Planck Length
The Planck length is the smallest meaningful unit of length in physics, representing a fundamental scale at which classical ideas about gravity and space-time break down and quantum effects dominate.
It is defined as approximately 1.616 × 10⁻³⁵ meters.
The Planck length is derived from fundamental constants: the speed of light, Planck’s constant, and the gravitational constant.
It sets a theoretical limit below which the very concepts of space and distance may lose conventional meaning.
Used mainly in theories of quantum gravity and string theory.
Key facts:
1 Planck length ≈ 1.616 × 10⁻³⁵ m
Smallest scale in quantum physics and cosmology
Represents a scale where quantum effects of gravity become significant
The Planck length is crucial for understanding the fabric of the universe at its most fundamental level.
Femtometer
A femtometer (fm) is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one-quadrillionth of a meter (1 fm = 10⁻¹⁵ meters). It is also known as a fermi, named after the physicist Enrico Fermi. Femtometers are used to measure extremely small distances at the subatomic level, such as the size of protons, neutrons, and atomic nuclei. For example, the radius of a proton is about 0.84 femtometers. This unit is commonly used in nuclear physics and particle physics, but it's far too small for everyday measurements.
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