Metrology in physics, chemistry, and biology: differing perceptions
Abstract
The association of physics and chemistry with metrology (the science of measurements) is well documented. For practical purposes, basic metrological measurements in physics are governed by two components, namely, the measure (i.e., the unit of measurement) and the measurand (i.e., the entity measured), which fully account for the integrity of a measurement process. In simple words, in the case of measuring the length of a room (the measurand), the SI unit meter (the measure) provides a direct answer sustained by metrological concepts. Metrology in chemistry, as observed through physical chemistry (measures used to express molar relationships, volume, pressure, temperature, surface tension, among others) follows the same principles of metrology as in physics. The same basis percolates to classical analytical chemistry (gravimetry for preparing high-purity standards, related definitive analytical techniques, among others). However, certain transition takes place in extending the metrological principles to chemical measurements in complex chemical matrices (e.g., food samples), as it adds a third component, namely, indirect measurements (e.g., AAS determination of Zn in foods). This is a practice frequently used in field assays, and calls for additional steps to account for traceability of such chemical measurements for safeguarding reliability concerns. Hence, the assessment that chemical metrology is still evolving.
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