(maxima.info)Introduction to physical_constants

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57.2 Introduction to physical_constants
=======================================

'physical_constants' is a collection of physical constants, copied from
CODATA 2006 recommended values (<http://physics.nist.gov/constants>).
'load ("physical_constants")' loads this package, and loads 'ezunits'
also, if it is not already loaded.

   A physical constant is represented as a symbol which has a property
which is the constant value.  The constant value is a dimensional
quantity, as represented by 'ezunits'.  The function 'constvalue'
fetches the constant value; the constant value is not the ordinary value
of the symbol, so symbols of physical constants persist in evaluated
expressions until their values are fetched by 'constvalue'.

   'physical_constants' includes some auxiliary information, namely, a
description string for each constant, an estimate of the error of its
numerical value, and a property for TeX display.  To identify physical
constants, each symbol has the 'physical_constant' property;
'propvars(physical_constant)' therefore shows the list of all such
symbols.

   'physical_constants' comprises the following constants.

'%c'
     speed of light in vacuum
'%mu_0'
     magnetic constant
'%e_0'
     electric constant
'%Z_0'
     characteristic impedance of vacuum
'%G'
     Newtonian constant of gravitation
'%h'
     Planck constant
'%h_bar'
     Planck constant
'%m_P'
     Planck mass
'%T_P'
     Planck temperature
'%l_P'
     Planck length
'%t_P'
     Planck time
'%%e'
     elementary charge
'%Phi_0'
     magnetic flux quantum
'%G_0'
     conductance quantum
'%K_J'
     Josephson constant
'%R_K'
     von Klitzing constant
'%mu_B'
     Bohr magneton
'%mu_N'
     nuclear magneton
'%alpha'
     fine-structure constant
'%R_inf'
     Rydberg constant
'%a_0'
     Bohr radius
'%E_h'
     Hartree energy
'%ratio_h_me'
     quantum of circulation
'%m_e'
     electron mass
'%N_A'
     Avogadro constant
'%m_u'
     atomic mass constant
'%F'
     Faraday constant
'%R'
     molar gas constant
'%%k'
     Boltzmann constant
'%V_m'
     molar volume of ideal gas
'%n_0'
     Loschmidt constant
'%ratio_S0_R'
     Sackur-Tetrode constant (absolute entropy constant)
'%sigma'
     Stefan-Boltzmann constant
'%c_1'
     first radiation constant
'%c_1L'
     first radiation constant for spectral radiance
'%c_2'
     second radiation constant
'%b'
     Wien displacement law constant
'%b_prime'
     Wien displacement law constant

   Reference: <http://physics.nist.gov/constants>

   Examples:

   The list of all symbols which have the 'physical_constant' property.

     (%i1) load ("physical_constants")$
     (%i2) propvars (physical_constant);
     (%o2) [%c, %mu_0, %e_0, %Z_0, %G, %h, %h_bar, %m_P, %T_P, %l_P,
     %t_P, %%e, %Phi_0, %G_0, %K_J, %R_K, %mu_B, %mu_N, %alpha,
     %R_inf, %a_0, %E_h, %ratio_h_me, %m_e, %N_A, %m_u, %F, %R, %%k,
     %V_m, %n_0, %ratio_S0_R, %sigma, %c_1, %c_1L, %c_2, %b, %b_prime]

   Properties of the physical constant '%c'.

     (%i1) load ("physical_constants")$
     (%i2) constantp (%c);
     (%o2)                         true
     (%i3) get (%c, description);
     (%o3)               speed of light in vacuum
     (%i4) constvalue (%c);
                                           m
     (%o4)                     299792458 ` -
                                           s
     (%i5) get (%c, RSU);
     (%o5)                           0
     (%i6) tex (%c);
     $$c$$
     (%o6)                         false

   The energy equivalent of 1 pound-mass.  The symbol '%c' persists
until its value is fetched by 'constvalue'.

     (%i1) load ("physical_constants")$
     (%i2) m * %c^2;
                                     2
     (%o2)                         %c  m
     (%i3) %, m = 1 ` lbm;
                                   2
     (%o3)                       %c  ` lbm
     (%i4) constvalue (%);
                                                 2
                                            lbm m
     (%o4)              89875517873681764 ` ------
                                               2
                                              s
     (%i5) E : % `` J;
     Computing conversions to base units; may take a moment.
                          366838848464007200
     (%o5)                ------------------ ` J
                                  9
     (%i6) E `` GJ;
                           458548560580009
     (%o6)                 --------------- ` GJ
                              11250000
     (%i7) float (%);
     (%o7)              4.0759872051556356e+7 ` GJ