EXPRESSIONS OF DIMENSIONS

Name of key figures

Symbol

length

l, x, r, etc.. metro

mass

kilogram

kg

time, duration

second

electric current

I, i

amp

thermodynamic temperature

kelvin

quantity of substance

mol

mol

brightness

Iv

candle

CD

Magnitude derived

Name of SI base units

Symbol

Coherent derived SI unit

Name

Symbo Name
l

Symbo
l

area, surface

square meter

m2

volume

cubic meter

m3

speed

meter per second

ms -1

acceleration

to

meter per second squared

ms -2

wavenumber

meter to the power minus

one

m -1

density, mass, volume

kilogram per cubic meter

kg m -3

surface density

kilogram per square meter

kg m -2

volume specs fico

cubic meter per kilogram

m 3 kg 1

current density

ampere per square meter

A m -2

magnetic field

ampere per meter

A m -1

amount of substance
concentration, concentration

mol per cubic meter

mol m -3

mass concentration

kilogram per cubic meter

kg m -3

luminance

Lv

candela per square meter

cd m -2

Refractive Index

(The number) one

relative permeability

(The number) one

Magnitude derived

Name

Symbo Expressio
l
n by other
SI units

Expressio
n in basic
SI units

plane angle

radian

rad

mm -1

solid angle

steradian sr

m 2 m -2

frequency

Hertz

Hz

s -1

force

newton

m kg s -2

pressure, tension

pascal

Pa

N/m2

kg s -1 m -2

energy, work, quantity of heat July

Nm

m 2 kg s -2

power, energy flow

watt

J/s

m 2 kg s -3

electric charge amount of

electricity

coulomb

electrical potential difference,

electromotive force

volt

W/A

electrical capacity

farad

C/V

m kg -1 s -2
4
A2

electrical resistance

ohm

V/A

s 2 kg m 3
A -2

conductance

siemens

A/V

m kg -1 s -2
3
A2

flux

weber

Wb

Vs

m 2 kg s 2
A -1

sA
kg m -3 s 1
A

magnetic flux density

tesla

Wb / m 2

kg s -2 A -1

inductance

henry

Wb / A

m 2 kg s 2
A -2

Celsius temperature

degree
Celsius

lumen

lumen

lm

cd sr

CD

luminance

lux

lx

lm / m 2

cd m -2

activity of a radionuclide

becquere Bq
l

absorbed dose, specific

energy (reported), kerma

gray

Gy

J / kg

m 2 s -2

dose equivalent, ambient

dose equivalent, directional
dose equivalent, personal
dose equivalent

sievert

Sv

J / kg

m 2 s -2

catalytic activity

katal

kat

s -1

s -1 mol

Examples of coherent derived SI units and symbols whose names contain

coherent derived SI units with special names and symbols

Coherent derived SI
unit
Magnitude derived

Name

Symbo Expression
l
in basic SI
units

dynamic viscosity

pascal seconds

Pa s

m -1 kg s -1

moment of a force

newton meter

Nm

m 2 kg s -2

surface tension

newton per meter

N/m

kg s -2

angular velocity

radian per second

rad / s

mm -1 s -1 =
s -1

angular acceleration

radians per second

squared

rad / s 2 mm s -1 s 2
= -2

surface density of thermal

flux irradiance

watt per square

meter

W/m2

kg s -3

heat capacity, entropy

joule per kelvin

J/K

m 2 kg s -2 K -1

specific heat capacity,

entropy mass

joule per kilogram

and kelvin

J / (kg
K)

m 2 s -2 K -1

mass energy

joule per kilogram

J / kg

m 2 s -2

thermal conductivity

watt per meter kelvin

W / (m
K)

m kg s -3 K -1

energy density

joule per cubic meter

J/m3

kg s -1 m -2

electric field

volts per meter

V/m

A kg m -3 s -1

electric charge density

coulomb per cubic

meter

C/m3

m -3 s A

surface density of electric

charge

coulomb per square

meter

C/m2

m -2 s A

electric flux density, electric

displacement

coulomb per square

meter

C/m2

m -2 s A

permittivity

farad per meter

F/m

m 3 kg -1 s 4 A
2

permeability

henry per meter

H/m

m kg s -2 A -2

molar energy

joule per mol

J / mol

m 2 kg s 2
mol -1

molar entropy, molar heat

capacity

joule per mole and

kelvin

J / (mol m 2 kg s -2 K 1
K)
mol -1

exposure (X-rays and )

coulomb per kilogram C / kg

kg -1 s A

absorbed dose rate

gray per second

Gy / s

-3

radiant intensity

watt per steradian

W / sr

m 4 m -2 kg s 3
= m 2 kg s-3

radiance

watt per square

meter per steradian

W/
(m 2 sr)

m 2 m -2 s -3 k
g = kg s -3

Catalytic activity
concentration

katal per cubic meter

kat /
m3

mol m -3 s -1

m2s

Magnitude

Name of the unit

Symbo Value in SI units

l of
Unity

time, duration

minute

min

1 min = 60 s

time

1 hour = 60 min =
3600 s

day

1 d = 24 h = 86
400 s

degree

1 = (/180) rad

minute

'

