Ampere definition limitations (1 Viewer)

Bob99

temporarylol hater
Joined
Apr 1, 2022
Messages
230
Gender
Male
HSC
2022
Hi all, could someone please explain the limitations of each of the following definitions?

Old definition:
The ampere is that constant current which, if maintained in two straight parallel conductors of infinite length, of negligible circular cross-section, and placed 1 m apart in vacuum, would produce between these conductors a force equal to 2×10^-7 newton per metre of length.

2019 New revised definition: The ampere is a measure of the amount of electric charge in motion per unit time ― that is, electric current. One ampere is the current in which one coulomb of charge travels across a given point in 1 second. One coulomb is equal to about 6.241 x 10^18 electric charges (e).
 

Run hard@thehsc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2021
Messages
784
Gender
Male
HSC
2022
Mate are you gonna tell me anytime soon?
oh sos - I remember answering that the old definition was based on the accuracy of the length of a metre and that the new one is based on the accuracy on the measurement of time - both of which is not absolute as we now know due to special relativity. Not sure if this is right, but this is what I wrote about. Please correct me if I am wrong!!!
 

bruhwth

New Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2022
Messages
28
Gender
Male
HSC
2022
oh sos - I remember answering that the old definition was based on the accuracy of the length of a metre and that the new one is based on the accuracy on the measurement of time - both of which is not absolute as we now know due to special relativity. Not sure if this is right, but this is what I wrote about. Please correct me if I am wrong!!!
isn't the value of 1m a constant value? 1m = distance light travels in 1/3x10^8 secs? c is constant so defining a metre by a constant should make the value of 1m constant no? Same with time. 1 second is defined as the time taken for roughly 9.2 x10^9 energy transitions of caesium -133 atoms, which is a constant too. IDK correct me if I'm wrong
 

Run hard@thehsc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2021
Messages
784
Gender
Male
HSC
2022
isn't the value of 1m a constant value? 1m = distance light travels in 1/3x10^8 secs? c is constant so defining a metre by a constant should make the value of 1m constant no? Same with time. 1 second is defined as the time taken for roughly 9.2 x10^9 energy transitions of caesium -133 atoms, which is a constant too. IDK correct me if I'm wrong
I would assume that to be right - what I meant before was how they had a literal rod/stick which was measured to be 1 m. But this could vary (since length contracts across reference frames based on relativistic speeds). Hence, as you had proposed, they redefined it to be the time that light takes to travel a metre since the speed of light is constant for all observers.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top