The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate how disregarding the philosophical approach at solving physics problems, on the basis of a concrete example of dimensionality establishment, leads to serious consequences, and to what extent. A

Authors Avatar

Philosophy, Form and Coulomb's Law

I. Introduction

The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate how disregarding the philosophical approach at solving physics problems, on the basis of a concrete example of dimensionality establishment, leads to serious consequences, and to what extent. A transformation of the dimensionalities of physical quantities, for both electric as well as magnetic fields with fractional powers of CGS units (that are the basis for SI units) into dimensionalities with integer powers of the units, gets at present exclusively important meaning, especially, after the disaster happened at Chernobyl's atomic station. An understanding of nature of the electric charge and electromagnetic field, more profound penetration in the essence of atom structure depends on solving this problem that has to promote in the nearest future an atomic technologies perfecting.

Numerous attempts in the first half of 20th century to solve the dimensionality problem by physics itself have met with failure. The reason is that the problem lies on the boundary of philosophy and physics and can be solved only on the basis of the philosophic-physical analysis. We examine this problem using our solutions [1].

II. Philosophy of Basic Concepts of Measures

A. As is well known, physical measurement of a quantity A is the comparison expressed by the relation

Ar = A / EA.

Here, A is an absolute composite multiplicative measure equal to the product of components A1, A2, ..., An (which are not necessarily have to be elementary) of this measure, A = A1 · A2 ··· An; Ar = A1r · A2r ···Anr is an relative composite measure; EA = EA1 · EA2 ··· EAn is a composite unit of measurement. Thus, the absolute measure M(A) of the physical quantity A is equal to the product M(A) = Ar · EA or briefly

A = Ar · EA.(1)

Any constituent measure represents some direct Y or inverse 1/Y measure which can be both absolute and relative. In physics, the composite quantities A and EA are termed the derivative quantities.

Basic elementary absolute measures are the measure of contents represented by mass, the measure of form expressed by length, and the measure of time defined by duration. We adopt as base or reference units of the elementary absolute measures the unit of mass the gram (g), the unit of length the centimeter (cm), and the unit of time the second (s).

C. In a general case, the physical symbols A and EA have three logical meanings: 1) a name Z or a nomination (from the Latin, nomination=name), we denote it conditionally by equalities nomA = Z and nomEA = EZ (it is intended to be read "a nomination of the unit EA of the physical quantity A is EZ"); 2) a measure A and EA; 3) a dimensionality or dimensio (from the Latin, dimensio=measurement), dimA and dimEA, which determines the structure of the measures A and EA on the basis of the reference units.

Thus, in a general case, a physical symbol F represents a trisignification.

Here, subscripts nom, M and dim indicate, respectively, the name, measure and dimensionality.

A number of trisignifications of the same quantity is defined by the number of theories which can describe this quantity. The symbol F of a physical quantity is the symbolic form of representation of its name and measure, but a dimensio constitutes its contents. The last have to be supplemented by a qualitative (textual) contents-description that is usually initial. The dimensio itself as a physical symbol is, on the one hand, the nomination gk · cml · sm of the composite unit and, on the other hand, is the composite structural unit 1 gk · cml · sm.

If EA is a reference unit then its nomination and dimensionality coincide.

In a case of a composite unit, its nomination and dimensionality do not coincide nominatively, but as the units they are equal.

Join now!

Strictly speaking, the expression (3a) should be represented in the form of the following disignification.

The above disignification states: as to dimensionalities, the expressions EZ and gk · cml · sm are equal since they represent the same unit, but as to nominations, these expresions are not equal because they are expressed by different names.

On the basis of nominations Z1, Z2, ..., Zn, as composite units of measurement, the nominative dimensionality of the composite unit EA. is formed. If make use the metric units, the formula of dimensionality for the absolute-relative derivative unit EA takes.

...

This is a preview of the whole essay