Quote (CMBurns @ Jan 3 2014 01:33pm)
..what? It can be copied infinitely. If it becomes data, you could just upload it to any digital scale to get the exact weight of a KG.
well first off, not all scales are digital.
second, even if you make multiple copies, it can still be stolen, corrupted, etc.
a physical copy is more reliable as well.
taken from an article regarding this video:
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So while the "meter" is defined as the distance light travels in a tiny fraction of a second, and the "second" can be counted by the precise decay of an atom, the kilogram is no more (and no less) than a physical mass that sits in a secured vault at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures in Paris.
in short the kilogram was made so that we have units to measure weight, and it happens to be what we consider a kilogram now. i think they are, in essence, digitizing the mass because they
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are crafting nearly perfect spheres made of a highly pure and very stable form of silicon. By calculating the sphere's volume and weight, scientists should be able to determine the exact number of silicon atoms in the object itself, thereby providing an unchanging definition for the mass of a kilogram.
This post was edited by khemist on Jan 3 2014 02:49pm