A proof mass or test mass is a known quantity of mass used in a measuring instrument as a reference for the measurement of an unknown quantity.
A mass used to calibrate a weighing scale is sometimes called a calibration mass or calibration weight.
A proof mass that deforms a spring in an accelerometer is sometimes called the seismic mass. In a convective accelerometer, a fluid proof mass may be employed.
See also
- Calibration, checking or adjustment by comparison with a standard
- Control variable, the experimental element that is constant and unchanged throughout a scientific investigation
- Test particle, an idealized model of an object in which all physical properties are assumed to be negligible, except for the property being studied
References
- Vittorio, Salvatore A. (October 2001). "Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Glossary". CSA Illumina. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- Johnson, Curtis D. (1997). "Accelerometer Principles". Process Control Instrumentation Technology. Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-441305-9. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- Mukherjee, Rahul; Basu, Joydeep; Mandal, Pradip; Guha, Prasanta Kumar (2017). "A review of micromachined thermal accelerometers". Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering. 27 (12): 123002. arXiv:1801.07297. Bibcode:2017JMiMi..27l3002M. doi:10.1088/1361-6439/aa964d. S2CID 116232359.
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