Measurement in Daily Life

Modern society simply could not exist without measurement. Twenty-first century civilization is inconceivable without the indispensable measurement tools on which everyday life depends. Time, size, distance, speed, direction, weight, volume, temperature, pressure, force, sound, light, energy—these are among the physical properties for which humans have developed accurate measures, without which we could not live our normal daily lives.
Measurement permeates every aspect of human life. Yet, ironically, we tend to take measurement for granted, and we fail to appreciate just how much we need and depend on our measurement tools. We overlook the importance of measurement because we are surrounded by it and have grown accustomed to it. It is only when our measurement tools malfunction or are unavailable that we begin to appreciate just how important they are.
This interactive map provides a few examples of where measurement has an impact on our lives.
Open mapMeasurement in Daily Life
Kilogram (kg)
MSL is the caretaker of New Zealand’s primary kilogram. From this mass standard, MSL derives measurement standards for a number of other quantities, such as: pressure, volume, flow, torque, force and density.
Metre (m)
Content for this section is coming soon.
Second (s)
MSL is the caretaker of New Zealand's primary standard for Time, which is generated from three atomic clocks.
Ampere (A)
MSL maintains New Zealand's primary standards for electrical quantities. This includes ac and dc current and voltage, resistance, capacitance, inductance, power, and energy.
Kelvin (K)
MSL maintains the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90), New Zealand’s primary standard for temperature measurement. From this standard, MSL derives scales for relative humidity and dew point.
Mole (mol)
MSL does not maintain the reference standard for the amount of a chemical substance.
Candela (cd)
MSL maintains New Zealand’s standard for luminous intensity, the candela. From this standard, MSL derives measurement standards for a wide range of other quantities related to light, such as: reflectance, transmittance, illuminance, radiance, spectral responsivity, and optical power.
Factory
Metservice weather service
Hospital
Factory
Data Warehouse
Petrol Station
National Library
Museum
Vineyard
2nd tier lab
Second-tier calibration laboratories
Crown Research Institute
Office Buildings
Shipping Containers
Supermarket
Hospital
Airport
Retail Shops
Airport
Renewable energy
Electric Vehicle charging
Stadium
Parliament
Airport
Police
Cell Tower
Large Dish
2nd tier Lab
Clock
Office Building
Satellite
Rocket
Observatory
Sun
When sunshades are put up it is important that they shield people from harmful UV radiation. MSL tests shade-cloth materials to check their effectiveness in protecting people from UV radiation.
Container Ship
Fuel Station
Mechanics
Supermarket
Police Station
Farming
Diver
Wine Packer
Second-Tier Calibration Laboratories
Hospital
Houses
MetService
Airport
For example: bolts on planes have to be tightened to a specific torque so they remain in place through the changing air pressure during a flight; the amount of fuel pumped into a plane is measured to ensure the plane can reach its destination with fuel to spare; the weights of cargo boxes loaded onto a plane is measured to ensure the load can be balanced; and a plane’s altimeter, which informs the pilots of altitude, is calibrated using pressure measuring devices that are traceable to NZ’s measurement standards.
Brewery
Hospital
Computer monitors in hospitals need to be calibrated to ensure operators can view sufficient detail in body scan images, such as from X-rays and MRIs.
Bilirubin lamps are used to treat jaundice in babies. MSL calibrates bilirubin meters to ensure that babies are exposed to a safe and suitable dose of blue light.
Weighbridge
People on Beach
Office Buildings
Stadium
Streets
At busy intersections, we rely on traffic lights to tell drivers and pedestrians who has the right of way. The traffic lights need to be visible in all lighting and weather conditions and the colours need to be clear. Measurements at MSL are used to ensure traffic lights used in New Zealand meet required standards.
Cats’ eye reflectors are used to mark the edges of road lanes so that drivers can clearly see lane boundaries when driving at night. It is important that these are sufficiently reflective so reflectance measurements at MSL are performed to confirm this. Internally illuminated road and runway markers are an alternative to reflective cats’ eye markers. MSL has tested these to ensure that the light distribution is of the correct intensity and angular direction.
Petrol Station
Rocket Lab
Airport
The integrity of aircraft parts, such as propeller blades, are monitored using non-destructive testing. Surfaces are covered with fluorescent dye, which shows up microcracks and defects under ultraviolet (UV) lighting. MSL provides calibration of UV meters so that testers can be sure that cracks will be visible.
Observatory
Farm
Factory
High-powered and pulsed lighting is used in many devices for quality checking or for product development. These devices can harm operators’ skin or eyes, so MSL carries out checks of photobiological safety to inform best practice in their use.