INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS PUBLISHING METROLOGIA

Metrologia 43 (2006) L45–L46 doi:10.1088/0026-1394/43/6/N04

SHORT COMMUNICATION

Platinum resistance thermometry: the

conceptual difference between calibration
uncertainty and measurement uncertainty
M Tischler
Instituto Nacional de Tecnologı́a Industrial, Argentina

Received 21 July 2006

Published 20 October 2006
Online at stacks.iop.org/Met/43/L45

Abstract
The calibration uncertainty of a standard platinum resistance thermometer
(SPRT), as reported by a calibration laboratory in terms of the
resistance-ratio with respect to the triple point of water (TPW), is strictly
zero at the temperature of the TPW. This does not mean that when the
instrument is used to measure a temperature close to the TPW the
measurement uncertainty is zero.
This point is being explicitly emphasized in this short note for the benefit
of colleagues at calibration laboratories and users of SPRTs.

The definition of the International Temperature Scale of
1990 (ITS-90) is based on a standard platinum resistance
thermometer (SPRT), fixed points and a reference function
[1]. The latter is a generic function of temperature T90 ,
chosen by the CCT at the time of the definition of the ITS-
90, representing the ratio Wr (T90 ) = R(T90 )/R(273.16 K)
between the electrical resistance of an ideal platinum resistance
thermometer at T90 and its resistance at the temperature of
the triple point of water (TPW). Because of this definition
Wr (273.16 K) = 1.
The reference function serves as a mathematical tool to
help realize the ITS-90 using a real SPRT. The corresponding
resistance-ratio for this real SPRT, W (T90 ), differs from
Wr (T90 ) by
W (T90 ) = W (T90 ) − Wr (T90 ).
W (T90 ) is
determined experimentally during the calibration of the SPRT
at the fixed points, as specified in [1]. Since also for the real
SPRT W (273.16 K) = 1,
W (273.16 K) = 0 by definition.
The uncertainty affecting the determination of
W (T90 ),
and therefore the calibration of the SPRT, leads to typical
results such as those represented in figure 1.
It includes (among other uncertainties) the uncertainty
with which each fixed point is realized, and especially the
TPW which is needed in order to determine W (T90 ) at each
fixed point. However, the calibration uncertainty is zero for
T90 = 273.16 K, because W (273.16 K) = 1, regardless of the
uncertainty with which the TPW is realized at the calibration
laboratory.
The purpose of this note is to help clarify this point that
seems to produce some confusion.
Having said that, it should be emphasized that this
does not mean that when a calibrated SPRT is used to
measure a temperature close to or at 273.16 K the resulting
measurement uncertainty is zero. All it means is that if the
user relies on his own TPW, the calibration uncertainty, as
reported by the calibration laboratory, contributes zero at the
TPW temperature. When the user of the SPRT measures a
temperature, the resistance at the unknown temperature has
to be measured, followed by a measurement of the resistance
at the TPW, in order to calculate W (T90 ). Then, using the
calibration data (i.e.
W (T90 )) Wr (T90 ) is calculated. The
unknown temperature follows by inverting Wr (T90 ), which is
why the definition of the ITS-90 includes the inverse function
T90 (Wr ). The result is affected by many sources of uncertainty
that the user of the SPRT has to take into account. Among
other contributions, the calibration uncertainty, as provided
by the calibration laboratory in figure 1, has to be blended
in. In the particular case that the unknown temperature is
close to 273.16 K, the latter is negligible (exactly zero at
T90 = 273.16 K). However, the measurement uncertainty must
include the contribution of the uncertainty with which the user
realizes his own TPW, properly propagated. If the temperature
to be measured is close to 273.16 K, and the user’s own
TPW is employed, the realization accuracy of the TPW of the
calibration laboratory is irrelevant. Of course, the realization

0026-1394/06/060045+02$30.00 © 2006 BIPM and IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK L45
Short Communication
/
Figure 1. Typical calibration uncertainty of an SPRT as determined
at a calibration laboratory, as a function of the measured resistance
ratio W = R(T90 )/R(273.16 K).
(This figure is in colour only in the electronic version)
accuracy of the TPW of the calibration laboratory becomes
increasingly important as the temperature to be measured
departs from the TPW, and is already included by propagation
as part of the calibration uncertainty shown in figure 1.
Resistance-ratios versus resistance values. Using resistance-
ratios instead of just resistance values requires the use of a
TPW cell. It provides the practical possibility of reducing to
a minimum the temperature measurement uncertainty, since
it eliminates factors that affect simultaneously numerator and
L46
denominator. For instance, inaccuracies in the realization of
the unit of electrical resistance are eliminated and only the
linearity of the resistance-measuring instrument is important.
If, for whatever reason, the user of the SPRT prefers not to use
his own TPW cell, he cannot use resistance-ratios. In that case,
calibration uncertainties additional to that given in figure 1
have to be included by the user. These additional uncertainties
originate from (a) the uncertainty with which the TPW has
been realized at the calibration laboratory, (b) the uncertainties
of realization and use of the electrical resistance unit, at the
calibration laboratory, (c) the uncertainties of realization and
use of the electrical resistance unit, at the user’s laboratory, and
(d) uncertainties due to possible resistance changes in the SPRT
during the period between calibration and use, part of which
are also cancelled when using resistance-ratios. The additional
information (not contained in figure 1) that the user requires if
he does not use his own TPW realization is usually provided
by the calibration laboratory in the form of the value of
electrical resistance of the SPRT at the TPW measured during
the calibration and a corresponding uncertainty reflecting the
accuracy of the TPW realization, the accuracy of the resistance
measurements and the stability of the SPRT, during the whole
calibration process.
Finally, to further illustrate the main point of this note, a
somewhat analogous situation using a multimeter in order to
measure a voltage may be drawn. Since the multimeter can be
zeroed by employing the user’s own short circuit before any
measurement, if the voltage to be measured happens to be close
to 0 V, the calibration uncertainty provided by the calibration
laboratory does not contribute to the measurement uncertainty.
The user has to realize and evaluate the uncertainty of his own
short circuit, which is a voltage reference point, like the TPW
is a temperature reference point.
Choosing not to use a short circuit before every
measurement, but relying on the offset determined during
the calibration of the instrument, is bound to increase the
measurement uncertainty.
Reference
[1] Preston-Thomas H 1990 Metrologia 27 3–10
Metrologia, 43 (2006) L45–L46