Is there a formula to obtain the mass of a proton from c?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the possibility of deriving the mass of a proton from the speed of light (c) through a mathematical formula. Participants explore the implications of such a relationship and the significance of the proton's mass in various contexts, including unit definitions and physical constants.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether a formula exists to derive the mass of a proton from c, with one asserting that there is no such formula.
  • Another participant emphasizes that the mass of a proton is defined in relation to the kilogram, suggesting that its significance is tied to unit definitions rather than intrinsic properties.
  • One participant expresses hesitation in sharing their thoughts due to previous negative experiences on forums, hinting at a personal connection to the topic.
  • Concerns are raised about the meaningfulness of numerical relationships, with one participant arguing that they are dependent on the choice of units.
  • Another participant proposes that a similar formula could yield the mass of a neutron when substituting values, although this claim is met with skepticism regarding its accuracy.
  • One participant reflects on the historical context of unit definitions, questioning the physical significance of the proton's mass if the metric system had not been developed.
  • A participant shares their experience as a programmer exploring physics, suggesting that their findings may indicate a deeper relationship between fundamental constants and the structure of the universe, though they acknowledge uncertainty in their conclusions.
  • Humor is introduced with a comment about the inevitability of the kilogram's invention across all universes, indicating a light-hearted take on the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the relationship between the mass of a proton and the speed of light, with no consensus reached on the validity or significance of the proposed formulas.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the dependence of their arguments on unit definitions and the historical context of measurement systems, indicating that the discussion is influenced by these factors.

TarbalTheLabRat
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TL;DR
Is there a formula to obtain the mass of a proton.
Just as E= hc/λ is anyone aware of a mathematical formula to obtain the mass of a proton from C ?
 
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There is not.

The mass of a proton is ##1.67262192369(51)\times 10^{−27}## kg, but that tells us more about how we've defined the kilogram than about protons. To get something physically significant we need a ratio that is independent of the units we're using: for example the universe would be very different if the mass of a proton were not greater than the mass of the electron by a factor of 1836 and change.
 
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Proton Formula.JPG


What do you think of this? I know where and what this comes from. Been blistered a lot on forums up to now. So I'm hesitant to state anything else. But this seems to point to being the mass.
 
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TarbalTheLabRat said:
What do you think of this?
Meaningless numerology because it depends on your choice of units. That’s ##1.670\times 10^{-27}## of what?
 
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It's actually Kg I believe. The same formula also appears to give the Mass of the neutron when 3 is replaced with pi.
 
Were these true before the kilogram was invented? Were they true before mankind evolved? Were they true before the Earth formed?
 
TarbalTheLabRat said:
It's actually Kg I believe.
And that is how we know that there is no physical significance to any of this. Suppose that human history on Earth had followed a very slightly different course, so that the French revolution fizzled, the metric system was never developed and the kilogram was never invented, far less used used to describe the mass of the proton... Then we wouldn't find anything interesting about the number ##1.670\times 10^{-27}##.
 
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TarbalTheLabRat said:
Been blistered a lot on forums up to now.

As you should.

`1. It's innumerate nonsense. The left-hand side has units of s/m and the right hand side has units of kilograms.
B. The proton mass doesn't work out. Sure you get four digits right, but m(p) is known to about 11.
III. The neutron mass doesn't work out either. It's about 100x worse than the proton.
d. You came in here claiming to have a question, but you really wanted to push this idea. Kind of disingenuous, don't you think?
 
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I don't have a clue. I'm actually a programmer and started looking at physics programatically about a year ago. And just over the past couple of weeks a system has evolved that's just spitting out very simple and somewhat elegant formulas that equate to many constants/other known values and describe pretty much everything from gravity to time and mass to energy. I believe a lot of issues are a by-product of our units of measurement. It's probably nothing new, but it is still pretty cool to look at as I'm organizing it. Though I must say, it is very odd that all these numbers are coming out the way they are. I'm also thinking they are implying that the universe is pressurized (in a sense) with gravity and mass is like a pinhole. Just a hypothesis. But no, I do not have a clue if it was set up this way or not. It's most likely an artifact of how our units of measurements are aligned with one another.
 
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Nugatory said:
Suppose that human history on Earth had followed a very slightly different course, so that the French revolution fizzled, the metric system was never developed and the kilogram was never invented

Ah, but this is telling us that in all universes the kilogram would eventually be invented. It's fate, I tells ya!
 
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  • #11
OK, enough. This thread is closed.
 

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