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0 pointsKoshkin6y ago0 comments

The elementary charge is impractically small, while it is easy to approximate the "imaginary wires."

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marcosdumay6y ago· 2 in thread

So you make the calculations and use some wire length that places the error within your acceptable margin. You use the completely precise, but impractically small value of the electron charge on those calculations.

You also use the completely impractical value of the cesium emission frequency on your calculations for your tabletop amperameter, as well as the speed of light on vacuum (good luck having any "vacuum" around). So, why are people complaining specifically about the electron charge?

KoshkinOP6y ago

Both the cesium frequency and the speed of light are practically reproducible and are used to calibrate instruments. Not so with the elementary charge. (Similarly, in chemistry, nobody would count the quantity of stuff in molecules, they use moles instead.)

marcosdumay6y ago

Well, I do know that infinite wires aren't practically reproducible.

In physics people talk about measuring single electrons all the time. Electrons can be counted with tabletop equipment made with home-like budget. You can easily add them to up to trillions, what is far from a Coulomb, but still a practical amount of them.

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