De Broglie wavelength computable by just fixing speed of light ?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on computing the de Broglie wavelength and Bohr radius using only the speed of light in a metric system without known real unit correspondences. The user successfully identifies the Planck unit system as the framework for their calculations, using constants such as c=1, h=2π, and the Planck mass. They derive the de Broglie wavelength for a 1s electron in hydrogen, ultimately expressing it in meters as approximately 3.32e-10 m. However, they express uncertainty about converting time units without knowing the relationship between Planck time and their defined time unit.

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Hi,

I was wondering if it is possible to compute e.g. bohr radii for a metric system whose correspondence to real units is unknown and only the speed of light is known.

Let's say the only thing I know is that lightwaves travel x spaceunits in t timeunits, therefore defining the speed of light. The obvious problem is that I lack correspondance to real units such as meters for space and seconds for time.
So the question is: Is it possible to compute e.g. the bohr radius of an electron in groundstate in the hydrogen in units of x (or alternatively ct, lightspeed time) from just this defined lightspeed ? I've read that sometimes physisists set c=1 and hbar=1, but I don't get how to convert the dependent constants appropriately. Would this help solve my problem at all ? And if so how would this be done exactly ?

Thanks and cheers.
 
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I think I figured it out finally. Turned out that system I meant was the Planck unit system. ;)

To compute the deBroglie wavelength of a 1s electron:

Code:
-> c                 = 1
-> h                 = 2pi
-> M (planck-mass)   = 2,1765e−8 kg
-> alpha             = 1/137
-> v                 = Z/n * alpha
-> v                 = 1/1 * 1/137
-> v                 = 1/137
-> m                 = m_e(in kg) / M
-> m                 = 9,10938291e-31 kg / 2,1765e−8 kg
-> m                 = 4,1853355892487939352170916609235e-23
-> lambda            = h / (m * v)
-> lambda            = 2pi / (4,1853355892487939352170916609235e-23 * 1/137)
-> lambda            = 20566962164152375997583578,037296
So this lambda-value can be interpreted as the distance a lightwave travels in 20566962164152375997583578 Planck-time units, right ?

so in meters this becomes
Code:
-> L (planck length) = 1,616199e−35 m
-> lambda_m (in m)   = lambda * L
-> lambda_m (in m)   = 20566962164152375997583578,037296 * 1,616199e−35 m
-> lambda_m (in m)   = 3,32403036827409059349185812403e-10 m
that seems fitting.
 
Last edited:
Well now that I have everything in Planck units I still don't see how that gives me result, because I don't know how many Planck time units my timeunit is. Don't I understand something here or is it really impossibe to compute because some necessary constant (t/T or x/L) is unknown ?
 

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