title: Reflections on a measurement of the gravitational constant using a beam balance and 13 tons of mercury.
abstract: In 2006, a final result of a measurement of the gravi- tational constant G performed by researchers at the University of Zürich, Switzerland, was published. A value of G=6.674252(122)×10-11m3kg-1s-2was obtained after an experimental effort that lasted over one decade. Here, we briefly summarize the measurement and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this approach.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA stephan.schlamminger@nist.gov.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schlamminger
authors.affiliation: Physik-Institut der Universität Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Pixley
authors.affiliation: Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nolting
authors.affiliation: Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schurr
authors.affiliation: Physik-Institut der Universität Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Straumann
keywords: gravitational constant; mass comparator; mercury