ABSTRACT
Whenever experimenters make measurements, the result is not normally in a user-friendly form, which efficiently expresses the knowledge that the measurements represent. The experimenter wants measurements in quantities with appropriate units attached to represent the knowledge contained in the measurement. Recently, Ferraro outlined three pillars of metrology: uncertainty, calibration, and traceability. This chapter explores the concepts analysts use to develop the mathematical mapping and discusses the method of least squares for modeling the results. These tools allow US to model data and obtain a "best" representation. It uses standard statistical tools such as those found in Microsoft Excel®, Matlab®, or other packages for making the computations. In many aspects, data modeling and developing the calibration mapping are similar processes. In the calibration process, the mathematical equations used to model the process work on the specifics of the measurement system's input-output process.
