Ansi, Ieee 264 PDF

ANSVIEEE Std 268-1992
Recognized as a n
American National S t a n d a r d (ANSI)
(Revision of ANSI/IEEE Std 268-1982)
American National Standard

for Metric Practice
adoptea oy the
Department of Defense
United States of America
see last page of text
for acceptance notice
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Standards Coordinating Committees

Sponsored by
IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 14
on Quantities, Units, and Letter Symbols
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Published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., 345 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017, USA.
IEEE
October 28. 1992
SH15529
ANSI/IEEE
Std 268-1992
Recognized as an
American National Standard (ANSI)
(Revision ofANSI/IEEE
Std 268-1982)

for Metric Practice
Sponsor
IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 14 on

Quantities, Units, and Letter Symbols
Approved March 19,1992
IEEE Standards Board

Approved September 15,1992
American National Standards Institute
Abstract: Guidance for the application of the modernized metric system in the United States
is given. Known as the International System of Units (abbreviated SI), the system is intended
as a basis for worldwide standardization of measurement units. Information is included on SI,
a limited list of non-SI units recognized for use with SI units, and a list of conversion factors
from non-SI to SI units, together with general guidance on proper style and usage.
Keywords: conversion factors, International System, International System of Units, metric
practice, metric system, rounding, SI, Systkme International $Unites
NOTE: See the last page for adoption notices.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.

345 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017-2394,USA
Copyright 01992 by the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
All rights reserved. Published 1992
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
ISBN 1-55937-246-X
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form,

in an electronic retrieval system or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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Foreword
(This foreword is not a part of ANSI/IEEE Std 268-1992,American National Standard for Metric Practice.)
This latest edition of the primary American National Standard on metric practice appears
a s interest in metric conversion in the United States is increasing. The US Congress, in the
Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, declared that it is the policy of the United
States (1)to designate the metric system of measurement as the preferred system of weights
and measurements for United States trade and commerce; (2) to require that each Federal
Agency, by a date certain and to the extent economically feasible by the end of fiscal year
1992, use the metric system of measurements in its procurements, grants, and other business-related activities . . . ANSMEEE Std 268-1992 has been recommended for use by all
departments and agencies of the federal government.
This revision contains the latest recommendations of the General Conference on Weights
and Measures, including the four new SI prefixes that were adopted in 1991. The rules for
handling unit symbols have been modified slightly to bring them more closely into conformance with interational standards, and the table of conversion factors has been thoroughly
revised to make it easier to use.
At the time this standard was approved, the membership of working group SCC14.1 was
a s follows:
Bruce B. Barrow
John Benedict
Marianne Brogan
Bradley E. Copeland
Andrew F. Dunn
John A. Goetz
David T. Goldman
Truman S. Gray
Harry M. Hesse
John Howard
A. Ivan Johnson
Ronald K. Jurgen
Karl G. Kessler
William R. Kruesi
Chris E. Kuyatt
Joseph G. Langenstein
Marie Longyear-Dunphy
Jack M. Loudon
Arthur 0. McCoubrey
Conrad R. Muller
Chester H. Page
John T. Scott
Ralph M. Showers
Joe D. Simmons
John Tascher
Barry N. Taylor
Alan S. Whelihan
The following persons were on the balloting committee that approved this document for
submission to the IEEE Standards Board:
Bruce B. Barrow
Andrew F. Dunn
John A. Goetz
Truman S. Gray
Harry M. Hesse
Ronald K. Jurgen
William R. Kruesi
Jack M. Loudon
Arthur 0. McCoubrey
Conrad R. Muller
Chester H. Page
Ralph M. Showers
Barry N. Taylor
Alan S. Whelihan
When the IEEE Standards Board approved this standard on March 19,1992, it had the following membership:
Donald C. Loughry, Vice Chair

Andrew G . Salem, Secretary
Marco W.Migliaro, Chair

Dennis Bodson
Paul L. Borrill
Clyde Camp
Donald C. Fleckenstein
J a y Fonter*
David F. Franklin
Ramiro Garcia
Thomas L. Hannan
Donald N. Heirman
Ben C. Johnson
Walter J. Karplus
Ivor N. Knight
Joseph Koepfinger*
Irving Kolodny
D. N. "Jim" Logothetis
Lawrence V.McCall
T. Don Michael*
John L. Rankine
Wallace S. Read
Ronald H. Reimer
Gary S. Robinson
Martin V. Schneider
Terrance R. Whittemore
Donald W. Zipse
*Member Emeritus
Also included are the following nonvoting IEEE Standards Board liaisons:
Satish K. Aggarwal
James Beall
Richard B. Engelman
Stanley Warshaw
Mary Lynne Nielsen
IEEE Standards Project Editor
Contents
SECTION
1. Scope
PAGE
................................................................................................................................... 9
2 . SI Units and Symbols ........................................................................................................ 9

