The house smorgasboard of thoughts, ideas, questions, quotes, etc for the enterainment of Tavern patrons. Current as of 24Dec2006Tavern Entrance Backers Soapbox Local Lore Biased Reviews UnFiltered Brews
Imagine that the Earth were only 1 foot in diameter. On that scale, what would be the size and distance of other bodies in our Solar System and Universe?
The SUN would be over 109 feet in diameter. MERCURY would be under 5 inches in diameter and would be .86 miles from the Sun. VENUS would be 11.4 inches in diameter and about 1.6 miles from the Sun. EARTH at 1 foot in diameter would be 2.2 miles away from the Sun. MOON would be 3.3 inches in diameter and about 30 feet from the Earth MARS would be 6.4 inches in diameter and about 3.4 miles from the Sun. JUPITER (largest planet) would be 11.2 feet in diameter and 11.6 miles from the Sun. SATURN would be 9.5 feet in diameter and about 21 miles from the Sun. URANUS would be 3.7 feet in diameter and about 43 miles from the Sun. NEPTUNE would be 3.5 feet in diameter and about 67 miles from the Sun. PLUTO would be about 2.2 inches in diameter and about 88 miles from the Sun. The Nearest STAR (Alpha Centauri) would be over 603,000 miles away! The average HUMAN adult would be less than two-millionths (0.0000017) of an inch tall!
A small measure of the realm within which Man consciously operates is indicated by the distances which are necessary to describe the things that populate our thoughts. Note that distance is only one of a currently unknown number of dimensions necessary to describe what we are possibly able to conceive.
Find an entity of interest in the Left Hand Column then move horizontally to the right to the column that has the distance unit of interest. Quantities are listed in scientific notation (see expamples).
HARD TO GRASP SMALL -------- Light --------
cm in ft m Km mile second minute year parsec
picometer (pm) 1.0E-10 3.9E-11 3.3E-12 1.0E-12 1.0E-15 6.2E-16 3.3E-21 5.6E-23 1.1E-28 3.2E-29
gamma wavelength 2.5E-09 1.0E-09 8.3E-11 2.5E-11 2.5E-14 1.6E-14 8.5E-20 1.4E-21 2.7E-27 8.2E-28
Angstrom 1.0E-08 3.9E-09 3.3E-10 1.0E-10 1.0E-13 6.2E-14 3.3E-19 9.3E-23 1.1E-26 3.2E-27
nanometer (nm) 1.0E-07 3.9E-08 3.3E-09 1.0E-09 1.0E-12 6.2E-13 3.3E-18 9.3E-20 1.1E-25 3.2E-26
microinch 2.5E-06 1.0E-06 8.3E-08 2.5E-08 2.5E-11 1.6E-11 8.5E-17 1.4E-18 2.7E-24 8.2E-25
violet wavelength 4.0E-05 1.6E-05 1.3E-06 4.0E-07 4.0E-10 2.5E-10 1.3E-15 2.2E-17 4.2E-23 1.3E-23
VLSI line width 5.0E-05 2.0E-05 1.6E-06 5.0E-07 5.0E-10 3.1E-10 1.7E-15 2.8E-17 5.3E-23 1.6E-23
red wavelength 7.0E-05 2.8E-05 2.3E-06 7.0E-07 7.0E-10 4.4E-10 2.3E-15 3.9E-17 7.4E-23 2.3E-23
micromtr (micron) 1.0E-04 3.9E-05 3.3E-06 1.0E-06 1.0E-09 6.2E-10 3.3E-15 9.3E-17 1.1E-22 3.2E-23
Example: The wavelength of red light is about 2.8E-05 inches. This means
(2.8 x 10^(-5)) or (2.8 x 1/100,000) or .000028 inches!
