Why is 137 the most magical number?
To physicists, 137 is the approximate denominator of the fine-structure constant (1/137.03599913), the measure of the strength of the electromagnetic force that controls how charged elementary particles such as the electron and muon interact with photons of light, according to the National Institute of Standards and …
What is electromagnetic alpha?
In physics, the fine-structure constant, also known as Sommerfeld’s constant, commonly denoted by α (the Greek letter alpha), is a fundamental physical constant which quantifies the strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles.
What is the unit of fine-structure constant?
The fine-structure constant α is of dimension 1 (i.e., it is simply a number) and very nearly equal to 1/137. It is the “coupling constant” or measure of the strength of the electromagnetic force that governs how electrically charged elementary particles (e.g., electron, muon) and light (photons) interact.
How is the fine-structure constant calculated?
atomic spectra …a dimensionless constant called the fine-structure constant. This constant is given by the equation α = ke2/hc, where k is Coulomb’s constant, e is the charge of the electron, h is Planck’s constant, and c is the speed of light.
What does 137 mean in the Bible?
In religion The Bible says that Ishmael, Levi and Amram all lived to be 137 years old. The three appearances make it the most common lifespan of individuals in the Bible. According to the verse in Genesis (17:17) there was a ten-year age gap between Abraham and Sarah.
Is 137 a magic number?
That magic number, called the fine structure constant, is a fundamental constant, with a value which nearly equals 1/137. Or 1/137.03599913, to be precise. It is denoted by the Greek letter alpha – α. What’s special about alpha is that it’s regarded as the best example of a pure number, one that doesn’t need units.
Are alpha particles electromagnetic radiation?
Alpha and beta particles are not part of the electromagnetic spectrum. They travel slower than the speed of light. Depending on how much energy it has, radiation can be described as either non-ionizing (low energy) or ionizing (high energy).
Is alpha particle a wave?
In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes: particle radiation, such as alpha radiation (α), beta radiation (β), proton radiation and neutron radiation (particles of non-zero rest energy)
Why is it called the fine structure?
The split lines, which are called the fine structure of the main lines, arise from the interaction of the orbital motion of an electron with the quantum mechanical “spin” of that electron.
What is a fine spectrum?
A fine spectrum is the splitting of a spectrum into closely spaced lines. (A). The fine structure or fine spectrum means the splitting of spectral lines of an atom or molecule into two or more components. Each component has different wavelengths.
Does the fine-structure constant vary?
The fine structure constant has not changed in time. Earlier results have shown that the fine structure is slightly different along a specific axis of the Universe, called a dipole. Now, the latest result is from a single light source along a specific direction, so it’s not definitive on its own.
What causes the Lamb shift?
Interaction between vacuum energy fluctuations and the hydrogen electron in these different orbitals is the cause of the Lamb shift, as was shown subsequent to its discovery. Lamb won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1955 for his discoveries related to the Lamb shift.