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Conference Paper: From microscopic to macroscopic: the curious case of the mole
| Title | From microscopic to macroscopic: the curious case of the mole |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Issue Date | 2016 |
| Citation | The 2016 Workshop on Problems of Scale, The University of Wollongong, NSW., Australia, 10-11 March 2016. How to Cite? |
| Abstract | In this paper I take a close look at the SI base quantity “amount of substance”, and its unit, the mole. The mole was introduced as a base unit in the International System of Units (SI) in 1971, and there is currently a proposal to change its definition. I argue, first, that the current definition of the mole creates a certain ambiguity regarding the ontological status of “amount of substance”: is it a continuous quantity, like mass and length, or is it instead an enumerable aggregate? I then evaluate some of the criticisms this ambiguity has prompted. Finally I look at how the new proposal affects the ontological status of “amount of substance”. I conclude that while the new definition avoids the ambiguities of the older one, the mole still stands out among the base units of the SI. |
| Persistent Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/230590 |
| DC Field | Value | Language |
|---|---|---|
| dc.contributor.author | Wolff, JE | - |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-08-23T14:17:56Z | - |
| dc.date.available | 2016-08-23T14:17:56Z | - |
| dc.date.issued | 2016 | - |
| dc.identifier.citation | The 2016 Workshop on Problems of Scale, The University of Wollongong, NSW., Australia, 10-11 March 2016. | - |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/230590 | - |
| dc.description.abstract | In this paper I take a close look at the SI base quantity “amount of substance”, and its unit, the mole. The mole was introduced as a base unit in the International System of Units (SI) in 1971, and there is currently a proposal to change its definition. I argue, first, that the current definition of the mole creates a certain ambiguity regarding the ontological status of “amount of substance”: is it a continuous quantity, like mass and length, or is it instead an enumerable aggregate? I then evaluate some of the criticisms this ambiguity has prompted. Finally I look at how the new proposal affects the ontological status of “amount of substance”. I conclude that while the new definition avoids the ambiguities of the older one, the mole still stands out among the base units of the SI. | - |
| dc.language | eng | - |
| dc.relation.ispartof | Workshop on Problems of Scale | - |
| dc.title | From microscopic to macroscopic: the curious case of the mole | - |
| dc.type | Conference_Paper | - |
| dc.identifier.email | Wolff, JE: jwolff@hku.hk | - |
| dc.identifier.authority | Wolff, JE=rp01643 | - |
| dc.identifier.hkuros | 262160 | - |