Eli5 – How is the kilogram defined using the second and the Plank constant?

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The kilogram used to be defined by a specific chunk of platinum-iridium.

But now it’s defined using the second and the Plank constant, somehow.

Assuming you already have a very accurate measurement of the second, and the Plank constant, how do you combine those two things to get the kilogram?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Planck’s constant has units. It’s not just 6.626 x 10^(-34). It’s that many Joule Seconds.

A joule is a measurement/unit of energy, and it can be broken down into kilograms * meters^2 / seconds^2. When I say “joule seconds”, the exponent on the seconds under the fraction is reduced from 2 to 1.

Regardless, “kg” is now a unit you can solve for in a physics experiment using the above figures. Albert Einstein won the nobel prize for the photoelectric effect, which is essentially what solar panels run on and one of the easiest ways to use planck’s constant in action. So go calculate it.

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