(11-04-2017, 10:59 AM)KnifeGrinder Wrote: An edge score on the BESS scale tells us not only of gram-force, but also of the edge width, and therefore shouldn't it be more appropriate to name the score BESS Unit rather than grams or g-f?
50 BESS or 300 BESS etc, as we already do in Australia.
The reason why I have recommended to use the gram-force (gf) unit for BESS measurements is the fact, that physical quantities should be expressed as the combination of magnitude (number) and unit.
The standard unit of force in SI system of units is Newton (N), but for BESS purposes it is more convenient to use gram-force (gf) which is a gravitational unit of force. One gram-force is equal to the force exerted by one gram of mass in a standard gravitational field.
In the BESS concept the force necessary to reach the critical contact stress to cut the test medium is a measure of edge sharpness. Under some assumptions this force can be converted to the edge apex width.
For low BESS readings the relationship to edge apex width is linear but for readings near the top end of the BESS scale the relationship is different.
Jan