The New SI System of Units—The SI of 2018

Author(s):  
Waldemar Nawrocki
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
Ian M. Mills ◽  
Peter J. Mohr ◽  
Terry J. Quinn ◽  
Barry N. Taylor ◽  
Edwin R. Williams

We review the proposal of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (Comité International des Poids et Mesures, CIPM), currently being considered by the General Conference on Weights and Measures (Conférences Générales des Poids et Mesures, CGPM), to revise the International System of Units (Le Système International d'Unitès, SI). The proposal includes new definitions for four of the seven base units of the SI, and a new form of words to present the definitions of all the units. The objective of the proposed changes is to adopt definitions referenced to constants of nature, taken in the widest sense, so that the definitions may be based on what are believed to be true invariants. In particular, whereas in the current SI the kilogram, ampere, kelvin and mole are linked to exact numerical values of the mass of the international prototype of the kilogram, the magnetic constant (permeability of vacuum), the triple-point temperature of water and the molar mass of carbon-12, respectively, in the new SI these units are linked to exact numerical values of the Planck constant, the elementary charge, the Boltzmann constant and the Avogadro constant, respectively. The new wording used expresses the definitions in a simple and unambiguous manner without the need for the distinction between base and derived units. The importance of relations among the fundamental constants to the definitions, and the importance of establishing a mise en pratique for the realization of each definition, are also discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-118
Author(s):  
Nadine de Courtenay

Abstract The philosophical significance attached to the construction of systems of units has traditionally been confined to the notion of convention, while their adoption was considered to be the exclusive province of the history and sociology of science. Against this tradition, a close articulation between history, philosophy, and sociology of science is needed in order to analyse the recent reform of the International system of units (SI). In the new SI, units are redefined on the basis of certain fundamental constants of nature, established by physical theories, whose values are fixed without uncertainty. The purpose of this article is to show that the redefinition of SI units, far from being a convention, involves a holistic reconstruction of our concepts of quantities from accepted theoretical laws. Fixing the values of the defining constants stabilizes these laws within the framework of physics through a twofold adjustment procedure that ensures both a semantic coordination between theory and world and an intersubjective coordination between human agents required by social activities. This double adjustment results in closely entwining the pursuit of truth as correspondence and truth as coherence which turn out to be complementary, thus highlighting the anthropological underpinnings of scientific realism.


ACTA IMEKO ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Schwartz ◽  
Michael Borys

At its 24<sup>th</sup> meeting in October 2011 the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) adopted a Resolution on the possible future revision of the International System of Units (SI). This paper provides an overview of the proposed changes to the SI, the focus being on the proposed redefinition of the kilogram and possible consequences for mass metrology.<br />


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-16
Author(s):  
Teodor Ognean

At the 26th meeting of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) held on 13‐16 November 2018 at Versailles, France, the new International System of Units (SI) was established. Following the CGPM’s decision, the new SI units were established based upon a set of seven defining constants. This set of constants is the most fundamental feature in the definition of the entire system of units. What is truly remarkable about the new SI is the fact that all measurement units, except the amount of substance mole and Avogadro’s number NA , are defined based on the unperturbed ground-state hyperfine transition frequency of the caesium 133 atom <mml:math display="inline"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Δ</mml:mi> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Cs</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> equal to 9 192 631 770 Hz. This article, based on dimensional analysis, presents the possibility of connecting the Avogadro’s number NA and the mole, to the transition frequency <mml:math display="inline"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>Δν</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtext>Cs</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> .


Author(s):  
Barry N. Taylor

A revised International System of Units (SI) is expected to be established by the 26th General Conference on Weights and Measures when it convenes in November 2018 and to be put into practice starting on 20 May 2019, World Metrology Day. In consequence, the article published in this journal in 2011, “The Current SI Seen from the Perspective of the Proposed New SI,” is updated in this paper, which provides an opportunity to again demonstrate the usefulness of the quantity calculus in dealing with quantities and units. The quantity calculus and the seven defining constants of the current and revised SI are reviewed, and expressions for the seven current and revised SI base units are given. Relationships between the magnitudes of revised and current SI units and expressions for the numerical values of current SI defining constants expressed in revised SI units are also obtained using the quantity calculus.


2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
L. A. Konopel’ko ◽  
R. L. Kadis ◽  
Yu. A. Kustikov

Redefinition of the basic units of the International System of Units (SI) — the kilogram, mole, ampere, and kelvin, — which are now expressed in terms of fundamental physical constants means a substantial revision of the system. In particular, the new definition of the mole fixing the value of the Avogadro constant sets a unit of the amount of substance, which is independent of the unit of mass. We consider some consequences of redefining (the mole and kilogram) and focus on the uncertainty of measuring the amount of substance and related quantities which are important for description of the mixture composition. The issue regarding the molar mass of the substance and associated uncertainty is considered in detail It is noted that calculation of the molar mass using relative atomic masses, involves the molar mass constant which is not equal exactly to 1 g/'mol in the new SI. This introduces an additional, though very small, uncertainty of less than 1 x 10-9in relative terms. The budget of uncertainty for the amount of substance determined through the mass measurements when the mass is measured with the highest accuracy is scrutinized. It is demonstrated that for substances of less than 99.98% purity, the uncertainty associated to the purity is comparable to that of relative atomic masses of the elements. For high-purity substances, the uncertainty in the relative atomic masses have the largest contribution to the budget. Anyhow, the uncertainty associated to the molar mass constant is three orders of magnitude less than the nearest contribution to the uncertainty attributed to weighing. In the case of derived quantities which are the ratio of two quantities of the same kind, the additional uncertainty does not arise at all. This is illustrated by the calculation of the mole fraction of a component in the gravimetrically prepared gas mixture.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 1837-1840
Author(s):  
Jin Wang

Abstract On 13–16 November 2018, the 26th General Conference of Weights and Measures (CGPM) was held in Paris. The conference adopted Resolution A on ‘Revision of the International System of Units (SI).’ According to Resolution A: four of the SI basic units, namely kilograms, amps, kelvin and mole, are defined by the Planck constant h, the basic charge constant e, the Boltzmann constant k and the Avogadro constant NA, respectively. This establishes the basic quantities and units in SI on a series of constants. The new SI was officially launched on 20 May 2019. This is the most significant change and a milestone in the history of metrology since the Metre Convention was signed in 20 May 1875. Professor Tianchu Li, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has been working on time and frequency standards for 37 years. In this interview, Prof. Li reviews the quantization and constant evolutions of the second and meter, and introduces the redefinitions of ampere, kelvin, kilogram and mole, and their significance for precision measurements.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Mills ◽  
Roberto Marquardt

Abstract Metrology, the science of measurement, is part of the essential but largely hidden infrastructure of the modern world. We need it for high-technology manufacturing, human health and safety, the protection of the environment, global climate studies, information transfer and the basic science that underpins all these. Highly accurate measurements are no longer the preserve of only the physical sciences and engineering. The International System of Units, the SI (Système International d’unités), provides the internationally agreed means by which we make such measurements.


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