S.I. No. 102/1976 - European Communities (Units of Measurement) Regulations, 1976.

1. The character * after a unit name or symbol indicates that these have not yet appeared in the lists drawn up by the CGPM or CIPM

NOTE: The prefixes listed in item 1.3 may be used in conjunction with the units contained in the tables of items 1.4.1 and 1.4.2. The multiple 10

2

a is, however, called a 'hectare'.

2. UNITS WHICH ARE DEFINED ON THE BASIS OF SI UNITS BUT ARE NOT DECIMAL MULTIPLES OR SUBMULTIPLES THEREOF.

Quantity

Unit

Name

Symbol

Value

Plane angle

revolution*

1

1 revolution = 2π rad

grade*

g*

or gon*

gon*

degree*

o*

minute of angle*

'*

second of angle*

''*

Time

minute*

min*

1 min = 60s

hour

h

1h = 3600s

day*

d*

1d = 86400s

1

No international symbol exists at present although there are national symbols and abbreviations, such as tr, ag.

2

The symbol g should disappear in favour of gon. The matter will be reviewed by 31 December, 1977.

NOTE: The prefixes listed in item 1.3 may only be used in conjunction with the names grade and gon and the symbols only with the symbol gon.

3. UNITS DEFINED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE SEVEN SI BASE UNITS.

The unified atomic mass unit is 1/12 of the mass of an atom of the nuclide

12

C.

The electronvolt is the kinetic energy acquired by an electron passing in a vacuum from one point to another whose potential is 1 volt higher.

Quantity

Unit

Name

Symbol

Value

mass

Unified atomic mass unit*

u*

energy

electronvolt*

eV*

*The value of these units, expressed in SI units, is not exactly known.

NOTE: The prefixes listed in item 1.3 may be used in conjunction with these two units.

4. UNITS AND NAMES OF UNITS PERMITTED IN SPECIALISED FIELDS ONLY.

Quantity

Unit

Name

Value

vergence of optical systems

dioptre

1 dioptre = 1 m-

1

mass of precious stones

metric carat

1 metric carat = 2.10

-4

kg

NOTE: The prefixes listed in item 1.3 may be used in conjunction with the above units.

5. COMPOUND UNITS.

Compound units are formed by combining the units of Chapters I, II and III of Council Directive No. 71/354/EEC as amended by the Treaty of Accession with the exception of those listed in items 1.4.2 and 4 of Chapter 1 and item 8.1 of Chapter III (units permitted in specialised fields only). The use of some of such compound units, where these are not derived SI units, will be examined by 31 December, 1977 with a view to deciding whether their use should be restricted or prohibited.

SCHEDULE II

NATIONAL METRIC STANDARDS

Part I

Description of national standard of the metre

The Irish copy of the international metre being a bar about 1030 millimetres long, of simple H section, 24 millimetres wide by 24 millimetres high, made of 58% nickel steel having the upper face of web in neutral plane and a polished scale engraved thereon, bearing the inscription

An Méadan Naísiunta, Eire 1969

The metre bar has also the following markings on the face

( a ) NI 58% No. 15481 20°C

( b ) SIP Geneve Made in Switzerland

( c ) X NI 58% at its left extremity

( d ) 5036 at its right extremity

Part 2

Description of national standard of the kilogram

The Irish copy of the international prototype of the kilogram being a mass of stainless steel "Immaculate V" (25% chrome, 20% nickel) in the form of a cylinder of revolution, of diameter approximately equal to its height, and has rounded edges.

It is constructed of a single polished piece, without an interior cavity or attached pieces; on the upper face is placed the following identification mark

É

1 Kg

69

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 10th day of May, 1976.

JUSTIN KEATING,

Minister for Industry and

Commerce.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations are made to give effect, so far as necessary, to Council Directive No. 71/354/EEC (as amended by the Treaty of Accession Annex 1, X, 16 and excluding Chapter II and III of Annex I and Annex II of the Directive) on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to units of measurement. They authorise the SI system as the metric system for use in Ireland.

S.I. No. 102 of 1976.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (UNITS OF MEASUREMENT) REGULATIONS, 1976.

I, JUSTIN KEATING, Minister for Industry and Commerce, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by

Section 3

of the

European Communities Act, 1972

(No. 27 of 1972) hereby make the following regulations

1 Citation

1.

These regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Units of Measurement) Regulations: 1976.

2 Authorised units of measurement: metric system

2.

All units of measurement prescribed in Annex I, Chapter I (set out, as amended, in Schedule I of these regulations) of the Council Directive of the European Communities of 18 October, 1971 (71/ 354/EEC), as amended by the Act annexed to the Treaty of Accession of 22 January, 1972, are authorised for use in the State and all units of measurement in the metric system shall be determined in accordance with that Chapter.

3 National metric standards

3.

The national standards for the metre (the unit of measurement of length) and the kilogram (the unit of measurement of mass) are described in Schedule II of these regulations and deposited in the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards. They shall be the standards by reference to which all other standards of those units and of any other unit of measurement derived wholly or partly from any of those units shall be maintained.

4 Application

4.

These regulations apply to measuring instruments used, measurements made and dimensions or quantities expressed in units, whether for economic, public health, public safety or administrative purposes in the State.

5 Modification of legislation

5.

The provisions of the Weights and Measures Acts, 1878 to 1961, and any other relevant enactment shall be construed subject to these regulations and, in the event of any inconsistency between these regulations and any such provision, that provision shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, cease to have the force of law.

SCHEDULE I. *

AUTHORISED METRIC UNITS OF MEASUREMENT