{"id":12383,"date":"2019-10-03T15:38:27","date_gmt":"2019-10-03T20:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/\/?p=12383"},"modified":"2024-06-05T10:25:55","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T15:25:55","slug":"how-to-calibrate-level-indicators-a-trick-question","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/how-to-calibrate-level-indicators-a-trick-question\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Calibrate Level Indicators (A Trick Question)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calibration is a best practice for industries that use precision instruments to measure length, mass, temperature, pressure, flow, volume, and more. However, level measurement can’t be calibrated because there is not an external reference point.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How do you calibrate a level instrument? A wiseguy would say, \u201cVery carefully.\u201d Certain manufacturers might offer certificates attesting to the calibration of level instruments, but those aren\u2019t really comparable to other standards and approvals<\/a>. The short answer to this question is this: You can’t. But why can’t you\u00a0calibrate a level instrument?<\/p>\n

The explanation is complex. To discover what sets level apart from other measurement, it\u2019s important to first understand what calibration is.<\/p>\n

What Is Calibration?<\/h1>\n

Calibration is the act of verifying and fine-tuning a device\u2019s output against a standard or reference. This reference has an unvarying and known value, and any instruments that deviate from that value should be adjusted so its output aligns with the standard. In the case of\u00a0traceable calibration<\/strong>, the reference can be traced back to a national or international standard. Traceable calibration ensures that the measurement results are internationally comparable.<\/p>\n\n

\"car

A manually set clock will eventually run fast or slow.<\/p><\/div>\n \n

Let\u2019s take your car\u2019s clock as an example of calibration. You look at it, and it tells you the hour and minute. But almost all independent (unconnected) clocks and watches will eventually run fast or slow. To get this clock back to the correct time, you check your smartphone and then make adjustments so that the time on the clock matches the time on your phone. In this case, your phone\u2019s time is the reference point, and you\u2019re calibrating the clock against that trusted standard.<\/p>\n

But what is the traceable calibration for the correct time for your phone \u2013 or, for that matter, the internet, GPS satellites, and countless other devices all over the world? The ultimate reference is the Master Clock <\/a>at the U.S. Naval Observatory, which measures each second by tracking the radiation emitted by cesium-133 as the isotope transitions between two hyperfine levels of ground state. This atomic chronometer in Washington, DC, is the source of traceable calibration for measuring time.<\/p>\n

Metrology and Traceable Calibration Around the World<\/h1>\n

Metrology <\/strong>is the science and study of measurements. The National Institute of Standards and Technology <\/a>(NIST), a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is the United State\u2019s metrological body responsible for \u201cdeveloping, maintaining, and disseminating national standards\u201d Other countries have their own version of the NIST:<\/p>\n