The National Physics Laboratory

The National Physics Laboratory upholds the standards of the State of Israel—accurate measuring instruments in the following areas:

• Length
• Mass
• Temperature
• Voltage and electrical resistance
• Pressure, vacuum
• Quantity of material
• Time

In 1985, the State of Israel signed the Metre Convention. The main principle of the Metre Convention is that measurement results obtained in countries that signed this convention will be traceable to national and international standards. Benchmarks according to the Metre Convention are held in every member state at the National Institute of Metrology (Measurements), and in Israel at the National Physics Laboratory.

This determines the main function of the laboratory: on the one hand, calibration of measuring instruments of calibration laboratories that provide service to industry and commerce in Israel; and on the other, comparing the standards of the State of Israel to the benchmarks of countries signed on the Metre Convention, to ensure equality of measure. This role of the laboratory is one of the components of industrial and commercial infrastructure in the State of Israel.

Measurements and tests that are inconsistent with national or international benchmarks are not accepted today as reliable in industry and trade.

The time of the State of Israel is determined by law in the National Physics Laboratory with the help of a special system that compares time measurement results in Israel several times a day with the time measurement results of other national laboratories in the world.

Laboratory work

The National Physics Laboratory participates in the development of new benchmarks, for example in the field of material quantity: systems for measuring acidity and conductivity in solutions, reference materials, etc. The laboratory also organizes inter-laboratory comparisons in Israel (proficiency tests) in various fields of measurement, calibration and testing.

The National Physics Laboratory serves as the exclusive representative of the state in the BIPM International Office responsible for implementing the Metre Convention. The lab is also active in other national and international organizations engaged in measurement, calibration and testing.

Objectives, goals, and vision

Maintaining national benchmarks and calibrating measuring instruments to ensure traceability to national and international benchmarks.