Hydrostatic Determination of Test Weight Density and Uncertainty Evaluation by Monte Carlo Method

Abstract

This paper presents the characterization of the hydrostatic weighing facility of the National Metrology Laboratory (NML) of the Philippines. The study aimed to evaluate its suitability for determination of solid density. It was used to hydrostatically measure the density of a stainless steel (OIML Class F1) test weight weighing 200 g. The measurement result obtained was 7.5827 g cm-3 ± 0.0041 g cm-3 at an approximately 95 % level of confidence. The uncertainty evaluated by the Law of Propagation of Uncertainty (LPU) according to JCGM 100:2008 (GUM) was verified by the Monte Carlo method (MCM), which gave a result of 0.0040 g cm-3. The value determined for the solid density of the sample with its associated expanded uncertainty was found to be within the tolerance interval between 7.39 g cm-3 and 8.73 g cm-3 as required in OIML R111-1 for Class F1 test weights.