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Physics
Classical Physics
Electromagnetism
Is the mass of the electron constant?
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[QUOTE="Nugatory, post: 6091120, member: 382138"] If they change in such a way that the fine structure constant (and other dimensionless ratios) do not change, then all we've done is redefine the kilogram and our other units. All experiments will still yield the same outcomes, the needles on our dials will still point to the same places, chemistry and every else driven by the physics of orbital elections will stay the same, the energy levels won't change, ... It's no different than doing physics using the old english units instead of metric. To actually get something physical to change (for example, in the first post of this thread you asked about atomic spectra changing over time) one or more of the dimensionless ratios like the fine structure constant would have to change. Thus, your question is really about whether these ratios have changed over time, not the mass of the electron. The issue here is basically the same as a question that is asked here much more often: Suppose the speed of light were to change? You might want to search out some of those threads; the discussion there will be more complete. Also, be sure to check out the recent redefinition of the kilogram; it will reinforce the essential arbitrariness of the numerical value of the masses we assign to particles. The physics is in the ratios between these values, not the values themselves. [/QUOTE]
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Physics
Classical Physics
Electromagnetism
Is the mass of the electron constant?
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