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SI Redefinition (https://www.nist.gov/si-redefinition)
The below graphic shows the seven base SI units and the constants used to define
them. Click on each of the SI units (outer boxes) to see which constants
(inner boxes) define them.
In the revised SI, c helps to define the meter, kilogram and kelvin.
In the revised SI, the Planck constant h is equal to exactly 6.626 070 15 × 10-34
Joule seconds. This value for the Planck constant was only finalized in 2017, and
that value is key to redefining the kilogram.
e: elementary charge
This might sound (and look) like sci-fi jargon, so let’s break this down a little bit.
Cesium is a metal atom in the periodic table. Cesium-133 is its most common form,
or isotope, containing a total of 133 protons and neutrons.
Like all atoms, cesium is orbited by electrons. The energy of cesium’s outermost
electron can be controlled with microwave radiation. The frequency of microwave
radiation that causes this electron to jump between two closely spaced low-energy
states is known as the hyperfine transition frequency.
In the revised SI, ∆νCs helps to define the second, meter, kilogram and ampere.
In the revised SI, the Boltzmann constant k equals 1.380649 × 10-23 joules/kelvin.
k will help to define the kelvin.
Michael Moldover and an acoustic resonator he and his colleagues developed for
making some of the world's most accurate measurements of the Boltzmann
constant.
Credit:
NIST
The Avogadro constant defines the number of particles in a mole, the SI unit that
expresses the amount of substance. Simply put, Avogadro’s number of electrons
equals one mole of electrons. Similarly, Avogadro’s number of water molecules
equals one mole of water.
This last constant is arguably one of the most artificial and human-centered.
To explain it, let’s decode the entire second half of the definition first.
“Monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 × 1012 hertz” is simply green light,
specifically the shade of green light that the human eye can pick up most
sensitively in a well-lit room.
And “luminous efficacy” is basically the total amount of visible light that a source
produces using a certain amount of power.
Kcd is equal to 683 lumens per watt and helps to define the candela.
This wallet card displays the fundamental constants and other physical values that
define a revised international system of units.
Credit:
Stoughton/NIST