Measurement


Book Description

For seven years, Paul Lockhart’s A Mathematician’s Lament enjoyed a samizdat-style popularity in the mathematics underground, before demand prompted its 2009 publication to even wider applause and debate. An impassioned critique of K–12 mathematics education, it outlined how we shortchange students by introducing them to math the wrong way. Here Lockhart offers the positive side of the math education story by showing us how math should be done. Measurement offers a permanent solution to math phobia by introducing us to mathematics as an artful way of thinking and living. In conversational prose that conveys his passion for the subject, Lockhart makes mathematics accessible without oversimplifying. He makes no more attempt to hide the challenge of mathematics than he does to shield us from its beautiful intensity. Favoring plain English and pictures over jargon and formulas, he succeeds in making complex ideas about the mathematics of shape and motion intuitive and graspable. His elegant discussion of mathematical reasoning and themes in classical geometry offers proof of his conviction that mathematics illuminates art as much as science. Lockhart leads us into a universe where beautiful designs and patterns float through our minds and do surprising, miraculous things. As we turn our thoughts to symmetry, circles, cylinders, and cones, we begin to see that almost anyone can “do the math” in a way that brings emotional and aesthetic rewards. Measurement is an invitation to summon curiosity, courage, and creativity in order to experience firsthand the playful excitement of mathematical work.




Handbook of Measurements


Book Description

Planning, measuring, and paying attention to details form the basis for all successful engineering operations. Measurements pervade everything we do and must be viewed from a systems perspective. A comprehensive all-encompassing guide to measurements, Handbook of Measurements: Benchmarks for Systems Accuracy and Precision focuses on high-level engineering computations essential for benchmarks and technical innovation. The book uses a systems framework and a technically rigorous approach to systems linking of measurements—an approach that sets it apart from other handbooks. The popular saying "measure twice and cut once" bears out the importance of measurements in human endeavors. This handbook covers both qualitative and quantitative topics of measurement. It opens with a chapter on the fundamentals of measurement and includes coverage of human-centric measurements, such as measurement of personnel productivity and contractor performance. It concludes with three appendices on measurement, references, conversion factors, equations, formulas, and statistics for measurement. It is well understood that humans cannot manage anything that cannot be measured. All elements involved in our day-to-day decision making involve some form of measurement, whether in the kitchen, retail, sports, service operations, geographical exploration, health care delivery, worker productivity, clothing design, engineering product design, or space craft launching. Measuring an attribute of a system and then analyzing it against some standard, some specification, some best practice, or some benchmark empower a decision maker to take appropriate and timely actions. This book gives you a guide for sustainable practices to ensure accurate measurements, helping you make decisions backed by metrics.




A Measure of Everything


Book Description

A comprehensive reference and history book on what is measured and why. Measurement is one of humankind's oldest and most vital activities. By measuring height, speed, size, temperature, strength and many other factors, humans can compare, improve and progress. In fact, measurement is an essential tool for survival. A Measure of Everything is a wide-ranging and comprehensive guide to what is measured and why. The book begins when the basic measurements were as simple as more, less and enough. As societies evolved, relative measurements were no longer sufficient. Advances in language allowed more precise measurements. Short distances were measured in relation to parts of the human body. For example, the ancient measurement cubit was the length of a pharaoh's arm plus the width of his hand. As society and culture progress and change, so do measurements. The rise of astronomy and the sciences demanded more exact measurements. These measurements are typically named after the discovering scientist, e.g., henry, curie, watt, rutherford, fahrenheit. This book features 28 categories organized into three sections: Earth and Life Sciences: astronomy, distance, time, meteorology, medicine, and five others. Physical Sciences: chemistry, mathematics, physics, speed, weight, temperature, and three others. Technology and Leisure: computers, engineering, finance, food, textiles, and four others. A Measure of Everything is an informative and entertaining book that will appeal to a wide range of readers.




Natural Resources Measurements


Book Description

1.Introduction; 2.Probability, sampling, and estimation; 3.Land measurements and photogrammetry; Measuring standing trees; Tree and stand volumes; Site, stocking, density, and growth; 7.Primary wood products; 8.Timber inventory systems; 9.Inventory planning; 10.Measuring rangeland resources; 11.Measuring wildlife resource; 12.Measuring fisheries resources; 13.Measuring water resources; 14.Measuring recreational resources; 15.Dendrochronology.




