137

What's so important about the number 137? There's a small hint at the bottom of this post.



































































Hint: It has to do with chemistry and physics.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
What's so important about the number 137? There's a small hint at the bottom of this post.

Hint: It has to do with chemistry and physics.

It's the atomic number of the last classically stable element feynmanium (yet unobserved).

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
[b]What's so important about the number 137? There's a small hint at the bottom of this post.

[/b]you mean 1/137 ? 🙂
I know, but I'll let others investigate by them selves.

Originally posted by PBE6
It's the atomic number of the last classically stable element feynmanium (yet unobserved).

That's what I was looking for.

Why is 138 not classically stable?

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
What's so important about the number 137? There's a small hint at the bottom of this post.
.
.
.
Hint: It has to do with chemistry and physics.

It is prime! Further, it is a Twin Prime (139 is also prime) and, subsequently, a Chen Prime.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
That's what I was looking for.

Why is 138 not classically stable?

Apparently the fine structure constant is approximately 137.036, which figures into the following expression for classical (non-relativistic) electron speed:

v = Z*c/137.036

where Z is the atomic number of the element. When Z = 137, the speed is still slightly less than the speed of light, but if Z = 138 or more, the speed becomes superluminal. When you take relativistic effects into consideration, apparently 138 becomes OK too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Element_137

Originally posted by PBE6
Apparently the fine structure constant is approximately 137.036, which figures into the following expression for classical (non-relativistic) electron speed:

v = Z*c/137.036

where Z is the atomic number of the element. When Z = 137, the speed is still slightly less than the speed of light, but if Z = 138 or more, the speed becomes superluminal. When you ...[text shortened]... s into consideration, apparently 138 becomes OK too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Element_137

There you go.

Wait, what? 138 is ok after all?