The Planck length is the natural unit of length, [...]

History
This unit was first developed by Max Planck who wished to create a system of measurement based on natural units. These are all based on the Planck mass. Although quantum mechanics and general relativity were unknown at the time that the units were proposed, it later became clear that at distances of the Planck length, gravity would begin to display quantum mechanical effects, requiring a theory of quantum gravity to predict what happens.

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OK – can someone please tell me how the “hell” did Max Plank come up with plank length/mass/time? HOW?????


Edit: to fix spelling boo-boo in subtitle.

Why isn't the electron considered a black hole?

4dplane, here is some explanation from Physlink.com, it may help:
planck

Thanks you two, both links are very informative. I think this sums the question up best.



source: planck

Good to know!

I am sure I will need the know this material the next time I try to balance my checkbook...or go on Jeopardy...

Actually, planck was before schwarzschild. He postulated the plancks constant when he discovered the quantisation of energy in blackbody radiation, that is there is increase of a discrete energy and not continous as thought. Basically you can imagine it as the smallest unit available for length, time, energy lvl. Since we already know one universal constant, the speed of light. Planck derived the length and time unit from the energy unit. Basically any experiment that demonstrates the quantization of energy such as the Franck Hertz experiment can be demonstrated to show plancks constant. Compton effect incoporate planck constant into it's equation so cannot be really said to prove planck constant.

Schwarzschild is a much later figure and he basically used Einstein Gen Relativity to derive the point of no return of a singularity. In honour it is called the scwarzschild radius. Anything that deals with that is toooo complex.

Im with you Fluffy, this is something I really really will never need in life or want to plus its way over my head!