Philosophy of Physical Magnitudes
Author | : Niels C. M. Martens |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 58 |
Release | : 2024-01-23 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781009233729 |
ISBN-13 | : 1009233726 |
Rating | : 4/5 (726 Downloads) |
Download or read book Philosophy of Physical Magnitudes written by Niels C. M. Martens and published by . This book was released on 2024-01-23 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dimensional quantities such as length, mass and charge, i.e., numbers combined with a conventional unit, are essential components of theories in the sciences, especially physics, chemistry and biology. Do they represent a world with absolute physical magnitudes, or are they merely magnitude ratios in disguise? Would we notice a difference if all the distances or charges in the world suddenly doubled? These central questions of this Element are illustrated by imagining how one would convey the meaning of a kilogram to aliens if one were only allowed to communicate via Morse code.