2.1 Classes of Units ........................................................................................................ 9
9
2.2 Base Units .................................................................................................................
2.3 Supplementary Units ............................................................................................... 9
2.4 Derived Units .......................................................................................................... 1 0
2.5 SI Prefixes ............................................................................................................... 1 0
11
2.5.1 Unit of Mass ................................................................................................
3. Application of SI ...............................................................................................................
3.1 General .....................................................................................................................
3.2 Application of SI Prefixes .......................................................................................
3.2.1 General .......................................................................................................
3.2.2 Selection ......................................................................................................
3.2.3 Prefixes in Compound Units ......................................................................
3.2.4 Compound Prefixes ....................................................................................
3.2.5 Powers of Units ..........................................................................................
3.2.6 Calculations ................................................................................................
3.3 Other Units .............................................................................................................
3.3.1 Units From Different Systems ..................................................................
3.3.2 Units in Use With SI ..................................................................................
3.3.3 Units in Use With SI Temporarily ............................................................
3.3.4 Units and Names to Be Abandoned ..........................................................
3.4 Other Recommendations Concerning Units ..........................................................
3.4.1 Mass, Force, and Weight ............................................................................
3.4.2 Temperature ...............................................................................................
3.4.3 Nominal Dimensions ..................................................................................
3.4.4 Torque and Work ........................................................................................
3.4.5 Impact .........................................................................................................
3.4.6 Pressure and Vacuum ................................................................................
3.4.7 Quantities Expressed as Pure Numbers ...................................................
3.5 Style and Usage ......................................................................................................
3.5.1 Rules for Writing Unit Symbols ................................................................
3.5.2 Rules for Writing Names ...........................................................................
3.5.3 Units Formed by Multiplication and Division ..........................................
3.5.4 Numbers .....................................................................................................
3.5.5 Attachments to Unit Symbols ...................................................................
3.5.6 Pronunciation .............................................................................................
11
11
13
13
14
14
14
14
14
14
14
14
16
16
17
17
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
20
21
21
22
23
23
4 . Bibliography .....................................................................................................................
24
APPENDMES
Appendix A
Tables of Conversion Factors ..........................................................................

Al . General ..................................................................................................
A2 . Notation .................................................................................................
A3. Use .........................................................................................................
A4 . Organization .........................................................................................
27
27
27
27
28
SECTION
PAGE
Appendix B Terminology.......................................................................................................
Appendix C
Rules for Conversion and Rounding ................................................................

59
C1. General ...................................................................................................
59
C2. Significant Digits ................................................................................... 59
C3. Operations on Data ................................................................................
59
C4. Accuracy and Rounding......................................................................... 60
61
C5. Rounding Values ....................................................................................
C6. Conversion of Linear Dimensions of Interchangeable Parts ............... 62
C7. Other Units ............................................................................................ 64
Appendix D Development of the International System of Units

(Le SystAme International &Unites)..............................................................
D1. History ....................................................................................................
D2. Advantages of SI ....................................................................................
D3. Selection of Units ...................................................................................
D4. Definitions of SI Base Units ..................................................................
D5. Definitions of SI Supplementary Units ................................................
D6. Definitions of SI Derived Units With Special Names ..........................
Appendix E
57
The BIPM and the Meter Convention .............................................................
67
67
68
69
69
70
70
73
TABLES
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Table 4
Table 5
Table 6
Table 7
Table 8
Table 9
Base SI Units .............................................................................................................

10
Supplementary SI Units ........................................................................................... 1 0
Derived SI Units With Special Names and Symbols ................................................ 11
Some Common Derived SI Units Without Special Names o r Symbols ...................12
SI Prefixes ..................................................................................................................
13
Units in Use With SI ................................................................................................. 1 5
16
Units in Use With SI Temporarily ............................................................................
Recommended Pronunciation of Prefixes ................................................................. 23
Recommended Pronunciation of Selected Units ......................................................
24
FIGURES
Fig 1 Illustration of Difference Between Mass (Unit: kilogram) and Force

(Unit: newton)..............................................................................................................
18
APPENDIX TABLES
Table A1
Table A2
Table A3
Table A4
Table A5
Table A6
Table A7
Classified List of Units-Space and Time ..........................................................

