Flater, D.
(2023),
Dealing with counts and other quantal quantities in quantity calculus, Measurement: Journal of the International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO), [online], https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2022.112226, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=934477
(Accessed December 12, 2024)
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Dealing with counts and other quantal quantities in quantity calculus
Published
Author(s)
Abstract
Continuity is usually assumed as a defining feature of measured quantities. This premise is false for counted quantities, amount of substance, electric charge, and others that are constrained to exist in integral multiples of a quantum. A software application that treats these quantities as continuous can predict outcomes that are physically impossible, such as the production of half a photon. Thus far, formalizations of quantity calculus have not addressed how quantities that are structured like the integers should interoperate with continuous quantities. This article introduces the extension of quantity calculus to include quantal quantities, which vary in steps rather than continuously, and discusses the consequences of including them.Citation
Measurement: Journal of the International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO)
Volume
206
Pub Type
Journals
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Keywords
Counted quantity, Quantity calculus, Quantal, International System of Units, Dimensionless unit
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Created January 1, 2023, Updated December 5, 2022