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Physical Measurement Laboratory

Office of Weights and Measures

News and Updates

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Investigating Coriolis Mass Flow Meters as Field Reference Meters – Compressed Natural Gas Applications

June 30, 2022

Commercial metering systems are ubiquitous in the commercial marketplace (to dispense liquified products, from gas and water to food products and agricultural...

Over 20,000 Propane Cylinders Tested Nationwide!

June 29, 2022

In the summer of 2021, the NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) partnered with the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) and States to develop...

OWM Featured on CNN Podcast and by Stephen Colbert of The Late Show

June 28, 2022

CNN’s Margins of Error podcast recently published an episode titled “Why Americans Won’t Give an Inch on Metric”. Host Harry Enten “goes the extra ‘yard’ to...

Regional Measurement Assurance Program (RMAP) Returns to OWM’s In-Person Training

June 27, 2022

The NIST OWM’s Laboratory Metrology Program resumed in-person Regional Measurement Assurance Program (RMAP) training events after more than two years. Annual in...

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2022 Annual OWM S&T and L&R Analysis Documents

June 24, 2022

The 2022 Annual OWM S&T Analysis and Executive Summary as well as the 2022 Annual OWM L&R Analysis and Executive Summary are now available on our OWM website...

Digital NIST Stakeholder Workshop

June 16, 2022

NIST is anticipating future trends in metrology with the Digital NIST project. This will modernize transmission methods for calibration certificates and SRM...

Welcome to our New NIST Director and Honorary NCWM President

June 1, 2022

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Laurie E. Locascio as the 17th Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Under Secretary for Standards...

The Future is Charged: U.S. Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

March 29, 2022 - September 30, 2022

Please see the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Program on the NIST OWM website for any current updates on NIST standards, measurement services, and training...

Photo of a student working in the laboratory

We're Back... OWM Welcomes Laboratory Metrology Students to Campus!

March 28, 2022

NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) resumed limited in-person laboratory metrology training at the Gaithersburg campus starting on January 31, 2022. We...

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Discover NIST Education Resources!

March 27, 2022

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites learners of all ages to explore and discover a wide variety of Science, Technology...

World Metrology Day Poster Graphic Image

Celebrate World Metrology Day on May 20

March 26, 2022

“World Metrology Day is an annual celebration of the signature of the Meter Convention on 20 May 1875 by representatives of seventeen nations. The Convention...

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OWM Launches New Metrology Training Needs Survey

March 25, 2022

The Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) is a relatively small office at NIST, but has a big footprint in the weights and measures community. With just over 20...

NIST Partners with NCWM and States for a National Survey on 20 lb Cylinders of LPG (Propane)

January 3, 2022 - June 1, 2023

Successful Completion of 2022 National Survey on 20 lb LPG (Propane) Cylinders NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM), the National Conference on Weights and...

Worth the Weight: New International Guidelines Published for Manufacturing Load Cells

April 16, 2018

At the heart of every electronic weighing instrument is a device called a load cell, which takes a mechanical force and turns it into an electronic signal...

New Standard Aims to Ensure Accurate Fares in Both Ride-Hailing Technology and Traditional Taxi Services

February 15, 2018

To calculate a fare, ride-hailing apps rely on mobile devices for determining the vehicle’s movements and travel time, and to access the company’s proprietary...

Making Sure that Lumber Measures Up

March 1, 2017

For some, it is a shocking revelation. But most Americans eventually come to accept the fact that a “two by four” board is actually 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches (38...

NIST-led Effort Yields New International Standard for Dynamic Liquid Measuring Systems

June 26, 2015

When measuring large volumes of relatively expensive liquids such as gasoline, beer, and milk, even small inaccuracies can mean large losses for companies and...

NIST Group Drafts Plug-and-Pay Standards

February 12, 2015

Plug-in electric vehicles make up a growing share of the nation's rolling stock and are prompting increased demand for the electrical equivalent of the corner...

New Best Practices Guide Shows Unit Pricing Is a Great Deal

February 3, 2015

In an effort to help shoppers everywhere get the best value for their money, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have...

Aerosol Contents: How Much Is In That Can?

March 5, 2014

The work of NIST can be found in many unexpected places in American life -- including store shelves containing different kinds of aerosol products. So perhaps...

Perspective: Weights and Measures Week 2014 — Making Sure the Marketplace Measures Up

February 25, 2014

Commentary by Mark Esser. Every year, we hear scattered stories of inaccurate measures. Gas pumps, grocery scales, grocery scanners, incorrectly labeled...

Val Miller demonstrates volume instrument.

OWM Sees Progress in Proficiency Testing

December 23, 2013

Americans rely on many measurements of mass and volume in their daily lives, from weighing broccoli at the grocery store to putting gas in the family car. In...

Instructors perform measurements during dry run of Fundamentals of Metrology course

NIST Office of Weights and Measures Receives Important 'Continuing Education' Accreditation

June 20, 2013

The International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) has awarded the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of...

In High Gear: Weights and Measures Week 2013

March 4, 2013

From the fuel for your vehicle to a cab ride to the airport, all kinds of consumer products and services are sold by some measurable quantity. The methods for...

NIST Handbook 44 - 2012 Edition

October 26, 2012

Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices as adopted by the 96th National Conference on Weights and...

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