Dictionary · Standards & Units
Reference measurement standard
A standard designated for the calibration of other standards for quantities of a given kind in an organization or at a location — a laboratory's best standard.
Related terms
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International System of Quantities (ISQ)
The system of quantities based on the seven base quantities: length, mass, time, electric current, thermodynamic temperature, amount of substance, and luminous intensity — the quantity framework beneath the SI.
VIM (JCGM 200:2012) 1.6
Working measurement standard
A standard used routinely to calibrate or verify instruments or systems, itself usually calibrated against a reference standard.
VIM (JCGM 200:2012) 5.7
Coherent system of units
A system of units in which every derived unit is coherent — the SI as used with its base and coherent derived units.
VIM (JCGM 200:2012) 1.14
Conversion factor between units
The ratio of two units for quantities of the same kind — 25.4 mm/in; the numerical value changes, the quantity does not.
VIM (JCGM 200:2012) 1.24
Reference data
Data related to a property of a phenomenon, body, or substance — or to a system of components of known composition or structure — obtained from an identified source, critically evaluated, and verified for accuracy.
VIM (JCGM 200:2012) 5.16
Ordinal quantity
A quantity defined by an agreed procedure that can be ranked but has no meaningful algebra — Rockwell hardness or earthquake magnitude: order exists, differences and ratios do not.
VIM (JCGM 200:2012) 1.26