Official Reference Kilogram Mysteriously Shrinks

[Prrkitty]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296703,00.html

Quote: PARIS — A kilogram just isn't what it used to be.

The 118-year-old cylinder that is the international prototype for the metric mass, kept tightly under lock and key outside Paris, is mysteriously losing weight — if ever so slightly.

Physicist Richard Davis of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Sevres, southwest of Paris, says the reference kilo appears to have lost 50 micrograms compared with the average of dozens of copies.

-------

... 50 microgram loss... ?? That's not a lot... BUT... it's still a loss. I thought this would be an interesting article to read.

[Pineconn]

Actually, a change of 50 µg (that's the abbreviation of microgram, fyi) of the official kilogram is rather significant. A kilogram should equal 1,000,000,000 µg, but the official kilogram now equals 999,999,950 µg. That's huge in the scientific world.

[DarkDragoonX]

The 50 µg was stolen by a large group of extremely tiny yet remarkably industrious pixies.

[Glenn the Great]

Somebody dropped it on the floor, picked it up, looked around to make sure no one saw him, then brushed off the dirt to make sure it didn't look suspicious, and in the process flicked off a few too many molecules.

[Glitch]

The 50 µg was stolen by a large group of extremely tiny yet remarkably industrious pixies.

lol winner.

[cyberkitten]

lol winner.

seconded. best response, hands down :)

[Aegix Drakan]

The 50 µg was stolen by a large group of extremely tiny yet remarkably industrious pixies.

Win. Hey wait...

:mad: Are these the same pixies that keep stealing my fudge cookies?

Seriously, two evenings ago, there were about 9 cookies left. The next afternoon, there were none. Everyone denies taking any cookies. I now suspect pixie involvement.

[Prrkitty]

The 50 µg was stolen by a large group of extremely tiny yet remarkably industrious pixies.

quoted just 'cause!

EDIT:


Win. Hey wait...

:mad: Are these the same pixies that keep stealing my fudge cookies?

Seriously, two evenings ago, there were about 9 cookies left. The next afternoon, there were none. Everyone denies taking any cookies. I now suspect pixie involvement.

I gotta come clean Aegix... I stole yer cookies <hanging my head> I sowwy babe.

[Trevelyan_06]

I think we're ignoring the real issue here though people. Pixies are stealing our shit. Where are the elite, anti-pixie SWAT teams? We've already allowed them to take 50 micro grams, that's more than 40! I say action should be taken now!

[biggiy05]

I think we're ignoring the real issue here though people. Pixies are stealing our shit. Where are the elite, anti-pixie SWAT teams? We've already allowed them to take 50 micro grams, that's more than 40! I say action should be taken now!

Leave me alone I'm on break! I'll get my pixie vacuum when I finish my sandwich.

[AtmaWeapon]

I'm no expert but it seems to me that gravitational force isn't really constant across the surface of the Earth and I'm not really sure if they mean it has lost 50 micrograms of mass or weight.

A loss of weight would be easily explained by some weird gravitational fluctuation since weight is a function of mass and gravitational force; if it's losing mass I bet Glenn's got the right answer.

[The_Amaster]

Perhaps it's exposure to light is causing photons to knock off occasional atoms, and it's only now becoming apparent because it's so slow.(Is this even possible. I think it might)

Or it could be the pixies...

[Beldaran]

Perhaps whatever material it is made out of has trace impurities of a radioactive isotope with a 118 year half life, and 100 micrograms of it has decayed radioactively, losing 50 micrograms. [shrug]

[Pineconn]

^^ Decomposition a very possible theory, actually. I think that's the reason, scientifically. But when it comes to real world matters like this (pun not intended), Glenn is probably right. ;)

[Modus Ponens]

It's probably safe to assume that it's a loss of mass. I think for this kind of hardcore science shit, they always use balance-style scales, which compare the weight of what's being measured to the weight of...sigh...an established reference mass. (How do I talk myself into these things?) Anyway, unless there is a gravitational anomaly that is tightly localized to just the part of the balance that's directly beneath the reference mass, there would be no false readings, and our friend Killy the Kilogram would only appear lighter if he really were.

And to think, all this time I thought that a kilogram was what you get when you operate a kilograph machine.

[AlexMax]

A loss of weight would be easily explained by some weird gravitational fluctuation since weight is a function of mass and gravitational force; if it's losing mass I bet Glenn's got the right answer.

A targeted gravitational fluctuation that only affected that one kilogram and not the others?

[AtmaWeapon]

A targeted gravitational fluctuation that only affected that one kilogram and not the others?Hey I never claimed to be a physicist but I assume since they compare the reference kilogram to the average of its copies that the copies aren't exactly very accurate.

Still, it could be ridiculous but I'm sure there are guys working on it right now and they'll figure out the answer.

Right now I'm torn between Beldaran's answer (though I don't know how commonplace things with a half-life of 118 years are) and Glenn the Great's answer to be honest.

[Beldaran]

(though I don't know how commonplace things with a half-life of 118 years are)

Well, it doesn't necessarily have to have that half life. It could have any half life so long as there is enough of it that 50 micro grams would radiate after 118 years. I bet this didn't happen though.

I hope someday I get to see a follow-up article with the answer.

Incidentally, how do I type the Mu character? (ie greek letter for "micro" prefix)

[Glenn the Great]

It is certain that some amount of mass has been lost due to radioactive decay. It would be impossible to have a 100&#37; perfectly stable kilogram mass.

Besides radioactive decay, it is also possible that mere vibrations have gradually caused molecules and atoms to fall off the edges.

Someone earlier even mentioned the photoelectric effect, by which light striking the surface can cause electrons to be ejected.

There are many ways that an object can be eroded over the course of 118 years, and I'd actually be surprised if the reference kilogram maintained it's exact mass over all those years.

[Modus Ponens]

What would be really cool is if it were to gain 50 &#181;g.

You can get the &#181; character by holding Alt and typing "0181" on the numeric keypad, or by copying it from the Character Map. I love the Character Map. It's super-handy. I keep a shortcut to it in my quicklaunch bar, but then I'm a language nerd.