What Sets Chronon Apart from Planck's Time?

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SUMMARY

The discussion clarifies the distinction between a chronon and Planck's time, emphasizing that Planck's time, established by Max Planck in 1899, is approximately 0.539 E-43 seconds. In contrast, the term "chronon" lacks a universally accepted definition, leading to varying interpretations among authors. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding Planck units, particularly the formula for Planck time, which is derived from fundamental constants: hbar, G, and c. This foundational knowledge is crucial for anyone delving into theoretical physics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Planck units, specifically Planck time
  • Familiarity with fundamental constants: hbar, G (gravitational constant), and c (speed of light)
  • Basic knowledge of string theory and its implications
  • Ability to interpret scientific notation and floating-point numbers
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the derivation of Planck units and their significance in physics
  • Explore the concept of chronons in various theoretical frameworks
  • Learn about the implications of Planck time in quantum mechanics
  • Investigate the role of fundamental constants in modern physics
USEFUL FOR

The discussion is beneficial for physicists, students of theoretical physics, and anyone interested in the nuances of quantum mechanics and the foundational concepts of time measurement in the universe.

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What is the difference between a chronon and Planck's time? A few websites said they were the same thing. But other websites showed Planck's time as being smaller than a chronon. And those websites didn't always agree on how small Planck's time or a chronon is.
 
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Originally posted by Nim
What is the difference between a chronon and Planck's time? A few websites said they were the same thing. But other websites showed Planck's time as being smaller than a chronon. And those websites didn't always agree on how small Planck's time or a chronon is.

One way to approach this question is to ask what has traditionally usually been meant by "Planck time"

Planck proposed a set of natural units in 1899 to a meeting of the Prussian Academy and the time unit he proposed was
for practical purposes the same as what is called "Planck time" today----about 0.539 E-43 second.

For over 100 years the Planck time unit has been this.

What the "chronon" is must depend on whatever writer is talking. It is not a well-established traditional thing, so could mean anything someone wants it to mean. The basic string theory scale is not solidly nailed down so if there is a "chronon" in that context it could be drifting around changing from author to author.

Here is how to remember Planck units:

Memorize what the area is and get all the rest from that.

The area is hbar G/c3

Therefore the length is sqrt(hbar G/c3)

The unit time is how long light takes to go unit length so it equals unit length divided by c. Or you can divide by c2 inside the square root and get

Planck time unit equals sqrt(hbar G/c5)


Since Planck time is 0.539 E-43 second, if you multiply by E45 you get 53.9 seconds which is on same scale as a ordinary minute.

So next time someone on telephone says "please wait a minute. I put you on hold for a minute" remember that this means

E45 Planck time units, or maybe you like it better written

1045 Planck time units
 
Thanks for the answser.

This isn't a physics question. But how do you make those floating numbers like that 45 you have by the 10?
 
Originally posted by Nim
Thanks for the answser.

This isn't a physics question. But how do you make those floating numbers like that 45 you have by the 10?

A2 is written like this (but with the spaces removed)

A[s u p]2[/s u p]


subscripts are written like superscripts except you say "sub"
instead of "sup"

if you want to see how anyone made a math symbol they wrote in their post, click on "quote" below their post AS IF you were going to reply and wanted to quote them in your reply-----you can look at how they typed stuff and you don't have to reply unless you want----you can just back away
 
marcus said:
about 0.539 E-43 second.
The area is hbar G/c3
marcus said:
Therefore the length is sqrt(hbar G/c3)
What are E and G?
 
E45 just means 10^45
G is the gravitational constant
 

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