The life and interests of…

I previously worked a job in metrology, assisting in research and development as a technician. I started in physical metrology, becoming a secondary tool owner to several laser confocal and white light interferometry tools. After three years I moved into chemical metrology, testing viscosity, wettability, contact angles, flow time, etc.

My contract ended in early April and I was worried I wouldn’t find a new position. I was worried for no reason, praise God. However, my new position, while similar, is on the other end of the spectrum. Rather than use the tools I previously used to perform metrology, I’m now calibrating those tools.

Do I know anything about this stuff? No, not really. I’m worried that the boss will realize he made a mistake and let me go because I feel like I know nothing.

I’m learning so fast though and I can now tell you some info I didn’t know before. For example, ohms law. Ohms, voltage, and amperage, using any two, I can find the third.

V/Ω=I or voltage divided by ohms equals current (amperage).

V/I=Ω or voltage divided by current equals ohms.

I * Ω=V or current times ohms equals voltage.

*Don’t forget to convert units if needed.*

I can also explain the basics of a thermocouple. When two wires of dissimilar metals joined on the ends are heated or cooled, it creates a voltage correlated back to temperature.

Thermocouples come in different types and are color-coded. Type K and J are the most commonly used because of their cost and temperature ranges.

These are just examples of what I’ve learned this week. I’ve also calibrated several tools mostly handheld multimeters. But I digress.

This job is almost completely new to me. I’m essentially a calibration student.