Are we closer to atomic scales than to colossal star scales?

In summary, the conversation discusses the comparison of the size of humans to the smallest and largest objects in the universe. It suggests using an order of magnitude analysis with standard units to determine the answer. The Sun and a carbon atom are used as examples and the conversation ends with a question about the line intercept on a graph.
  • #1
Sarcastic14
5
0
Uh, I don't know if this suits the topic, but I've been wondering about this.

Are we more times bigger than the smallest particle we know about than we are smaller than the large stars?
 
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  • #2
I'm not sure if it does, either, but it is interesting. If you want to figure out the answer, do an order of magnitude analysis. Pick standard units, say, meters. We as humans are on the order of 2 meters, so on the order of 1. Doing a quick google search, I found one of the largest (if not the largest) star we know of has a radius 2100 times our sun, which is about 1.4 million km (2.8 M km diameter). http://www.universetoday.com/13507/what-is-the-biggest-star-in-the-universe/"

That would make it on the order of 10^3*10^6*10^3 ~ 10^12

Likewise we could do the same for the smallest particle.

Let me know what you find out. I don't have the time to finish the search right now, but would love to know what you find out.
 
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  • #3
Diameter of the Sun, in meters: 1 391 000 000 ~ 1.4 x 109
Diameter of a carbon atom, in meters: 0.000 000 000 22 ~ 2.2 x 10-10
The inverse of the carbon diameter is: 4 545 454 545 ~ 4.5 x 109

4 545 454 545 <- Carbon atom is this many times smaller than 1 meter
1 391 000 000 <- Sun is this many times larger than 1 meter

Both of these are pretty close. Carbon is a mid range common atom, and the Sun is a mid range common sized star. You could probably make either larger than the other by using different choices.
 
  • #4
Is this a phyics or maths question?

The following graph (after Majid) might be interesting.

go well
 

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  • #5
Thank you all for your answers :)
 
  • #6
Interesting graph.

I wonder what lies in the line intercept?
 

1. What is the scale of an atomic particle?

Atomic particles are incredibly small, with a typical size of around 0.1 nanometers (nm). This is equivalent to 0.0000000001 meters.

2. How big is a colossal star?

A colossal star is a star that is significantly larger than our sun. They can have a diameter of up to 1000 times that of our sun, which is approximately 1 billion kilometers.

3. How does the scale of an atomic particle compare to the scale of a colossal star?

The scale of an atomic particle is much smaller than the scale of a colossal star. In fact, the difference in scale is so vast that it is difficult for our human minds to comprehend. The size of a colossal star is about 1 trillion times larger than the size of an atomic particle.

4. What is the significance of comparing atomic scales to colossal star scales?

Comparing atomic scales to colossal star scales helps us to understand the vastness of the universe and the different scales at which things exist. It also highlights the incredible complexity and diversity of the universe at both the smallest and largest levels.

5. Are we closer to atomic scales or colossal star scales?

In terms of physical distance, we are closer to atomic scales. However, in terms of our understanding and exploration of these scales, we are still far from truly comprehending the complexity and enormity of both atomic and colossal star scales.

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