Convert Bekan (Biblical Hebrew) (bekan) to Planck Mass (mₕ) instantly.
About these units
Bekan (Biblical Hebrew) (bekan)
The bekan (or beka) is a half-shekel unit, approximately 5.6 grams. It appears in the Hebrew Bible as the required contribution for the census tax, symbolizing equality among contributors regardless of wealth. As a practical unit, the beka was useful for small-scale offerings, jewelry, and silverwork. Its precise half-shekel value made it easy to incorporate into the larger Hebrew weight structure. The bekan highlights how weights were intertwined with religious observance and communal obligations in ancient Israelite society.
Planck Mass (mₕ)
The Planck mass, approximately 2.176434 × 10⁻⁸ kilograms, occupies a unique position in theoretical physics. Unlike particle masses, it is derived entirely from fundamental constants—Planck's constant, Newton's gravitational constant, and the speed of light. The Planck mass represents a mass scale where quantum mechanical and gravitational effects become comparable. Although enormous relative to subatomic particles (roughly the mass of a dust grain), it is considered "natural" in that it emerges from pure physics rather than empirical observation. In theoretical studies of black holes, quantum gravity, string theory, and early-universe cosmology, the Planck mass marks a boundary beyond which existing models require unification. It is a conceptual rather than practical unit, yet it provides a profound insight into the structure of physical law.