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Definitions of SI Units and Constants

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Topics

  • Redefining the Kilogram
  • The Seven Constants with Exact Values
  • Base Unit Definitions (current SI) 
  • Then vs Now (pre-2019 → post-2019)
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Redefining the Kilogram

The old kilogram depended on a single metal cylinder in Paris. Over time, tiny changes in that artifact’s mass made the standard unstable. The new SI fixes exact values of fundamental constants so that units are universal, stable, and realized anywhere with appropriate experiments. This keeps unit sizes continuous with the past while removing dependence on physical objects. 

Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

The seven constants with exact values

Constant Exact Value Unit What It Defines / Role
Planck constant (h) 6.62607015 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s (kg·m²·s⁻¹) Links energy to frequency (E = hν); defines mass via Kibble balance.
Elementary charge (e) 1.602176634 × 10⁻¹⁹ C (A·s) Defines the charge of a proton; anchors electrical units using quantum effects.
Boltzmann constant (k) 1.380649 × 10⁻²³ J·K⁻¹ (kg·m²·s⁻²·K⁻¹) Relates temperature to average thermal energy; defines the kelvin.
Avogadro constant (Nₐ) 6.02214076 × 10²³ mol⁻¹ Exact number of particles per mole (atoms, molecules, etc.).
Speed of light in vacuum (c) 299,792,458 m·s⁻¹ Fixes the relationship between distance and time through light travel.
Caesium-133 hyperfine transition Δν(Cs) = 9,192,631,770 Hz (s⁻¹) Defines the second based on a specific atomic transition in caesium.
Luminous efficacy (Kcd) 683 lm·W⁻¹ Relates optical power at 540 × 10¹² Hz to brightness; defines the candela.
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Base unit definitions (current SI)

  • Second (s): The duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the Cs-133 ground-state hyperfine transition.
  • Metre (m): The distance light travels in vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second.
  • Kilogram (kg): Defined by fixing h; realized via experiments (e.g., Kibble balance) that link mechanical power to electrical power through quantum constants.
  • Ampere (A): Defined by fixing e; one ampere corresponds to a specified flow of elementary charges per second.
  • Kelvin (K): Defined by fixing k; relates temperature directly to energy per degree.
  • Mole (mol): Amount of substance containing exactly 6.02214076 × 10²³ specified entities.
  • Candela (cd): Defined by fixing Kcd; luminous intensity of a source emitting monochromatic radiation at 540 × 10¹² Hz with radiant intensity 1/683 W sr⁻¹. 
Maharashtra State Board: Class 11

Then vs now (pre-2019 → post-2019)

  • Kilogram: artifact mass → fixed h, realized with Kibble balance.
  • Ampere: force between conductors → fixed e.
  • Kelvin: triple point of water → fixed k (with water’s triple point becoming a measured quantity).
  • Mole: defined via 0.012 kg of carbon-12 → fixed NA.
  • Metre and second: already constant-based; retained with clarifications.
  • Candela: constant-based; clarified. 

Fig (a) New SI 

Fig (b) Old SI 

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