LECTURE JOACHIM ULLRICH
REDEFINING THE KILOGRAM: JOACHIM ULRICH
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Since 20 May 2019 the kilogram – along with three other base units of the International System of Units – has a new definition. It is now derived from fixed numerical values of fundamental physical constants. Up until this historic date, the kilogram’s definition relied on a physical artefact: “Le grand K”, stored near Paris. Why was it necessary to relate SI units like the kilogram to physical constants and properties of atoms rather than to macroscopic objects? This lecture by Joachim Ullrich leads you into the world of metrology: the science behind correctly and reliably measuring things.
Prof. dr. dr. Joachim Ullrich is President of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. As President of the Consultative Committee for Units, he played an important role in revising the SI-units. In cooperation with Arago, Atlantis, Alembic, Newton and Scintilla.
Moderator: prof. dr. Jennifer Herek (Dean of TNW).
Thursday 26 November, 12.30-13.30 hours, Vrijhof