Engineering Metrology and Measurements


Book Description

Engineering Metrology and Measurements is a textbook designed for students of mechanical, production and allied disciplines to facilitate learning of various shop-floor measurement techniques and also understand the basics of mechanical measurements.




Evaluating Measurement Accuracy


Book Description

"Evaluating Measurement Accuracy" is intended for anyone who is concerned with measurements in any field of science or technology. It reflects the latest developments in metrology and offers new results, but is designed to be accessible to readers at different levels: meteorologists, engineers and experimental scientists who use measurements as tools in their professions, graduate and undergraduate students in the natural sciences and engineering, and technicians performing complex measurements in industry, quality control, and trade. The material of the book is presented from the practical perspective and offers solutions and recommendations for problems that arise in conducting real-life measurements. This inclusion is a notable and unique aspect of this title as complex measurements done in industry and trade are often neglected in metrological literature, leaving the practitioners of these measurements to devise their own ad-hoc techniques.




Quantifying Measurement


Book Description

Measurements and experiments are made each and every day, in fields as disparate as particle physics, chemistry, economics and medicine, but have you ever wondered why it is that a particular experiment has been designed to be the way it is. Indeed, how do you design an experiment to measure something whose value is unknown, and what should your considerations be on deciding whether an experiment has yielded the sought after, or indeed any useful result? These are old questions, and they are the reason behind this volume. We will explore the origins of the methods of data analysis that are today routinely applied to all measurements, but which were unknown before the mid-19th Century. Anyone who is interested in the relationship between the precision and accuracy of measurements will find this volume useful. Whether you are a physicist, a chemist, a social scientist, or a student studying one of these subjects, you will discover that the basis of measurement is the struggle to identify the needle of useful data hidden in the haystack of obscuring background noise.




Particle Size Measurements


Book Description

This book focuses on the practical aspects of particle size measurement: a major difference with existing books, which have a more theoretical approach. Of course, the emphasis still lies on the measurement techniques. For optimum application, their theoretical background is accompanied by quantitative quality aspects, limitations and problem identification. In addition the book covers the phenomena of sampling and dispersion of powders, either of which may be dominant in the overall analysis error. Moreover, there are chapters on the general aspects of quality for particle size analysis, quality management, reference materials and written standards, in- and on-line measurement, definitions and multilingual terminology, and on the statistics required for adequate interpretation of results. Importantly, a relation is made to product performance, both during processing as well as in final application. In view of its set-up, this book is well suited to support particle size measurement courses.




Handbook of Microwave Component Measurements


Book Description

This book provides state-of-the-art coverage for making measurements on RF and Microwave Components, both active and passive. A perfect reference for R&D and Test Engineers, with topics ranging from the best practices for basic measurements, to an in-depth analysis of errors, correction methods, and uncertainty analysis, this book provides everything you need to understand microwave measurements. With primary focus on active and passive measurements using a Vector Network Analyzer, these techniques and analysis are equally applicable to measurements made with Spectrum Analyzers or Noise Figure Analyzers. The early chapters provide a theoretical basis for measurements complete with extensive definitions and descriptions of component characteristics and measurement parameters. The latter chapters give detailed examples for cases of cable, connector and filter measurements; low noise, high-gain and high power amplifier measurements, a wide range of mixer and frequency converter measurements, and a full examination of fixturing, de-embedding, balanced measurements and calibration techniques. The chapter on time-domain theory and measurements is the most complete treatment on the subject yet presented, with details of the underlying mathematics and new material on time domain gating. As the inventor of many of the methods presented, and with 30 years as a development engineer on the most modern measurement platforms, the author presents unique insights into the understanding of modern measurement theory. Key Features: Explains the interactions between the device-under-test (DUT) and the measuring equipment by demonstrating the best practices for ascertaining the true nature of the DUT, and optimizing the time to set up and measure Offers a detailed explanation of algorithms and mathematics behind measurements and error correction Provides numerous illustrations (e.g. block-diagrams for circuit connections and measurement setups) and practical examples on real-world devices, which can provide immediate benefit to the reader Written by the principle developer and designer of many of the measurement methods described This book will be an invaluable guide for RF and microwave R&D and test engineers, satellite test engineers, radar engineers, power amplifier designers, LNA designers, and mixer designers. University researchers and graduate students in microwave design and test will also find this book of interest.