Arbitrary unit

Article summary

of a generic field-effect transistor. It allows to downplay the current's dependence on an individual device (the current depends on its size and other factors). Contrary, the voltage scale relies on electronic properties of the semiconductor, hence volts are given. In science and technology, an arbitrary unit (abbreviated arb. unit, see below) or procedure defined unit (p.d.u.) is a relative unit of measurement to show the ratio of amount of substance, intensity, or other quantities, to a predetermined reference measurement. The reference measurement is typically defined by the local laboratories or dependent on individual measurement apparatus. It is therefore impossible to compare "1 arb. unit" by one measurer and "1000 arb. unit" by another measurer without detailed prior knowledge on how the respective "arbitrary units" were defined; thus, the unit is sometimes called an unknown unit. The unit only serves to compare multiple measurements performed in similar environment, since the ratio between the measurement and the reference is a consistent and dimensionless quantity independent of what actual units are used. Units of such kind are commonly used in fields such as physiology to indicate substance concentration, and spectroscopy to express spectral intensity.…

Key claims

No claims recorded.

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

No sources recorded.