NIST has developed a tabletop Kibble balance that can measure gram-level masses with parts per million accuracy, making it more accessible and cost-effective than traditional 1-kg Kibble balances. The new instrument, KIBB-g1, is about one-quarter the size of traditional Kibble balances and can be operated by non-experts. NIST is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a second-generation instrument, KIBB-g2, which will be even more compact and robust for use in calibration laboratories.
The tabletop Kibble balance directly realizes mass through electromagnetic force measurements traceable to quantum electrical standards, eliminating the need for the traditional 1-kg mass artifact. This allows calibration laboratories to directly realize gram-level masses on-site with traceability to the Planck constant, rather than relying on a convoluted dissemination chain involving relative comparisons of artifact masses. The end goal is to develop a commercial Kibble balance that is as easy to use, robust, and cost-effective as standard mass comparators.
Keywords: standards, mass, metrology, balances, Kibble, Planck, constant, tractability, voltage, resistance
