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[Regnirps at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/8/99 8:32:32 AM, peter at ntserver.techedge.com.au writes:

>Charlie Springer wrote:
>
>> I agree completely, until you start working with E&M. 
>> Electricity and magnetism is a mess.
>
>You want to explain what you're saying here?
>
>-- 
>Peter Gargano

If you look at MKS and CGS version of stuff you might be surprised to find 
they DO NOT differ by a power of 10. Statvolts convert to volts with a funny 
fractional value and others differ by amounts that are obviously related to 
the speed of light so you get factors of 300 (299.x) or 3x10^9.

IIRC it is because the permeativity and permeability (epsilon and mu) of free 
space can be made to vanish if you choose the right dimensional constants, 
and the units of both MKS (SI I guess these days) and CGS leave you with 
these extra numbers to drag around through all your calculations.

Charlie Springer