Related papers: On the dual nature of a plane angle
The article analyzes the arguments that became the basis for declaring in 1995, at the 20th General Conference on Weights and Measures that the plane and solid angles are dimensionless derived quantities in the International System of…
The treatment of angles within the SI is anomalous compared with other quantities, and there is a case for removing this anomaly by declaring plane angle to be an additional base quantity within the system. It is shown that this could bring…
The status of angles within The International System of Units (SI) has long been a source of controversy and confusion. We address one specific but crucial issue, putting the case that the idea of angles necessarily being length ratios, and…
In the paper by P. Quincey (2020) [1], the author claims that angles are not dimensionless quantities and that the radian should be a new independent base unit. However, the claim is not supported and the proposed redefinition will cause…
We address the issue of angular measure, which is a contested issue for the International System of Units (SI). We provide a mathematically rigorous and axiomatic presentation of angular measure that leads to the traditional way of…
The International System of Units (SI) is supposed to be coherent. That is, when a combination of units is replaced by an equivalent unit, there is no additional numerical factor. Here we consider dimensionless units as defined in the SI,…
The quantities of dimension one - known as the dimensionless quantities - are widely used in physics. However, the debate about some dimensionless units is still open. The paper brings new interrelated arguments that lead to the conclusion…
We examine implications of angles having their own dimension, in the same sense as do lengths, masses, {\it etc.} The conventional practice in scientific applications involving trigonometric or exponential functions of angles is to assume…
We consider the angle in mathematics and arrive at a conclusion that there are two concepts on the issue. One is a descriptive geometrical one, while the other is from functional analysis. They are somewhat different, allow for different…
The concept of an angle is one that often causes difficulties in metrology. These are partly caused by a confusing mixture of several mathematical terms, partly by real mathematical difficulties and finally by imprecise terminology. The…
We consider quadrangles of perimeter $2$ in the plane with marked directed edge. To such quadrangle $Q$ a two-dimensional plane $\Pi\in\mathbb{R}^4$ with orthonormal base is corresponded. Orthogonal plane $\Pi^\bot$ defines a plane…
A recent Letter proposed changing the dimensionless status of the radian and steradian within the SI, while allowing the continued use of the convention to set the angle 1 radian equal to the number 1 within equations, providing this is…
The specialised uses of solid angles mean that they are quite unfamiliar quantities. This article, apart from making solid angles a little more familiar, brings out several topics of general interest, such as how units are interrelated and…
The recent paper by Mohr and Phillips (arXiv:1409.2794) describes several problems relating to the treatment of angle measurement within SI, the unit hertz, and quantities that can be considered countable (rather than measureable). However,…
Some recent papers have argued that frequency should have the dimensions of angle/time, with the consequences that 1 Hz = $2\pi$ rad/s instead of 1 s$^{-1}$, and also that $\nu = \omega$ and $h = \hbar$. This letter puts the case that this…
We argue that dimensionality is not absolute, but that it depends on the scale of resolution, from the Planck to the macro scale.
Physical quantities and physical dimensions are among the first concepts encountered by students in their undergraduate career. In this pedagogical review, I will start from these concepts and, using the powerful tool of dimensional…
I argue that the laws of physics should be independent of one's choice of units or measuring apparatus. This is the case if they are framed in terms of dimensionless numbers such as the fine structure constant, alpha. For example, the…
The theory of physical dimensions and units in physics is outlined. This includes a discussion of the universal applicability and superiority of quantity equations. The International System of Units (SI) is one example thereof. By analyzing…
One often distinguishes between a line and a plane by saying that the former is one-dimensional while the latter is two. But, what does it mean for an object to have $d-$dimensions? Can we define a consistent notion of dimension rigorously…