Tooltip
These resources have been reviewed and selected by STEM Learning’s team of education specialists for factual accuracy and relevance to teaching STEM subjects in UK schools.

The Kilogram

This Catalyst article looks at the changing definition of the kilogram, a unit of mass and a base unit in the SI system (the International System of units). It has been found that the International Prototype Kilogram (IPK), made in 1879 and kept in a vault in Paris, has lost about 50microgrammes of mass over the years. This may not seem a lot but a new standard kilogram has to be defined. The article can be used to stimulate discussions on topics such as precision, accuracy and the need for standard measurements.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2012, Volume 22, Issue 3.

Catalyst is a science magazine for students aged 14-19 years. Annual subscriptions to print copies of the magazine can be purchased from Mindsets.

Show health and safety information

Please be aware that resources have been published on the website in the form that they were originally supplied. This means that procedures reflect general practice and standards applicable at the time resources were produced and cannot be assumed to be acceptable today. Website users are fully responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is in accordance with current regulations related to health and safety and that an appropriate risk assessment has been carried out.

Downloads

Show downloads

Information on the permitted use of this resource is covered by the Category Three Content section in STEM Learning’s Terms and conditions.

Lists that tag this content

Working together, POSTED BY