Korean 'Kilogram' Becomes More Accurate

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] The mass measurement values of the Kibble balance developed with Korean technology have approached the level of advanced countries. This is the first official comparison of measurement values from various countries since the kilogram was newly defined in 2018, and the results showed measurements close to those of advanced nations. Industrial contributions are expected in fields requiring precise mass measurements, such as semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) announced on the 10th that it succeeded in an international comparison by obtaining the kilogram measurement value using a Kibble balance, a device that measures the mass of an object based on the gravitational force acting on it and fixed physical constants.

This international comparison, which compares measurement values from different countries, was conducted for the first time to establish the international mass scale after the redefinition of the unit of mass. The kilogram, the unit of mass, had been defined as the mass of the "International Prototype Kilogram," an alloy of 90% platinum and 10% iridium. However, it was discovered that the mass had changed by several tens of micrograms over the past 100 years, leading to the kilogram being redefined in 2018 based on constants that never change.

The new definition uses a fixed value called the Planck constant and employs a device called the "Kibble balance" to realize the mass of an object. Korea is one of six countries, following the United States and Canada, that possess a Kibble balance. However, to participate in the international comparison, the uncertainty (margin of error) must be below 2 parts in 10 million. Korea demonstrated an uncertainty level of about 1 part in 10 million, allowing participation in this international comparison. The world's highest level of uncertainty realized using the Kibble balance is approximately 1 part in 100 million.

The KRISS Planck Constant Mass Team began research in 2012 and installed the Kibble balance for the first time in 2016.

Senior Researcher Kim Dongmin said, "Although our research started more than 30 years later than advanced countries like Canada and the United States, we are proud to have developed the Kibble balance in the shortest time and to participate in the international comparison," adding, "We will do our best to achieve good results in future international comparisons."

Senior Researcher Lee Kwangcheol stated, "Until now, France, which stores the prototype kilogram, has led the mass standard, but in the future, countries developing the Kibble balance will share this role," and added, "We will lay the foundation for the development of advanced industries as a technology-leading country, not a technology-dependent one."

This research result was published in Metrologia, an academic journal in the field of measurement science.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.