Classified List of Units-Mechanics ...................................................................
Classified List of Units-Heat .............................................................................
Classified List of Units-Electricity and Magnetism .........................................
Classified List of Units-Light ............................................................................
Classified List of Units-Radiology .....................................................................
Alphabetical List of Units ....................................................................................
29
33
39
42
43
43
44
Table C1
Table C2
Rounding Tolerance-Inches t o Millimeters ......................................................

Conversion of Temperature Tolerance Requirements ........................................
62
64

for Metric Practice
1. Scope
This document sets forth standard metric practice for the United States. Modern metric
practice is based on the International System of Units, a system developed and maintained by
the General Conference on Weights and Measures (abbreviated as CGPM from the official
French name, Conference GnCrale des Poids e t Mesures) and intended as a basis for worldwide standardization of measurement units. The name International System of Units and the
international abbreviation SI (from the French name, Le Syst6me International d u n i t e s )
were adopted by the 11t h CGPM in 1960. SI is a complete, coherent system that is being universally adopted.
Information is included on SI, a limited list of non-SI units recognized for use with SI units,
and a list of conversion factors from non-SI to SI units, together with general guidance on
proper style and usage.
An understanding of SI and careful use according to this standard will help to avoid the
degradation that h a s occurred in some previous measurement systems.
2. SI Units and Symbols

2.1 Classes of Units. SI units are divided into three classes:
(1) Base units
(2) Supplementary units
(3) Derived units
Definitions of the units are given in Appendix D.
2.2 Base Units. SI is built upon the seven well-defined base units of Table 1,l which by convention are regarded as dimensionally independent.
2.3. Supplementary Units. This class contains two units, the radian and the steradian (see
Table 2).At the time of the introduction of the International System, the 11th CGPM left open
the question of the nature of these supplementary units. Considering that plane angle is generally expressed as the ratio between two lengths and solid angle as the ratio between a n area
and the square of a length, in 1980 the CIPM (the International Committee for Weights and
Quantity as used in the headings of the tables of this standard means a measurable attribute of phenomena or
matter.
ANSI/IEEE
Std 268-1992
AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD
Measures of the CGPM) specified that in the International System the quantities plane angle
and solid angle should be considered as dimensionless, derived quantities. Therefore, the supplementary units radian and steradian are to be regarded as dimensionless, derived units
that may be used or omitted in expressing the units of physical quantities.
Table 1
Base SI Units
Quantity
Unit
Symbol
Length
meter
Mass
kilogram
kg
Time
second
Electric current
ampere
Thermodynamic temperature*
kelvin
Amount of substance
mole
mol
Luminous intensity
candela
cd
See 3.4.2 for a discussion of Celsius temperature.
Table 2
Supplementary SI Units
&Uantity
Unit
Symbol
Plane angle
radian
rad
Solid angle
steradian
sr
2.4 Derived Units. Derived units are formed by combining base units, supplementary units,
and other derived units according to the algebraic relations linking the corresponding quantities. The symbols for derived units are obtained by means of the mathematical signs for multiplication, division, and use of exponents. For example, the SI unit for velocity is the meter
per second ( m / s or m.s-'), and that for angular velocity is the radian per second ( r a d s or
rads-').
Those derived SI units that have special names and symbols approved by the CGPM are
listed in Table 3. See also D6 for their definitions.
It is frequently advantageous t o express derived units in terms of other derived units with
special names; for example, the SI unit for electric dipole moment is usually expressed as C.m
instead of A+m.
Some common derived SI units without special names or symbols are listed in Table 4.
2.5 SI Prefixes (see 3.2 for application). The prefixes and symbols listed in Table 5 are used
to form names and symbols of the decimal multiples and submultiples of the SI units, except
for the kilogram.
10
ANSI/IEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
Table 3
Derived SI Units With Special Names and Symbols
Quantity
Unit
Absorbed dose, specific energy imparted, kerma,

