Painstaking counting of atoms for a new definition of Paris/Braunschweig, August 25, 2008 – the views of the scale, many people hated and feared. Relentlessly she reveals the truth, and that to the fraction of a kilogram exactly. But what is our body mass actually compared during weighing? The answer: with the famous Urkilogramm from Paris. In the International Bureau of weights and measures. stocks of around four inches high cylinder of Platinum and Iridium. And all countries that align their scales to the so-called metric system of units, are in possession of an exact copy of this 120-year-old weight. But now a serious problem: the Urkilogramm begins to crumble. So far it has although only 0.00005 grams of Ursprungsmasse lost, however, have alerted all those responsible and are working on an alternative definition.
Because who buys a ton of wheat today, gets 50 milligrams less than before 100 years. Actually undramatically but fall of Paris Platinum logs on the Ground, as this would initiate the meltdown for scales. The scientists of the Physikalisch-Technischen Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig include the competitors a new definition. They guard the German prototype of the kilogram so far, but seeks endeavours to give humanity a successor after 120 years. Sports apparel may also support this cause. The so-called Avogadro experiment involves figuring out how many atoms into a nearly perfect sphere of Silicon. A kilogram is equal to the mass of N”silicon atoms, the resulting definition might be. Each laboratory with tools to count the number of atoms would be thereby able to build themselves an own reference mass. A fixed size isn’t the weight still on same scale we weigh much at the Equator than at the Poland in different places on earth differently? To explain this phenomenon with the shape of the Earth is: you is flattened to the Poland and, therefore shorter is the distance to the Centre of the Earth and the gravitational force is stronger.
We travel so the scales in the luggage at the equator, so it provides us with us there a lot more friendly result. We are about half a percent more easily. A little flattery for our ego, for industrial companies, however, a costly effect, because they need the scales each after the gravitational properties of the field of application to adjust. Industry representatives are aware of the problem. Our scales work therefore as follows: A string inside is transferred by a current of excitation in vibration. While weighing the strength of the object changes the tension of the string and changed its frequency. A second vibrating string is used as a benchmark. Since the gravitational forces on both mass evenly, the scales can be used worldwide without readjustment”, so the Swiss balance expert Reto Gianotti PESA. For faint-hearted people approaching the sight of their real weight carefully, the English designer Alice Wang has a special scale developed. The further you stand outside, the lower the displayed weight will be. On the reality of the user in the truest sense of the Word can grope approach slowly.
