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Calibration · Glossary

What is Local Gravity?

m/s² at your siteCalibration

Local gravity is the acceleration due to gravity at a site; it varies with latitude and height and affects deadweight tester results.

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Local Gravity Explained

Standard gravity is 9.80665 m/s², but real values range from about 9.78 at the equator to 9.83 at the poles, and fall with height.

Deadweight testers calibrated for standard gravity read wrong at sites with different g unless corrected.

Local Gravity Formula

g = 9.780327 × (1 + 0.0053024 sin²φ − 0.0000058 sin²2φ) − 3.086 × 10⁻⁶ h
φlatitude
hheight above sea level (m)
Example: Pune (about 18.5° N, 560 m): g ≈ 9.784 m/s², about 0.23 % below standard.
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Calculators for Local Gravity

CalculatorLocal Gravity CalculatorFree online calculator with formula and worked example.CalculatorDeadweight Tester CalculatorFree online calculator with formula and worked example.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Local Gravity?

Local gravity is the acceleration due to gravity at a site; it varies with latitude and height and affects deadweight tester results.

Is the formula exact?

It is a good estimate; for the best work use a measured gravity value for the site.

Does gravity affect electronic calibrators?

No, only devices using masses.

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