About the International System of Units (SI) Part II. Organization and General Principles

Autor/inn/en	Aubrecht, Gordon J., II; French, Anthony P.; Iona, Mario
Titel	About the International System of Units (SI) Part II. Organization and General Principles
Quelle	In: Physics Teacher, 49 (2011) 9, S.540-543 (4 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0031-921X
DOI	10.1119/1.3661096
Schlagwörter	Metric System; Measurement Objectives; Measurement Techniques; Robustness (Statistics); Physics; Scientific Principles; Scientific Concepts; Scientific Methodology; Standards; Number Concepts; Number Systems + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Metrischer Raum; Messtechnik; Widerstandsfähigkeit; Physik; Standard; Number concept; Zahlbegriff; Number system; Zahlensystem
Abstract	As all physicists know, all units are arbitrary. The numbering system is anthropocentric; for example, the Celsius scale of temperature has 100 degrees between the boiling point of water at STP and the freezing point of water. The number 100 is chosen because human beings have 10 fingers. The best units might be based on physical constants, for example, defining temperature in terms of absolute zero and the triple point of water, which are presumably the same everywhere in the universe. Even these units are anthropocentric, though, because, for example, why should water be more fundamental than another material? (Answer: only because we live on Earth, where the abundance of liquid water has made our lives possible.) The basic SI units (base units, see Sec. 2) are as arbitrary as any other set. [For Part I, see EJ945887.] (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Association of Physics Teachers. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. Tel: 301-209-3300; Fax: 301-209-0845; e-mail: pubs@aapt.org; Web site: http://scitation.aip.org/tpt
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10