en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomalous_magnetic_dipole_moment#Electron
1 correction found
The QED prediction agrees with the experimentally measured value to more than 10 significant figures
Using the theory and experiment values given here, they first differ at the 10th significant digit, so the agreement is about 9 significant figures, not more than 10.
Full reasoning
The statement overstates the numerical agreement.
Using the values cited in this article's electron section:
- theory: a_e = 1 159 652 181.643 × 10^-12
- experiment: a_e = 1 159 652 180.59 × 10^-12
These values match through 9 significant figures and then differ at the 10th significant digit:
- theory:
1.159652181643 × 10^-3 - experiment:
1.15965218059 × 10^-3
The first differing digit is the one after 1.15965218... (1 vs 0). The absolute difference is about 1.053 × 10^-12, corresponding to a relative difference of about 9.1 × 10^-10. That is excellent agreement, but it is not "more than 10 significant figures."
So the sentence should say roughly 9 significant figures (or use a less specific phrasing such as "extraordinary agreement") rather than "more than 10 significant figures."
2 sources
- Tenth-Order Electron Anomalous Magnetic Moment --- Contribution of Diagrams without Closed Lepton Loops
Together with the improved value of the eighth-order term this leads to a_e(theory)=1 159 652 181.643(25)(23)(16)(763) × 10^{-12}.
- Measurement of the Electron Magnetic Moment
The electron magnetic moment, -μ/μ_B = g/2 = 1.001 159 652 180 59 (13) [0.13 ppt], is determined 2.2 times more accurately than the value that stood for fourteen years.