1 '= (1/60) =
(/10 800) rad

second

"

1 "= (1/60) =
(/648 000) rad

area, surface

hectare

has

1 ha = 1hm 2 =
10 4 m 2

volume

liter

L, l

1 L = 1 dm 3 =
10 -3 m 3

mass

ton

1 t = 10 3 kg

plane angle

Magnitude

Name of the unit

Symbol of Value in SI
Unity
units

Units used with the SI

energy

electronvolt

eV

1 eV = 1.602
176 53 (14) x
10 -19 J

mass

dalton,

Da

1 Da = 1.660
538 86 (28)
10 -27kg

unified atomic mass unit or

1 u = 1 Da

length

astronomic unit

ua

1 au = 1,495
978 706 91 (6)
October 11 m

Natural units (one)

speed

natural unit of speed

(speed of light in
vacuum)

action

natural unit of action

(reduced Planck
constant)

1,054 571 68
(18) 10 -34 Js

mass

natural unit of mass

(mass of the electron)

m and

9.109 382 6
(16) x 10 -31 kg

time, duration

natural unit of time

/ (m e c o2) 1,288 088 667 7

(86) 10 -21 s

load

atomic unit load

(elementary electric
charge)

and

1,602 176 53
(14) x 10 -19 C

mass

atomic mass unit

(electron mass)

m and

9.109 382 6
(16) x 10 -31 kg

action

atomic unit of action

(reduced Planck
constant)

1,054 571 68
(18) 10 -34 Js

length

atomic unit of length,

Bohr (Bohr radius)

energy

atomic unit of energy,

hartree (Hartree
energy)

Eh

4,359 744 17
(75) 10 -18 J

time, duration

atomic unit of time

/Eh

2,418 884 326

505 (16) 10 17
s

299 792 458

ms -1

Atomic units (au)

Magnitude

Name of the unit

0,529 177 210 8

(18) 10 -10 m

Symbo Value in SI units

l of

Unity

pressure

bar

bar

1 bar = 0.1 MPa

= May 10 Pa

millimeters of mercury

mmHg

1 mmHg
133,322 Pa

length

angstrm

1 = 0.1 nm =
10 -10 m

distance

nautical mile

1 M = 1852 m

area, surface

barn

1 b = 100 fm 2 =
10 -28 m 2

speed

knot

kn

1 kn =
(1852/3600) ms -1

logarithm of a
quotient

neper

Np

bel

decibel

dB

Magnitude

Name of the unit Symbol

of Unity

Value in SI units

energy

erg

erg

1 erg = 10 -7 J

force

dyne

dyn

1 dyn = 10 -5 N

dynamic viscosity

poise

1 P = 1 dyn s cm 2
= 0.1 Pa s

kinematic viscosity

stokes

St

1 St = 1 cm 2 s 1
= 10 -4 m 2 s -1

luminance

stilb

sb

1 sb = 1 cd cm 2
= April 10 cd m -2

light radiation

phot

ph

1 ph = 1 cd sr

cm -2 = April 10 lx
acceleration

gal

Gal

1 Gal = 1 cm s 2
= 10 -2 ms -2

flux

Maxwell

Mx

1 Mx = 1 G cm 2 =
10 -8 Wb

magnetic flux density

gauss

1 G = 1 Mx cm 2
= 10 -4 T

magnetic field

Oersted

Oe

1 Oe (10 3 / 4)
A m -1

SI prefixes
Factor

Name Symbol

Factor Name

Symbol

January 10

deca

10 -1

decision

February 10

hecto h

10 -2

centi

March 10

kilo

10 -3

military
service

June 10

mega M

10 -6

mike

gives

September 10 jig

10 -9

nano

October 12

tera

10 -12

peak

October 15

peta

10 -15

femto

October 18

exa

10 -18

gallant

to

October 21

zetta

10 -21

zepto

October 24

yotta

And

10 -24

yocto

and

BIBLIOGRAPHY
"The International System of Units (SI)." Bureau International des Poids et
Mesures. November 30, 2010. < http://www.bipm.org/en/si/

"The International System of Units from NIST." October 2000. National

Institute of Standards and Technology. November 30, 2010.
http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units
"The International System of Units (SI)." Spanish Centre of Metrology.
November 30, 2010.
http://www.cem.es/cem/es_ES/documentacion/generales.jsp?op=generales