Welcome to this free courseware module, which is part of the OUHK course TC S361 Instrumentation and Testing Technique. TC S361 is a five-credit, higher-level course that is part of the BSc/Bsc (Hons) in Product Design, Testing and Certification programme degree programme at the OUHK.
TC S361, like most OUHK courses, is presented in the distance learning mode using print-based materials. The materials for this module have been specially adapted to make them more suitable for studying online.
Normal study units in OUHK courses contain study content, activities, self-tests, and assigned readings. This module retains most of these elements, so you can have a taste of what an OUHK course is like. In addition to this module's topics on units of measurement and principles of measurement traceability, the original unit also includes topics on calibrating instrument systems, instrumentation and measurement errors, and measurement uncertainty.
Measurement is a big part of our daily lives. You have to pay your water bill according to your monthly volume usage. If you are paid via an hourly rate, the company you work for will measure the working hours you have put in each day. When you fill your car with gasoline, it must be measured so you know how much you are expected to pay. You may want to know if the butcher stall gives you enough meat for the money you have paid.
Similar measurement-related questions appear in the testing and certification industry. For example, are toys that may carry trace amounts of toxic elements safe for children? Are electrical products safe to use? And so on.
Measurement is the activity by which we compare a physical quantity of an object with a standard. We can of course use a wide range of measuring instruments to perform such measurements, from simple rulers and balances to accelerometers and electronic microscopes.
But when we are using an instrument to take a measurement, how can we be sure that the instrument is accurate or not? This is crucial when we are doing business with foreign countries, since both parties, i.e. suppliers and customers, must know about and agree upon the same measurement units and standards. These standards are needed to ensure that such trade is fair.
This module starts with an overview of the two important standards of measurement units: British standard and SI units. Concepts related to measurement traceability are then explained in the second section.
This module should take you about six hours to complete, including the time you will need to complete the activities and self-tests.
Good luck, and enjoy your study!
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