Is the new Ampère exactly the same as the old Ampère?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the comparison between the new definition of the Ampère as established by the BIPM/SI and the previous definition that was in use until 2019. Participants explore whether the new definition corresponds to the same flow of charge as the old definition, considering implications for measurements and electrical metrology.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents the new definition of the Ampère and contrasts it with the old definition, questioning if they represent the same flow of charge.
  • Another participant asserts that the new Ampère is within the margin of error of the old Ampère, but notes that the new SI electrical units differ from the "conventional" units introduced in 1990.
  • A third participant highlights that the redefinition of the electromagnetic base unit from defining ##\mu_0## to defining ##e## results in the largest deviations between the old and new SI units, with relative changes on the order of ##10^{-10}##.
  • This participant also mentions that quantum methods for defining electromagnetic quantities are still utilized to realize the Ampère through derived units like Volt, Farad, and Ohm.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between the new and old definitions of the Ampère, with some suggesting they are equivalent within a margin of error, while others point out significant deviations due to changes in the definitions of base units. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of these differences.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the implications of the changes in definitions on practical measurements and the relationship between conventional and new SI units.

dextercioby
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The new BIPM/SI definition of the unit of electric current reads:

1 A (Ampère) is the electric current corresponding to the
flow of 1/(1.602 176 634 × 10-19) elementary charges per second.

The old definition (until 2019) was:

1 A (Ampère) is that constant current which, if maintained in
two straight parallel conductors of infinite length, of negligible circular cross-section, and
placed 1 metre apart in vacuum, would produce between these conductors a force equal to
2 × 10-7 MKS unit of force [Newton] per metre of length.*

Is the new one identical to the old one, in the sense that when we speak of "I measured an electric current with this amperemeter and found 1,2 A" do we have the same flow of charge inside?
 
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Yes, the new Ampere is within the margin of error of the old Ampere. Similarly with all of the derived electrical units.

However, in 1990 the so-called "conventional" units were introduced, based on the Josephson junction. These allowed much more precise measurements of voltage than were possible using the SI volt. Those became the de-facto standard in electrical metrology from 1990 until the most recent revision of the SI. The new SI electrical units are not equal to the "conventional" electrical units.
 
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In fact the redefinition of the electromagnetic base unit from defining ##\mu_0## to defining ##e## leads to the largest deviations between the "old" and the "new" SI units, valid since 2019. The order of the relative changes are about ##10^{-10}##.

Of course the above mentioned quantum methods to define the various electromagnetic quantities are still in use to realize the Ampere via the derived units like Volt, Farad, Ohm, etc. For details, see the Mise en pratique for the Ampere:

https://www.bipm.org/utils/en/pdf/si-mep/SI-App2-ampere.pdf
 
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