How small is the smallest small?
@stanws (126)
Stoughton, Massachusetts
October 12, 2018 1:16pm CST
We have the millimeter. But what about a tenth of a millimeter? A hundredth? A millionth?
What would those be called?
Or, take the atom? We've managed to split that. We have electrons, protons, and neutrons. We have quarks. We have photons!
What is 1 divided by infinity? Is light divisible into particles, even as it is also a wave?
Speaking of waves...how high is the highest note...?? ;)
Are there natural limits to "smallness"?
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5 responses
Thanks me friend.
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
12 Oct 18
One divided by infinity is, by definition, zero, just as any number divided by zero is infinity. The thing is that infinity is not just a 'very large number', it is 'in-finite', that is, specifically not finite and therefore not a number at all in the sense that there can be one more than it or one less than it.
Light can be thought of as particles - they are called photons - but it can also be thought of as waves. It all depends what property of it you want to describe or calculate.
The smallest measurement is called the Planck unit (it can be defined as a unit of whatever you want - mass, length, time or whatever, depending on the constants you choose). The thing is that, if you are into String theory, the Planck length may not be the smallest possible unit.
If you want to understand the Planck length (and have your mind suitably blown), watch this:
The Planck Length is sometimes seen as daunting! Here is an excellent explanation of it in just 90 seconds! What is the smallest distance you can think of? I...
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@Cristi_Ichim (3697)
• Bucharest, Romania
12 Oct 18
I don't know. When dealing with infinity my brain gets blocked.
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