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Series:   Elements in the Philosophy of Physics

Philosophy of Physical Magnitudes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2024

Niels C. M. Martens
Niels C. M. Martens
Affiliation:
Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands

Summary

Dimensional quantities such as length, mass and charge, i.e., numbers combined with a conventional unit, are essential components of theories in the sciences, especially physics, chemistry and biology. Do they represent a world with absolute physical magnitudes, or are they merely magnitude ratios in disguise? Would we notice a difference if all the distances or charges in the world suddenly doubled? These central questions of this Element are illustrated by imagining how one would convey the meaning of a kilogram to aliens if one were only allowed to communicate via Morse code.
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Keywords

physical magnitudesphysical quantitiesscaling symmetriesmetaphysics of quantitiesmass
Type
Element
Information
Series: Elements in the Philosophy of Physics
Online ISBN: 9781009233705
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 04 April 2024

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