absorbed dose index
Symbol
Formula
GY
Activity (of a radionuclide)
becquerel
Bs
1Is
Celsius temperature.
degree Celsius
Dose equivalent
sievert
sv
Jk
Electric capacitance
farad
CN
Electric charge, quantity of electricity
coulomb
A. s
Electric conductance
siemens
AN
Electric inductance
henry
wbIA
Electric potential difference, electromotive force
volt
WIA
Electric resistance
ohm
VIA
Energy, work, quantity of heat
joule
N.m
Force
newton
kg.m/s2
Frequency (of a periodic phenomenon)
hertz
Hz
1Is
Illuminance
lux
lx
lm/m2
Luminous flux
lumen
lm
cdm
Magnetic flux
weber
wb
v.s
Magnetic flux density
tesla
wb/m2
Power, radiant flux
watt
Jls
Pressure, stress
pascal
Pa
N/m2
*See 3.4.2for a discussion of Celsius temperature.
These prefixes or their symbols are directly attached to names or symbols of units, forming
what are properly called multiples and submultiples of SI units. This designation is used in
order to make a distinction between them and the coherent set of units (see D2) designated by
the name SI units, namely, the base units, derived units, and supplementary units.
2.5.1 Unit of Mass. Among the base and derived units of SI, the unit of mass (kilogram) is
the only one whose name, for historical reasons, contains a prefix. Names of decimal multiples
and submultiples of the unit of mass are formed by attaching prefixes t o the word gram or
symbol g.
3.Application of SI
3.1 General. SI is the form of the metric system that should be used for all applications. I t is
important that this modernized form of the metric system be thoroughly understood and properly applied. This section gives guidance concerning the limited number of cases in which
units outside SI are appropriately used and makes recommendations concerning usage and
style.
11
ANSI/IEEE
Std 268-1992
Table 4
Some Common Derived SI Units Without Special Names or Symbols
Quantitv
Unit
Symbol
Absorbed dose rate
gray per second
Gyls
Acceleration
meter per second squared
d S 2
Angular acceleration
radian per second squared
rad/s2
Angular velocity
radian per second
raas
Area
square meter
m2
Concentration (of amount of substance)
mole per cubic meter
movm3
Current density
ampere per square meter
A/m2
Density, mass
kilogram per cubic meter
kg/m3
Electric charge density
coulomb per cubic meter
c/m3
Electric field strength
volt per meter
Vlm
Electric flux density
coulomb per square meter
C/m2
Energy density
joule per cubic meter
J/m3
Entmpy
joule per kelvin
J/K
Exposure (X and gamma rays)
coulomb per kilogram
Heat capacity
joule per kelvin
C b
J/K
Heat flux density, irradiance
watt per square meter
W/m2
Luminance
candela per square meter
cdm2
Magnetic field strength
ampere per meter
Nm
Molar energy
joule per mole
Jlmol
Molar entropy
joule per mole kelvin
Jl(mo1.K)
Molar heat capacity
joule per mole kelvin
Jl(mo1.K)
Moment of force*
newton meter
N.m
Permeability (magnetic)
henry per meter
Wm
Permittivity
farad per meter
Flm
Power density
W/m2
Radiance
watt per square meter steradian
W/(m2.sr)
Radiant intensity
watt per steradian
Wlsr
Specific heat capacity
joule per kilogram kelvin
Jl(kg.K)
Specific energy
joule per kilogram
Jk3
Specific entropy
J/(kgK)
Specific volume
cubic meter per kilogram
m3/kg
Surface tension
newton per meter
Nlm
Thermal conductivity
watt per meter kelvin
W/(m.K)
Velocity
meter per second
m/S
Viscosity, dynamic
pascal second
Pa.s
Viscosity, kinematic
square meter per second
m2/s
Volume
cubic meter
m3
Wave number
1 w r meter
1/m
See 3.4.4.
12
ANSVEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
Table 5
SI Prefixes
Multiplication Factor
Prefix
Symbol
1000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000
10%
yotta
1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000
1o=
zetta
1 000 000 000 000 000 000
10'8
exa
1015
pets
1 000 000 000 000
10'2
tera
1 000 000 000
io9
giea
1 000 000
106
mega
1000
io3
kilo
100
102
hedo'
10
10'
deka'
da
0.1
10-1
deci*
0.01
10-2
centit
10.~
milli
10"
micro
10.~
nano
10-12
pic0
10-l~
femto
0.000 000 000 000 000 001
10-18
atto
0.000000 000 000 000 000 001
10-n
zepto
0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 001
10-Z4
yocto
1000000000000000
0.001
0.000 001
0.000000 001
0.000 000 000 001
0.000 000 000 000 001
90
be avoided where practical, except as noted in 3.2.2.
3.2 Application of SI Prefixes
3.2.1 General. In general, the SI prefixes (see 2.5) should be used to indicate orders of
magnitude, thus eliminating nonsignificant digits and leading zeros in decimal fractions, and
