Handbook of Mass Measurement

Abstract

The aim of the book is to provide a summary of the various facets of mass measurement, and it is aimed at the highest level of mass metrology as well as industrial and commercial users. The book is a mix of the general principles of mass metrology as summarized by the authors and a collection of specific experimental work carried out in some cases by the authors and in some cases lifted almost directly from the work of others (in all cases the sources of the original work are referenced). The eclectic nature of the book makes it quite difficult to read as a continuous text but it is an invaluable collection of data, some of which was not previously available, the rest only being available in individual published papers.Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the field of mass metrology. Despite getting off to a poor start, misquoting the date of the first CIPM meeting (which should be 1889 not 1899) and identifying the Pavillon de Breteuil (the home of the Kilogram) rather loosely as`a building at BIPM', the chapter provides a useful introduction with some interesting historical detail.Chapters 2 to 4 deal with the maintenance and dissemination of the unit of mass and consist mostly of a summary of data previously published by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA) and the BIPM (Bureau International des Poids et Mesures).Chapters 5 to 27 deal with various aspects of balanceconstruction and usage and the calibration of mass standards.The information given again has a strong bias towards theprocedures used by NIST. Most relevant areas of the massmeasurement process are addressed but more detail in certainareas would have been welcome. In particular, a great deal ofresearch has been done into the areas of weight cleaning andstorage, and thermal effects and magnetic interaction between balances and weights, little of which is referenced in this book.Areas such as the density of water and air are covered in detailand the uncertainty analysis of the equation to calculate thedensity of air is particularly detailed and useful.The book concludes with details of some research into specific applications of mass measurement, which are interesting and give a flavour of the more esoteric research that goes on in the mass metrology field. I would have liked to see some mention of the various projects being undertaken to redefine the unit of mass (the Avogadro, Watt balance and ion accumulation projects), as these will become important to the field over the next 10 to 20 years.Overall the book gives a good introduction to the field of mass metrology albeit with a distinctly American slant. It covers allthe major areas necessary for the calibration of mass standardsin both an industrial and a research environment and, given thepaucity of publications in this field, it is to be commended. Incomparison with the only other text in the area, Comprehensive Mass Metrology edited by Kochsiek and Glaser(Wiley), this book does not have the depth of detail in theresearch areas and perhaps gives a more basic introduction for the industrial user, particularly for the American market.Stuart Davidson