NORMAL? -------- Light --------
cm in ft m Km mile second minute year parsec
millimeter (mm) 1.0E-01 3.9E-02 3.3E-03 1.0E-03 1.0E-06 6.2E-07 3.3E-12 9.3E-14 1.1E-19 3.2E-20
centimeter (cm) 1.0E-00 3.9E-01 3.3E-02 1.0E-02 1.0E-05 6.2E-06 3.3E-11 9.3E-13 1.1E-18 3.2E-19
inch (in) 2.5E+00 1.0E+00 8.3E-02 2.5E-02 2.5E-05 1.6E-05 8.5E-11 1.4E-12 2.7E-18 8.2E-19
foot (ft) 3.0E+01 1.2E+01 1.0E+00 3.0E-01 3.0E-04 1.9E-04 1.0E-09 1.7E-11 3.2E-17 9.9E-18
meter (m) 1.0E+02 3.9E+01 3.3E+00 1.0E+00 1.0E-03 6.2E-04 3.3E-09 5.6E-11 1.1E-16 3.2E-17
kilometer (Km) 1.0E+05 3.9E+04 3.3E+03 1.0E+03 1.0E-00 6.2E-01 3.3E-06 5.6E-08 1.1E-13 3.2E-14
mile 1.6E+05 6.3E+04 5.3E+03 1.6E+03 1.6E+00 1.0E+00 5.4E-06 9.0E-08 1.7E-13 5.2E-14
Example: In a foot there are about 3.0E+01 cm. This means
(3.0 x (10)^1) or (3.0 x 10) or 30 cm
LARGE -------- Light --------
cm in ft m Km mile second minute year parsec
Moon : diameter 3.5E+08 1.4E+08 1.1E+07 3.5E+06 3.5E+03 2.2E+03 1.2E-02 1.9E-04 3.7E-10 1.1E-10
crcmfrnc 1.1E+09 4.3E+08 3.6E+07 1.1E+07 1.1E+04 6.8E+03 3.6E-02 6.1E-04 1.2E-09 3.5E-10
to Earth 3.8E+10 1.5E+10 1.3E+09 3.8E+08 3.8E+05 2.4E+05 1.3E+00 2.1E-02 4.1E-08 1.2E-08
Earth: diameter 1.3E+09 5.0E+08 4.2E+07 1.3E+07 1.3E+04 7.9E+03 4.3E-02 7.1E-04 1.4E-09 4.1E-10
crcmfrnc 4.0E+09 1.6E+09 1.3E+08 4.0E+07 4.0E+04 2.5E+04 1.3E-01 2.2E-03 4.2E-09 1.3E-09
Sun : diameter 1.4E+11 5.5E+10 4.6E+09 1.4E+09 8.6E+06 8.6E+05 4.6E+00 7.7E-02 1.5E-07 4.5E-08
to Mercury 5.7E+12 2.3E+12 1.9E+11 5.8E+10 5.8E+07 3.6E+07 1.9E+02 3.2E+00 6.1E-06 1.9E-06
to Venus 1.1E+13 4.3E+12 3.6E+11 1.1E+11 1.1E+08 6.7E+07 3.6E+02 6.0E+00 1.1E-05 3.5E-06
(AU)* to Earth 1.5E+13 5.9E+12 4.9E+11 1.5E+11 1.5E+08 9.3E+07 5.0E+02 8.3E+00 1.6E-05 4.8E-06
to Mars 2.3E+13 9.0E+12 7.5E+11 2.3E+11 2.3E+08 1.4E+08 7.6E+02 1.3E+01 2.4E-05 7.4E-06
to Jupiter 7.8E+13 3.1E+13 2.6E+12 7.8E+11 7.8E+08 4.8E+08 2.6E+03 4.3E+01 8.2E-05 2.5E-05
to Saturn 1.4E+14 5.6E+13 4.7E+12 1.4E+12 1.4E+09 8.9E+08 4.8E+03 7.9E+01 1.5E-04 4.6E-05
to Uranus 2.9E+14 1.1E+14 9.4E+12 2.9E+12 2.9E+09 1.8E+09 9.6E+03 1.6E+02 3.0E-04 9.3E-05
to Neptune 4.5E+14 1.8E+14 1.5E+13 4.5E+12 4.5E+09 2.8E+09 1.5E+04 2.5E+02 4.8E-04 1.5E-04
to Pluto 5.9E+14 2.3E+14 1.9E+13 5.9E+12 5.9E+09 3.7E+09 2.0E+04 3.3E+02 6.3E-04 1.9E-04
Example: The Sun to Earth distance (an AU*) is 9.3E+07 miles. This means
(9.3 x (10)^7) or (9.3 x 10,000,000) or 93 million miles!!
*(AU is Astronomical Unit)
Example: The Sun to Earth distance is also 8.3E+00 lightminutes.
