metrológia

Metrológia (metrology) is the science of measurement and its application. It encompasses the theory of measurement, the construction of measurement standards, the regulation of units, and the assessment and expression of measurement uncertainty. The field aims to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and compatibility of measurements across science, industry, commerce, and regulation.

Metrológia is commonly divided into scientific metrology (research in measurement methods, unit definitions, and fundamental constants), industrial metrology (calibration of instruments, quality control, and process metrology), and legal metrology (ensuring compliance with trade, safety, and environmental rules, and verification of instruments used by the public).

The International System of Units (SI) provides the global set of base and derived units. Metrológia organizations ensure traceability of measurements to the SI via calibration and reference standards. National metrology institutes (NMIs) and international bodies such as the BIPM coordinate standards; examples include NIST, PTB, and LNE.

Metrológia underpins commerce and safety: legal metrology governs scales and meters used in trade and dosing, industrial metrology supports manufacturing tolerances, and scientific metrology enables research at the limits of measurement.

Historically, measurement systems evolved from artifact- and body-based standards to universal decimal systems. The SI was established in 1960, with ongoing revisions; current efforts emphasize quantum-based definitions, uncertainty analysis, and digital metrology.