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The Constancy of the Velocity of Light and Prospects for a Unified Standardization of Time, Frequency and Length

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Atomic Masses and Fundamental Constants 4

Abstract

The use of fundamental constants of nature for the definition of the units of physical measurements was suggested by M. Planck in 1906 (1). By assigning the value of unity to the four constants, c, h, k, and G the “natural units” of time, length, mass, and temperature can be defined. Albeit its great theoretical merit, that proposal could not be practical in 1906 since the large uncertainties in the known values of the constants would have propagated into the determination of the units.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D. C., 20234, USA

    Z. Bay

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  1. Z. Bay
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    J. H. Sanders

  2. Instituut voor Kernphysisch Onderzoek, Ooster Ringdijk 18, 1006, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    A. H. Wapstra

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© 1972 Plenum Publishing Company Ltd

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Bay, Z. (1972). The Constancy of the Velocity of Light and Prospects for a Unified Standardization of Time, Frequency and Length. In: Sanders, J.H., Wapstra, A.H. (eds) Atomic Masses and Fundamental Constants 4. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-7876-1_36

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-7876-1_36

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-7878-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-7876-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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