providing a convenient alternative to the powers-of-ten notation preferred in computation.
For example,
1 2 300 mm
12.3 x lo3 m
0.001 23 fl
becomes 12.3 m
becomes 12.3 km
becomes 1.23 nA
13
ANSL'IEEE
Std 268-1992
3.23 Selection. When expressing a quantity by a numerical value and a unit, a prefix
should preferably be chosen so that the numerical value lies between 0.1 and 1000. To minimize variety, it is recommended that prefixes representing 1000 raised to an integral power be
used. However, the following factors may justify deviation from the above.
(1) In expressing area and volume, the prefixes hecto-, deka-, deci-, and centi- may be
required; for example, square hectometer, cubic centimeter.
(2) In tables of values of the same quantity, or in a discussion of such values within a given
context, it is generally preferable to use the same unit multiple throughout.
(3) For certain quantities in particular applications, one particular multiple is customarily
used. For example, the millimeter is used for linear dimensions in mechanical engineering drawings even when the values lie far outside the range 0.1 mm t o 1000 mm;
the centimeter is often used for body measurements and clothing sizes.
3.2.3 Prefixes in Compound Units. A compound unit is a derived unit that is expressed
in terms of two or more units, rather than by a single special name. Only one prefix should be
used in forming a multiple of a compound unit. Normally the prefix should be attached to a
unit in the numerator. One exception to this is when the kilogram occurs in the denominator.
Examples:
MJ/kg, not kJ/g
Vlm, not mV/mm
3.2.4 Compound Prefixes. Compound prefixes, formed by the juxtaposition of two or more
SI prefixes, shall not be used. For example, use
1 nm, not 1 mpm
1 pF, not 1 ppF
If a value is required outside the range covered by the prefixes, it should be expressed by using
a power of ten applied to the base unit.
3.2.5 Powers of Units. An exponent attached to a symbol containing a prefix indicates that
the multiple or submultiple of the unit (the unit with its prefix) is raised t o the power
expressed by the exponent.
3.2.6 Calculations. Errors in calculations can be minimized if the base and the coherent
derived SI units are used and if the resulting numerical values are expressed in powers-of-ten
notation instead of using prefixes.
3.3 Other Units
3.3.1 Units From Different Systems. To assist in preserving the advantage of SI as a
coherent system, i t is advisable to minimize the use of units from other systems with SI. Such
use should be limited to units listed in this section.
3.3.2 Units in Use With SI (See Table 6)
3.3.2.1 Time. The SI unit of time is the second. This unit is preferred and should be used
if practical, particularly when technical calculations are involved. In cases where time relates
t o life customs or calendar cycles, the minute, hour, day, and other calendar units may be necessary. For example, vehicle speed will normally be expressed in kilometers per hour.
14
ANSVIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
3.3.2.2 Plane Angle. The SI unit for plane angle is the radian. Use of the degree and its
decimal submultiples is permissible when the radian is not a convenient unit. Use of the
minute and second is discouraged except for special fields such a s astronomy and cartography.
3.3.2.3 Area. The SI unit of area is the square meter (m2). The hectare (ha) is a special
name for the square hectometer (hm2). Large land or water areas are generally expressed in
hectares or in square kilometers (km2).
3.3.2.4 Volume. The SI unit of volume is the cubic meter. This unit, or one of the regularly formed multiples such as the cubic centimeter, is preferred. The special name liter (symbol L) has been approved for the cubic decimeter, but use of this unit should be restricted to
volumetric capacity, dry measure, and measure of fluids (both liquids and gases). No prefix
other than milli or micro should be used with liter.
In October 1979, the CGPM approved L and 1 as alternative symbols for the liter. Since the
letter symbol 1 can easily be confused with the numeral 1,only the symbol L is recommended
for US use. Use of the script I a s a symbol for liter is deprecated. See D3 for information concerning the history of this unit.
Table 6
Units in Use With SI
Quantity
Unit
Symbol
Definition
Time
minute
min
1 min = 60 s
hour
1 h = 60 min
= 3600 s
day
I d =24h
=86400s
week, month, etc.

