Measurement, in its most basic form, is about comparing the thing you want to measure with a reference. To measure the length of a table, you compare it to a tape measure. To measure flour for a birthday cake, you compare it to a measuring cup. Better references mean better measurements.

If you’re baking a cake, it doesn’t matter much if your measuring cup is a little off. But sometimes millions of dollars or even lives depend on more precise measurements.

NIST researcher Jim Cline displays the X-ray diffraction SRM while standing in front of the goniometer used to certify it. Credit: B. Gutierrez/NIST

That’s why NIST develops and sells more than 1,300 standard reference materials (SRMs) that are critical for supporting American industry, enforcing laws, and conducting research.

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