physics
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- Public Broadcasting Corporation - NOVA - Planck's Constant: The Number That Rules Technology, Reality, and Life
- San José State University - The magnitude of Planck's Constant and its significance
- Lancaster University - Planck's Constant
- Kansas State University - Measurement of Planck’s constant through Black Body Radiation Analysis
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Determination of Planck’s Constant Using the Photoelectri c Effect
- National Institute of Standards and Technology - The Planck Constant
Also known as: Planck constant, h
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: •Article History
- Key People:
- Max Planck
- Robert Millikan
- Related Topics:
- electromagnetic radiation
- Planck density
- Planck mass
- Planck length
See all related content →
Top Questions
What is the value of Planck's constant?
What is the value of Planck's constant?
The value of Planck's constant in meter-kilogram-second units is 6.62607015 × 10−34 joule second.
What is the definition of Planck's constant?
What is the definition of Planck's constant?
Planck’s constant is a fundamental physical constant characteristic of the mathematical formulations of quantum mechanics. The dimension of Planck’s constant is the product of energy multiplied by time, a quantity called action. Planck’s constant is often defined, therefore, as the elementary quantum of action.
What is the symbol for Planck's constant?
What is the symbol for Planck's constant?
Planck's constant is denoted by the symbol h.
When was Planck's constant introduced?
When was Planck's constant introduced?
German physicist Max Planck introduced the constant in 1900 in his accurate formulation of the distribution of the radiation emitted by a perfect absorber of radiant energy, called a blackbody.
Planck’s constant, (symbol h), fundamental physical constant characteristic of the mathematical formulations of quantum mechanics, which describes the behaviour of particles and waves on the atomic scale, including the particle aspect of light. The German physicist Max Planck introduced the constant in 1900 in his accurate formulation of the distribution of the radiation emitted by a blackbody, or perfect absorber of radiant energy (see Planck’s radiation law). The significance of Planck’s constant in this context is that radiation, such as light, is emitted, transmitted, and absorbed in discrete energy packets, or quanta, determined by the frequency of the radiation and the value of Planck’s constant. The energy E of each quantum, or each photon, equals Planck’s constant h times the radiation frequency symbolized by the Greek letter nu, ν, or simply E = hν. A modified form of Planck’s constant called h-bar (ℏ), or the reduced Planck’s constant, in which ℏ equals h divided by 2π, is the quantization of angular momentum. For example, the angular momentum of an electron bound to an atomic nucleus is quantized and can only be a multiple of h-bar.
The dimension of Planck’s constant is the product of energy multiplied by time, a quantity called action. Planck’s constant is often defined, therefore, as the elementary quantum of action. Its value in metre-kilogram-second units is defined as exactly 6.62607015 × 10−34 joule second.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.