Plane angle
degree'
minute'
1"
= (d180) rad
1'
= (1/60)'
= (dl0800)rad
1"
Second'
= (1/60)'
= (d648 000) rad
Area
hectare
ha
1 h a = l hm2
= io4 m2
Volume
titer+
1 L = 1 dm3
= 10-3m3
Mass
metric ton*
it
=103kg
*Decimal degrees should be used for division of degrees, except for special fields such as astronomy and cartography.
3.3.2.4.
*Also called "tonne." (See 3.3.2.5.)
3.3.2.5 Mass. The SI unit of mass is the kilogram. This unit, or one of the multiples
formed by attaching an SI prefix to gram (g), is preferred for all applications. The megagram
(Mg) is the appropriate unit for measuring large masses such a s have been expressed in tons.
However, the name "ton" has been given to several large mass units that are widely used in
commerce and technology: the long ton of 2240 lb, the short ton of 2000 lb, and the metric ton
of 1000 kg (also called "tonne" outside the USA) which is almost 2205 lb. None of these terms
15
ANSVIEEE
Std 268-1992
are SI. The term metric ton should be restricted to commercial usage, and no prefixes should
be used with it. Use of the term tonne is deprecated.
3.3.3 Units in Use With SI Temporarily (See Table 7)

3.3.3.1 Energy. The SI unit of energy, thejoule, together with its multiples, is preferred
for all applications. The kilowatthour is widely used, however, as a measure of electric energy.
This unit should not be introduced into any new areas, and eventually it should be replaced
by the megajoule.
Table 7
Units in Use With SI Temporarily
Unit
Symbol
Definition
Absorbed dose
rad
rad
1 rd = 0.01 Gy
Activity (of a radionuclide)
curie
Ci
1 Ci = 3.7 x 10 Bq
Cross section (in particle scattering)
barn
1b =
Dose equivalent
rem
rem
1 rem = 0.01 Sv
Energy (see 3.3.3.1)
kilowatthour
kWh
1 kWh = 3.6 MJ
Exposure (X & y rays)
roentgen
1 R = 2.58 x 10-4 ckg
Pressure (see 3.3.3.2)
bar
bar
1 bar = lo5 Pa
Quantity
m2
Where there is risk of confusion with the symbol for radian, rd may be used as the symbol for rad.
3.3.3.2 Pressure and Stress. The SI unit of pressure and stress is the pascal (newton
per square meter) and with proper SI prefixes shall be applicable t o all such measurements.
(See also 3.4.6.)Old metric gravimetric units for pressure and stress such as kilogram-force
per square centimeter (kgf7cm2) shall not be used. Widespread use has been made of other
non-SI units, such as bar and torr for pressure, but this use is strongly discouraged.
The millibar has been widely used by meteorologists for communication within their profession; there is now some attempt to introduce the name Khectopascala s a substitute for millibar. However, the kilopascal should be used in presenting meteorological data to the public.
3.3.4 Units and Names to Be Abandoned. A great many metric units other than those of
the SI have been defined over the years. Some of these are used only in special fields; others
have found broad application in countries that adopted the metric system early.
Except for the special cases discussed in the previous sections, non-SI units (as well as special names for multiples or submultiples of SI units) shall be avoided. Various categories of
deprecated units are discussed in 3.3.4.1to 3.3.4.4.The lists are not intended to be complete,
but only to indicate more or less prominent examples of each category.
3.3.4.1 Centimeter-Gram-Second (CGS) Units. All units with special names peculiar
to the various cgs systems (measurement systems constructed by using the centimeter, gram,
and second as base units) shall be avoided. Among these units are the following, defined for
mechanics, fluid mechanics, and photometry: the erg, dyne, gal, poise, stokes, stilb, phot, and
lambert.
Further use of the cgs units of electricity and magnetism is deprecated. This statement
applies to the units designated by the general abbreviations esu (for electrostatic cgs unit)
16
ANSYIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
and emu (for electromagnetic cgs unit), including those units that have been given special
names - the gauss, oersted, maxwell, gilbert, biot, and franklin. I t also applies to the unit
names formed with the prefixes ab and stat, for example, the abampere, statvolt, etc.
3.3.4.2 Decimal Multiples of SI Units. hose multiples of SI units that cannot be handled by using the S I prefixes are deprecated. Many such examples are covered in subsection
3.3.4.1. An additional example is the Angstrom (0.1 nm).
3.3.4.3 Unit Names to Be Avoided. Special names for multiples and submultiples of SI
units are to be avoided except for the liter (3.3.2.4), metric ton (3.3.2.5), and hectare (3.3.2.3).
For example:
Do Not Use
are
candle
candlepower
fermi
gamma
micron
millimicron
mho
y (mass)
h (volume)
Use Instead
1are
1 candle
1 candlepower
1 fermi
1 gamma
1 micron
1 millimicron
1 mho
1 Y
1
3.3.4.4 Miscellaneous Units. Other non-SI units that are deprecated include the
following:
calorie
conventional millimeter of mercury
grade [lgrade = (d200) rad1
kilogram-force
langley E
1 langley = 1 caVcm21
metric carat
metric horsepower
millimeter, centimeter, or meter of water
standard atmosphere [ l atm = 101.325 kPal
technical atmosphere [l at = 98.0665 kPal
torr
3.4 Other Recommendations Concerning Units

