“When silicon crystalizes, it forms cubic cells of eight atoms each. Thus, it is possible to calculate the number of atoms in such a sphere by examining the ratio between the total crystal volume and the volume occupied by each silicon atom, which can in turn be calculated by measuring the cubic cell.”
It would seem to me that if Si-28 has “cubic cells”, wouldn’t it be easier to measure the mass if it were in the shape of a cube rather than a sphere? Wouldn’t the surface of the sphere, at the atomic level, have partial cubic cells, thus making them harder to count?
Disclaimer: I am not a sub-atomic particle physicist, but I claim I am when I’m chatting up the girls and they ask me what I do. Laz ought to use that line; works almost every time.
I read once that if the Earth was reduced to the size of a billiard cue ball, it would be smoother than a cue ball. I suppose at the atomic level it doesn’t make much difference................