3 ms·
This is really interesting - in a geeky way. Until now all fundamental units were defined in terms that depended on the constants of nature. For instance: -
by jbmorgado 9y ago
This is really interesting - in a geeky way.
Until now all fundamental units were defined in terms that depended on the constants of nature.
For instance:
- the metre as the length of the path travelled by light in a vacuum in 1/299 792 458 seconds.
- the second as: the duration of 9 192 631 770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium 133 atom
And so on EXCEPT for the kg.
The kg was the only odd one out. There was this object stored somewhere and when people wanted to measure very well the kg they had to go there and try to measure the mass of that object as accurately as possible... which is a rather odd thing to do when aiming for accuracy.
Now we finally have the means to express the kg with a physical experience in universal terms.
- sandworm101 9y agoIt is called "le grand k" and is kept in France. Even with these new measurements, they are still just a representation of the original grand k.
- analog31 9y agoIndeed, but the hope is that you could (in principle) lose or damage the grand k, and be able to get on with life. Just like with the second and the meter, the kg will be defined using an agreed upon number that provides the best possible agreement with the old artifact. Then the artifact will have been replaced by a number whose value is largely of historical interest.