This means it takes (Sun) light about 8.3 minutes to reach the Earth
HARD TO GRASP LARGE -------- light --------
cm in ft m Km mile second minute year parsec
Lightyear 9.4E+17 3.7E+17 3.1E+16 9.4E+15 9.4E+12 5.9E+12 3.2E+07 5.3E+05 1.0E+00 3.1E-01
Parsec (pc)* 3.1E+18 1.2E+18 1.0E+17 3.1E+16 3.1E+13 1.9E+13 1.0E+08 1.7E+06 3.3E+00 1.0E+00
Nearest star 4.0E+18 1.6E+18 1.3E+17 4.0E+16 4.0E+13 2.5E+13 1.4E+08 2.3E+06 4.3E+00 1.3E+00
Diameters:
Milky Way Galaxy 9.4E+22 3.7E+22 3.1E+21 9.4E+20 9.4E+17 5.9E+17 3.2E+12 5.3E+10 1.0E+05 3.1E+04
Local Group 3.8E+24 1.5E+24 1.2E+23 3.8E+22 3.8E+19 2.3E+19 1.3E+18 2.1E+16 4.0E+06 1.2E+06
Local SuprClustr 1.4E+26 5.6E+25 4.6E+24 1.4E+24 1.4E+21 8.8E+20 4.7E+15 7.9E+13 1.5E+08 4.6E+07
Universe (apprx) 3.8E+28 1.5E+28 1.2E+27 3.8E+26 3.8E+23 2.3E+23 1.3E+18 2.1E+16 4.0E+10 1.2E+10
Example: A lightyear (the distance that light travels through space in 1 year)
is 5.9E+12 miles. This means (5.9 x (10)^12) or
(5.9 x 1,000,000,000,000) or 5.9 trillion miles!!
Example: The known Universe is (about) 4.0E+10 lightyears accross. This means
(4.0 x (10)^10) or (4.0 x 10,000,000,000) or 40 billion lightyears!!!
* Note : A parsec is the distance at which an object 1 AU in size, subtends an
angle equal to 1 second of arc.
By slamming things together and observing the characteristics of the resulting pieces, we've developed a theory consisting of 60 entities (48 matter components and 12 force carriers) that describes all of the physics that we've observed with the "minor" exception of the force of Gravity. This theory is summarized by the entries in the table below.
Meaning of each
table entry
+------------+
|name x|<-- electric charge
| y|<-- number of colors or variations
| z|<-- Mass in MeV (Million electron Volts)
+------------+
Three Generations of Matter (Fermions) Force Carriers
I II III (Guage Bosons)
+------------+------------+------------+ +------------+
Q |UP +2/3|CHARM +2/3|TRUTH +2/3| |PHOTON 0| Electro-
U | 3| 3| 3| | | Magnetism
A | ~5| ~1350| >131000| | 0|
R +------------+------------+------------+ +------------+
K |DOWN -1/3|STRANGE -1/3|BEAUTY -1/3| |GLUON 0| Strong
S | 3| 3| 3| | 8| Interactions
| ~9| ~175| ~4500| | 0|
+------------+------------+------------+ +------------+
+------------+------------+------------+ +------------+
L |ELECTRON 0|MUON 0|TAU 0| |ZED 0|
E |NEUTRINO |NEUTRINO |NEUTRINO | | |
P | <.0000070| <.27| <31| | 91187| Weak
T +------------+------------+------------+ +------------+ Interactions
O |ELECTRON -1|MUON -1|TAU -1| |W+,W- +1,-1|
N | | | | | |
S | .511| 105.66| 1777.1| | 80220|
+------------+------------+------------+ +------------+
This table summarizes 48 Fermions (Matter components) and 12 Guage Bosons (force carriers). Note that each of the 6 main quarks have a three valued property called "color", and that each of these 18 (6*3) quarks and the 6 leptons, each have a corresponding "anti-particle". Our current model then consists of 36 (6*3*2) quarks, 12 (6*2) leptons, 1 electro-magnetic force carrier (photon), 8 Strong force carriers (gluons), and 3 Weak force carriers (Zed-0, W+ and W-). Note also that there is NO Gravitational force carrier (Graviton?) represented here.Table and contents from Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory