Article
Article
Physical measurement
Article By:
Hillger, Donald W. Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch; National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Parker, Thomas E. Time and Frequency Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado.
Wildhack, William A. Formerly, Institute for Basic Standards, National Bureau of Standards.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.513900
The determination of the size of a physical quantity by comparison with a standard. All physical measurement is ultimately based on measurement unit standards defined by the SI-metric system. Metric units are the foundation from which all other measurement units are derived, even the conventional nonmetric units used by the United States. See also: Metric system; Units of measurement
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