Some numbers such as your phone number play an important role in our lives & are more important than other numbers to us. Here we too will discuss a few numbers which are important on the scale of the universe,
In fact these numbers define our universe, makes our existence possible and even will decide the fate of the universe.
1. Universal Gravitational Constant
G = 6.67408 × 10^-11 m3 kg^-1 s^-2
According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the attraction force (F) between two bodies is directly proportional to the product of their masses (m1 and m2), and inversely proportional to the square of the distance, r, (inverse-square law) between them.
It is an interesting fact that the gravitational constant (G) was the first one to be searched before other twelve constants but its value is least accurately known. The reason for this lack of precision is its weak strength. It is the weakest force among all basic forces.
2. Speed of Light
c=299,792,458 m/s
Albert Mitchellson and Edward Morley showed that speed of light does not depend on its direction.
This finding allowed Einstein to postulate his most famous work which in a way revolutionised Science, yes, we are talking about, Theory of Relativity. This was the most important discovery of the 20th century and probably even so far.
3. Ideal Gas Constant
R=8.3144621(75) J/ K/ mol
When we combine the results of the experiments of Boyle, Charles and Gay-Lussac, it can be showed that for a certain quantity of gas, the temperature of gas is proportion to product of its pressure and volume. This ratio is called the Ideal Gas Constant.
4. Absolute Zero (0 Kelvin)
It is easy to produce heat. From prehistoric times, human has been using fire to produce heat. But cooling something is not an easy task. The absolute Zero is the least possible temperature. No temperature below than this is possible. At this temperature, speed of atoms of gases becomes zero. Its value is 0 Kelvin.
5. Avogadro’s Number
Avogadro’s number = 6.022169 x 10^23
How many molecules of a gas can be there in a volume? Italian chemical scholar Amadeo Avogadro proposed that the same amount of different gases at the same temperature and pressure would have the same number of molecules. Avogadro number is number of atoms present in12 grams of Carbon. It is also called the number of molecules in a one mole of gas.
6. The Relative Strength of Electricity and Gravity
Because, Electrical power is so much powerful than gravity, this makes life possible in this universe. If the electrical energy was weaker by gravity, then the universe was not possible in the present form nor the life in the present form. Electrical energy is 10^36 times more powerful than gravitational force.
7. Boltzmann’s Constant
K= 1.3807 x 10^-23 joule/kelvin (J · K^-1)
Have you ever wondered why the snowflakes get melt in a hot water pot but why don’t ice particles in form from cold water on its own? It is related to the distribution of heat and the solution to this problem was the biggest success of the 19th century.
This problem was solved by the Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann, who had discovered that compared there are more nos. of distributions for melting of ice than to form ice from water (it can be thought in terms of degree of randomness). Nature's game runs in percent. It often chooses the most possible way line and this tendency is defined by Boltzmann constant. The disorderness is more common than the orderness e.g. there are more ways to spoil the room than to clean it.
8. The Schwarzschild Radius
The Schwarzschild radius is the radius of a that sphere to which if all the mass of an object is compressed within such that it becomes a Black Hole. The escape velocity from the surface of this sphere would equal the speed of light.
Any object with a physical radius smaller than its Schwarzschild radius will be a black hole. For the mass of the Earth, the Schwarzschild radius is only 1 cm. That means to make the Earth a black hole, its whole mass must be compressed in radius of 1 cm.
9. The Efficiency of Hydrogen Fusion
The most abundant material of the universe is Hydrogen. More complex elements are formed from this starting element. These formations called fusion occur at such high temperatures which naturally occur only inside the center of the stars. Two atoms of Hydrogen combine to form an atom of Helium, this process is called Hydrogen Fusion. The energy produced in this process is calculated from Einstein's famous equation E = mc^2.
In this process only 0.7 percent of hydrogen is converted into energy. This number 0.007 is the efficiency of Hydrogen fusion and is basis of existence of life in the universe. If this no. would have been slightly low or high, life will not have been possible in the current form.
10. The Chandrasekhar Limit
Future of a star is determined by its mass. The life of the stars like the Sun is relatively long, the Sun has 5 billion years of life remaining, and after that it will become the Red Giant and swallow the Earth too.
Stars bigger than Sun make up the White Dwarf, which are very hot but small and slow down and become dead. But if the stars cross the mass of a specific mass, Chandrasekhar, then it is decided to become Supernova. Chandrasekhar range is about 1.4 times the mass of the Sun's mass. Subramanian Chandrasekhar was the one who determined this no.
11. The Hubble Constant
Hubble found out that all galaxies are moving away from the Earth. The proportion of speed of galaxy moving away from the Earth and the distance from Earth to that galaxy is the Hubble constant. From these studies, it was known that the universe was born about 13.7 billion years ago.
12. Omega
We know how the universe was born and how old it is. But we do not know how it will end.But there is some way to determine the end of the universe, but for that we need to calculate the value of a constant, this constant is Omega.
If at the time of Big Bang, Big Bang gave the galaxies the necessary speed so that they always keep going away from each other then, universe will simple keep expanding and freeze. If they do not have enough speed then they will start collapsing into a single point.
Omega is the ratio of the total mass of the universe and the minimum mass required to prevent collapse. If the value of omega is less than 1, then the universe will continue to expand. If it is more than 1, then the universe will start to transform.
According to our calculations till now, the value of omega is between 0.98 and 1.1. So, the future of the universe is still unknown.
13. Plank’s Constant
h=6.62606957 × 10^-34 m^2 kg / s
According to Max Planck, the distribution of energy in the universe occurs in the form of small energy packets and it corresponds to the atomic theory, according to which the substance is made up of small particles which are atoms. The small packets of these energy were called quanta and the size of these packets was named Plank constant (h).
So guys that's all I have for today. I hope you learnt some important concepts as a result of this blog! See you around some other time. Will be doing my first openmic post next week, thought |I should let you guys know.