Scientific Constants

Scientific Constants

The POLYMATH “Scientific constants” utility provides values of constants that are frequently used in engineering and science. The “Mathematics” window is shown below.

The following options are available:

On Top: Selecting this option (from the Units Tab) keeps the window on top of all the other windows.

: This button copies the highlighted constant so that you can paste it into a document.

Samples of the constant classes as well as the listing of the various constants available in each class are given below:

# Class Constants

1 Atmospheric conditions at sea level Temperature, Pressure, Density of air, Viscosity of air

2 Earth science Mean distance of Earth to Sun, Mass of the Sun, Mass of the Earth

3 Fundamental physical constants Avogadro constant, Boltzman constant, Speed of light, Elementary charge, Electron mass, Faraday constant, Plank constant, Rydberg constant, Bohr radius, Newtonian constant of gravitation, Permittivity of vacuum, Permeability of vacuum, Standard gravitational acceleration, Stefan-Boltzmann constant, Universal gas constant

4 Gas constant
(available in the following units) ft * lbf / (pound mole * R), atm * ft^3 / (pound mole * R), J / (Kmol * K), cm-Hg * m^3 / (Kmol K), erg/ (gmol * K), l * atm / (gmol * K), atm * cm^3 / (gmol * K), J / (gmol * K), Btu / ( poundmole * R), gram-calorie / (gmol * K), psi * ft^3 / (lbmol * R)

5 Mathematics Pi, Euler constant

6 Properties of air Molecular mass, Gas Constant, Heat capacity, Ratio of heat capacities, Viscosity

7 Properties of water Molecular mass, Gas constant, Heat capacity, Ratio of heat capacities, Triple point temperature

Additional classes are: Volume of Ideal Gas, Heat Transfer Conversion Factors, Mass Transfer Conversion Factors, and Thermodynamic Conversion Factors.

ADDING CUSTOM CONSTANTS

You can add your own custom constants by modifying the file constant.txt file in the directory where your Polymath program files were installed. This is usually in the Polymath Software subdirectory of your Programs directory. You can edit this ASCII file using Notepad or any other text editor. The rules for entering the constants are explained in the file constant.txt.

Important: Save a copy of the original constant.txt file before modifying it. If the file modification rules are not followed properly the "useful constants" utility may fail.

EXAMPLE FOR FINDING A CONSTANT’S VALUE

Suppose you want to find the universal gas constant in units of: (liter*atm)/(gmol*K). First you select “Universal gas constant” as type of the constant and then you choose the desired units. The desired value is shown below.

#	Class	Constants
1	Atmospheric conditions at sea level	Temperature, Pressure, Density of air, Viscosity of air
2	Earth science	Mean distance of Earth to Sun, Mass of the Sun, Mass of the Earth
3	Fundamental physical constants	Avogadro constant, Boltzman constant, Speed of light, Elementary charge, Electron mass, Faraday constant, Plank constant, Rydberg constant, Bohr radius, Newtonian constant of gravitation, Permittivity of vacuum, Permeability of vacuum, Standard gravitational acceleration, Stefan-Boltzmann constant, Universal gas constant
4	Gas constant (available in the following units)	ft * lbf / (pound mole * R), atm * ft^3 / (pound mole * R), J / (Kmol * K), cm-Hg * m^3 / (Kmol K), erg/ (gmol * K), l * atm / (gmol * K), atm * cm^3 / (gmol * K), J / (gmol * K), Btu / ( poundmole * R), gram-calorie / (gmol * K), psi * ft^3 / (lbmol * R)
5	Mathematics	Pi, Euler constant
6	Properties of air	Molecular mass, Gas Constant, Heat capacity, Ratio of heat capacities, Viscosity
7	Properties of water	Molecular mass, Gas constant, Heat capacity, Ratio of heat capacities, Triple point temperature