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Perfect Silicon Sphere to Redefine the Kilogram

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the weights-and-measures dept.

MrCreosote writes "The Age reports optical specialists at CSIRO are helping create a new standard for the kilogram, based on a precise number of atoms in a perfect sphere of silicon. This will replace the International Prototype, a lump of metal alloy in a vault in Paris."

2 of 453 comments (clear)

  1. "perfect" sphere by johnny+cashed · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Yeah, right, a perfect sphere. Ok, I'm sure it could be an improvement, but can you ever really get a perfect anything? (I'm talking about physical objects here)

  2. Re:Huh? by Englabenny · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Um, that's the typical physical misunderstanding. A kilogram is a measure of mass, not weight. Thus we need this object as defining a kilogram comes from what an object is (mass), not what it seems to be (weight).