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This article touches upon three main topics: (1) the motivation for the romance of the next decimal place, or why the fundamental physical constants are important and why their determination with ever smaller uncertainties can have a profound effect on physics; (2) how a self-consistent set of best values of the fundamental constants is obtained, with emphasis on the 2002 least-squared adjustment of the values of the constants (the most recent comprehensive study carried out); and (3) future trends where the field is heading over the next 5 to 10 years.
Citation
Encyclopedia of Physics
Pub Type
Encyclopedias
Keywords
2002 CODATA recommended values of the fu, CODATA, data analysis, fundamental constants, least-squares adjustments
Citation
Taylor, B.
and Mohr, P.
(2008),
Constants, Fundamental, Encyclopedia of Physics
(Accessed May 4, 2024)