TABLE OF CONTENTS "I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it, but when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of Science, whatever the matter may be."
Sir William Thompson, Lord Kelvin (1827 1907)
The opening quotation, by Lord Kelvin, shows the importance of being able to measure parameters and record or display the resulting measurements in numbers. Measurements allow us to make specific conclusions about the physical conditions of a test object and about how the object responds to changes in its environment. These measurements allow us to verify that the object will perform correctly under the specified conditions and verify that future changes to the object do not affect its performance. The quotation also underscores the important role that measurements play in advancing scientific knowledge.
This book introduces students, technicians, technologists, and engineers to the specialized test instrumentation that is used in R&D laboratories, in testing organizations, and in industrial maintenance departments. The book will focus on the practical application of test instrumentation and emphasize the importance of creating a "measurement system" that involves components, installation, wiring, and calibration. The design, application, and calibration of systems for measuring pressure, temperature, flow, force, displacement, and vibration will be discussed. A significant portion of the book will be devoted to...