3.4.1 Mass, Force, and Weight
3.4.1.1 Distinction Between Units for Mass and Force. In the gravimetric systems of
units, the same names (e.g., kilogram, pound, ounce) have often been used for both mass and
force. This has led t o serious confusion. In SI this confusion is eliminated because the unit of
mass is the kilogram, and the unit of force is the newton (see Fig 1).The kilogram-force (from
which the suffix force in practice has often been erroneously dropped) shall not be used.
Derived units that include force shall be formed using the newton. In all systems, distinct unit
names shall be used; in the inch-pound system, for example, pound (lb) shall be restricted t o
mass, and pound-force (lbf) to force.
17
ANSIlIEEE
Std 268-1992
I---8
b
1.6 N
--
- - - -9.8N
ON THE
MOON
ON
EARTH
Fig 1
Illustration of Difference Between Mass (Unit:kilogram)
and Force (Unit: newton)
3.4.1.2 Weight. The term weight h a s been used to mean either mass or the force of
gravity acting on the mass, and its representation in terms of SI units depends on how it is
used.
In many technical fields and in commercial and everyday use, the term weight is usually
used as a synonym for mass. Where the term is so used, weight is expressed in kilograms in
SI. The verb to weigh means to determine the mass of or to have a mass of.
Examples:
My weight is 60 kilograms.
The suitcase weighs 12 kg.
Net wt. 1kg
In some fields of science and technology the term weight is defined a s the force of gravity
acting on an object, i.e., as the product of the mass of the object and the local acceleration of
gravity. Where weight is so defined, it is expressed in newtons in SI. The terms force of gravity or weight-force should be used where this meaning is intended.
Examples:
On Earth, the weight-force on a 10 kg mass is approximately 98 newtons. (Recommended)
18
ANSI/IEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
On Earth, the weight of a 1 0 k g mass is approximately 98 newtons.

