Standardization

In order to be able to work together, people and companies need to agree on a common set of rules, and units. These agreements are called standards. The process of agreeing is called standardization or standardisation.

This is a household plug. The variant with 2 pins is standard across most of the world.

The metal block is a copy of the prototype kilogram: Until it was redefined in 2019, everyone needed to compare to the prototype kilogram.

Light bulbs have standard sockets. There are a few socket types, which vary by use. Using a standard socket means that a lamp will accept all light bulbs with the same socket.

Companies that have products which follow these rules can make their products work together. One example of a standard is the two pin plug. It provides electricity. It is commonly found in household appliances. Many countries have adopted it. However, this is not the case for three-pin plugs: they are different in each country.

Agreements do not need to be technical. Lawyers can agree on a standard way to solve a problem, linguists can agree on what the "standard language" is, and bookkeepers can agree on rules how to evaluate a company.

Different USB connectors. USB is a standard to connect peripherals. It replaced many other plugs, and is commonly used.