Recommending a value for the Newtonian gravitational constant

Abstract

The primary objective of the CODATA Task Group on Fundamental Constants is ‘to periodically provide the scientific and technological communities with a self-consistent set of internationally recommended values of the basic constants and conversion factors of physics and chemistry based on all of the relevant data available at a given point in time’. I discuss why the availability of these recommended values is important and how it simplifies and improves science. I outline the process of determining the recommended values and introduce the principles that are used to deal with discrepant results. In particular, I discuss the specific challenges posed by the present situation of gravitational constant experimental results and how these principles were applied to the most recent 2010 recommended value. Finally, I speculate about what may be expected for the next recommended value of the gravitational constant scheduled for evaluation in 2014.