Measurements are crucial to research and testing in chemistry, physics, biology and engineering because the results of measurement often provide the basis for scientific and engineering interpretations, conclusions and decisions that may eventually impact scientific, regulatory or political actions. When design and implementation of a measurement is flawed, as may be the case when the concept of measurement is trivialized and relegated to under-credentialed or poorly trained technicians, the results of the measurement study may lead to incomplete interpretations, incorrect conclusions and wrong impact actions. However, when measurement itself is treated as a science, data acquired in the study represent more than numbers. The numbers provide scientific insight and information which allow for better interpretation and more informed decisions.
Metrology – the Science of Measurement
Almost all chemistry textbooks include only a small section on measurement although the treatment is generally very simplistic and limited to only a few pages. However, around the world, the concept of measurement has evolved into a formalized subject area called metrology. An important classification of metrology is what we call chemical metrology – or metrology in chemistry – which deals specifically with the theory and diverse applications of analytical measurements. Unfortunately, chemical metrology is largely ignored in most chemistry textbooks which deprives our high school and post-secondary students of many possible worthwhile career pathways and life-changing workplace opportunities that are currently invisible and inaccessible to them.
