.

Key concepts include traceability, calibration, reference materials, and measurement uncertainty evaluation, often following the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM). Metroloogia underpins diverse applications, including manufacturing and quality assurance, healthcare, environmental monitoring, energy, aviation, and electronics, ensuring that quantitative results are meaningful and comparable worldwide.