Intermediate Mass and Gravimetric Volume

Minimum Requirements

Before attending the Intermediate seminar, a metrologist must have completed the Basic Metrology seminar and State participants must have completed required Basic LAP problems. An understanding of the Basic seminar material is assumed for the Intermediate seminar, which is primarily a classroom seminar, although demonstrations and hands-on exercises are used. The Intermediate seminar is generally open to all interested parties; however, State metrologists are given priority in attendance due to legal metrology obligations. This seminar should provide metrologists with a thorough understanding of the theory and concepts behind the procedures and equations used in mass, and volume calibrations. Derivation of many of the equations is demonstrated to provide the metrologists with an understanding of the physics behind the corrections made in high precision calibration.

Topics

Topics covered in the Intermediate seminar are:

• air buoyancy corrections in mass calibration,
• statistics,
• measurement assurance and measurement control,
• gravimetric calibration of glassware and metal standards, and
• an introduction to mass measurement weighing designs.

Air buoyancy corrections and the calculation of air density are covered in detail because these calculations are required in all high precision mass and gravimetric volume calibrations.

After this seminar, the metrologist should have a complete understanding of the theory behind the test procedures and the corrections involved in high precision calibration. The metrologist should be able to compute the magnitude of corrections before performing a calibration to determine if a correction is significant or negligible. This knowledge permits the metrologist to perform the highest precision calibrations possible using the available standards and laboratory equipment.

Intermediate LAP problems are assigned to State metrologists at the completion of the course. Acceptable completion of the problems is required for NIST Weights and Measures Division laboratory recognition of the State laboratory in support of fine accuracy mass calibrations and gravimetric volume calibrations.

A NOTEBOOK PC IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THE INTERMEDIATE SEMINAR BUT MAY BE USED AND IS RECOMMENDED!!!
A scientific calculator (minimum 10 digits) and familiarity with its operation is required.

Cost

The fee for 2011 is $1,495 which does NOT include meals, lodging or travel expenses. State weights and measures metrologists are funded by NIST WMD.