SI REALIZATION OF SMALL FORCES USING AN ELECTROSTATIC FORCE BALANCE

Jon R. Pratt, John A. Kramar

Abstract

We describe the realization of micronewton forces in a fashion traceable to the International System of Units (SI) using the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) electrostatic force balance. A comparison between deadweight and electrostatic force is presented at a force level of approximately 200 µN. Our results demonstrate agreement between these two independent measurements at a level consistent with the uncertainties in 20 mg mass artifacts. We provide a brief description of our balance and its measurement principles, and then outline the procedures and the data analysis used to derive our results. As part of the paper, we also present a table that summarizes the uncertainties associated with realizing a 200 µN force via an electrode suspended in a measured electrostatic field. We compare this with the uncertainties associated with realizing the same force via a mass artifact in a measured gravitational field.

Keywords

electrostatic force balance, atomic force microscope, instrumented indentation, force calibration, standard references and practices, small force measurement

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PWC-2006-TC3-046u.pdf

DOI

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IMEKO TC

TC3 - Measurement of Force, Mass, Torque, and Gravity

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