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Related Concept Videos

Measuring Acceleration Due to Gravity01:12

Measuring Acceleration Due to Gravity

Consider a coffee mug hanging on a hook in a pantry. If the mug gets knocked, it oscillates back and forth like a pendulum until the oscillations die out.
A simple pendulum can be described as a point mass and a string. Meanwhile, a physical pendulum is any object whose oscillations are similar to a simple pendulum, but cannot be modeled as a point mass on a string because its mass is distributed over a larger area. The behavior of a physical pendulum can be modeled using the principles of...
Variation in Acceleration due to Gravity near the Earth's Surface01:20

Variation in Acceleration due to Gravity near the Earth's Surface

An object's apparent weight is its weight measured by a spring balance at its location. It is different from its true weight, the force with which the Earth pulls it, because of the Earth's rotation. Mathematically, an object's apparent weight equals its true weight minus the centripetal force that keeps it in a circular motion along with the Earth's surface every 24 hours.
The difference between the true and apparent weights is proportional to the square of the Earth's angular speed. Since the...
Acceleration due to Gravity on Earth00:55

Acceleration due to Gravity on Earth

Newton's second law is closely related to his first law of motion. It mathematically gives the cause-and-effect relationship between force and changes in motion. Newton's second law is quantitative and is used extensively to calculate what happens in situations involving a force. All external forces acting on a system add together to produce a net force Fnet. A larger net external force produces a larger acceleration. This acceleration is directly proportional to, and in the same direction as,...
Acceleration due to Gravity on Earth01:21

Acceleration due to Gravity on Earth

According to Newton's law of gravitation, the gravitational force on a body is proportional to its mass. According to Newton's second law of motion, the acceleration produced by an external force is inversely proportional to the force. Hence, the acceleration of an object under an external force of gravitation is independent of its mass.
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Atomic Nuclei: Larmor Precession Frequency01:11

Atomic Nuclei: Larmor Precession Frequency

The earth's gravitational field produces a 'twisting force' perpendicular to the angular momentum of a spinning mass (such as a spinning top) that causes the mass to 'wobble' around the gravitational field axis in a phenomenon called precession. Similarly, the magnetic moment (μ) of a spinning nucleus precesses due to an external magnetic field directed along the z-axis. The precession of the magnetic moment vector about the magnetic field is called Larmor precession, and the angular frequency...
Gyroscope: Precession01:24

Gyroscope: Precession

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Simulation of Human-induced Vibrations Based on the Characterized In-field Pedestrian Behavior
10:52

Simulation of Human-induced Vibrations Based on the Characterized In-field Pedestrian Behavior

Published on: April 13, 2016

Low-Frequency Calibration of Accelerometers by Rotation in the Gravitational Field at NIST.

Jared H Strait1, Richard A Allen1, Michael Gaitan1

  • 1Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

Metrologia
|June 29, 2026
PubMed
Summary

A new rotational calibration system enhances low-frequency accelerometer characterization. This method achieves high accuracy (<0.1% magnitude, <0.2° phase uncertainty) and complements existing vibration calibration techniques.

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Last Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Simulation of Human-induced Vibrations Based on the Characterized In-field Pedestrian Behavior
10:52

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Published on: April 13, 2016

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An Inertial Measurement Unit Based Method to Estimate Hip and Knee Joint Kinematics in Team Sport Athletes on the Field

Published on: May 26, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Metrology
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Instrumentation

Background:

  • Accurate accelerometer calibration is crucial for various scientific and engineering applications.
  • Existing methods using linear shakers have limitations at very low frequencies.
  • The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requires precise calibration standards.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and demonstrate a novel low-frequency accelerometer calibration system.
  • To improve the uncertainty of accelerometer calibration in the low-frequency range (0.01 Hz to 1.5 Hz).
  • To complement existing NIST calibration capabilities.

Main Methods:

  • A rotational calibration system utilizing the Earth's gravitational field was designed.
  • Three accelerometers were characterized using the rotational system.
  • Uncertainty analysis was performed for magnitude and phase measurements.

Main Results:

  • The rotational system achieved magnitude uncertainty <0.1% and phase uncertainty <0.2% (k=2).
  • Characterization was performed for accelerometers in the frequency range of 0.01 Hz to 1.5 Hz.
  • Comparison with linear shaker methods showed agreement within the rotational system's uncertainty (<0.1%).

Conclusions:

  • The rotational calibration system effectively characterizes low-frequency accelerometers with high accuracy.
  • This system expands NIST's calibration capabilities to lower frequencies, complementing linear shaker methods.
  • The demonstrated agreement validates the rotational approach for precise accelerometer metrology.