(Acceptable)
3.4.1.3 Load. The term load means either mass or force, depending on its use. A load
that produces a vertically downward force because of the influence of gravity acting on a mass
may be expressed in mass units, e.g., kilograms. A load that produces a force from anything
other than the influence of gravity shall be expressed in force units, i.e., newtons.
3.4.1.4 Capacity Rating. The capacity rating of a crane, a truck, a bridge, etc., is
intended to define the mass that can be supported safely. Such a rating should be expressed in
a mass unit rather than a force unit, thus in kilograms or metric tons, as appropriate, rather
than newtons.
3.4.2 Temperature. The SI unit of thermodynamic temperature is the kelvin (K), and this
unit is properly used for expressing thermodynamic temperature and temperature intervals.
Wide use is also made of the degree Celsius ( 0 , which is the SI unit used for expressing Celsius temperature and temperature intervals. The Celsius scale (formerly called centigrade) is
related directly to thermodynamic temperature (kelvins) as follows:
The temperature interval one degree Celsius equals one kelvin exactly. Celsius
temperature t is related to thermodynamic temperature T by the equation t =
T-To,where To= 273.15 K by definition.
In practice, the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90) [B2512 serves as the basis
for high-accuracy temperature measurements in science and technology.
3.4.3 Nominal Dimensions. Many dimensions used to identify commercial products are
nominal values-values that exist in name only and are used for the purpose of convenient
designation. Examples include the nominal 1 in pipe, the actual dimensions of which are
given in appropriate standards, and 2 by 4 lumber. No attempt should be made to convert
such nominal dimensions to SI.
3.4.4 Torque and Work
3.4.4.1 Torque. The determination of the correct SI units for torque and for other related
quantities depends on whether the radian is used or omitted in expressions for derived units
(see 2.3).
When the radian is omitted, the unit for torque is N.m, the unit for moment of inertia is
kgm2, and the unit for moment of momentum is kgm2/s. These units are convenient to use in
the solution of problems in statics. In this case there is no problem with dimensional
consistency.
When the radian is used, the unit for torque is N.m/rad, the unit for moment of inertia is
kg.m2/rad2, and the unit for moment of momentum is kgm2/(rad*s). In the solution of problems that involve rotation, the use of these units will retain all advantages of dimensional
analysis.
3.4.4.2 Work. The use of the unit N.m for bending moment or torque may result in confusion with the unit for work, which is also N-m. If vectors were shown, the distinction between
work and torque would be obvious, since work is the scalar product of force and displacement
while torque is the vector product of force and moment arm. It is important t o recognize this
difference when N.m is used a s the unit for torque. The joule, which is a special name for the
S I unit of work, N-m, should never be used as a name for the unit of torque.
The numbers in brackets refer to the Bibliography in Section 4.
19
ANSI/IEEE
Std 268-1992
3.4.5 Impact. Impact strength (actually energy absorption) is measured in terms of energy
required to break a standard specimen. The proper unit is joule.
3.4.6 Pressure and Vacuum. Gage pressure is absolute pressure minus ambient pressure
(usually atmospheric pressure). Both gage pressure and absolute pressure are properly
expressed in pascals, using SI prefixes as appropriate. Absolute pressure is never negative.
Gage pressure is positive if above ambient pressure and negative if below. Pressure below
ambient is often called vacuum; whenever the term vacuum is applied to a numerical measure it should be made clear whether negative gage pressure or absolute pressure i s meant.
See 3.5.5 for methods of designating gage pressure and absolute pressure.
3.4.7 Quantities Expressed as Pure Numbers. Certain so-called dimensionless quantities, as for example refractive index, relative permeability, or the friction factor, are defined as
the ratio of two comparable quantities. Such quantities have a dimensional p r o d u c t 4 r
dimension-equal to 1 and are therefore expressed by pure numbers. The coherent SI unit is
then the ratio of two identical SI units and may be expressed by the number 1.
Although special names for certain decimal fractions (such a s percent, parts per thousand,
and parts per million) are often used, to avoid confusion or misunderstanding it is preferable
for parts per thousand, and
to use the proper exponential form, that is,
for percent,
for parts per million. Because the names of numbers one billion and larger are not uniform worldwide, terms such as parts per billion and parts per trillion should be strictly
avoided. (See 3.5.4.2.)
In all cases, the meaning must be unequivocal. Expressions like The volume fraction of
CO2 in the sample was 1.2 x
or The mass fraction of CO2 in the sample was 1.2 x
are permissible, but would not be permissible if the word volume in the first expression or
mass in the second expression were not present.
3.5 Style and Usage
3.5.1 Rules for Writing Unit Symbols. Care must be taken t o use unit symbols properly,
and international agreement provides uniform rules.
Unit symbols shall be printed in roman (upright) type regardless of the type style used
in the surrounding text.
Unit symbols shall be unaltered in the plural.
Unit symbols shall not be followed by a period except when used at the end of a sentence.
Letter unit symbols are written in lowercase (for example, cd) unless the unit name
h a s been derived from a proper name, in which case the first letter of the symbol is capitalized (for example, W, Pa). The exception is the symbol for liter, L. Prefix symbols
use either lowercase or uppercase letters as shown in 2.5. Symbols retain their prescribed form regardless of the surrounding typography.
When the value of a quantity is expressed a s a numerical value and a unit symbol, a
space shall be left between them. For example, write 35 mm, not 35mm, and 2.37 lm
(for 2.37 lumens), not 2.371m.
EXCEFTION: No space is left between the number and the symbols for degree, minute, and second of plane
angle.
No space is used between the prefix and unit symbols.

Symbols, not abbreviations, should be used for units. For example, use A , and not
amp, for ampere.
20
ANSI/IEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
3.5.2 Rules for Writing Names. The handling of unit names varies internationally
because of language differences, but use of the rules included here will improve communication in the English language.
(1) Spelled-out unit names are treated as common nouns in English. Thus, the first letter
of a unit name is not capitalized except a t the beginning of a sentence or in capitalized
material such a s a title.
(2) Plurals are used when required by the rules of English grammar and are normally
formed regularly, for example, henries for the plural of henry. The following irregular
plurals are recommended:
Singular
lUX
hertz
siemens
Plural
lux
hertz
siemens
(3) No space or hyphen is used between the prefix and unit name. There are three cases
where the final vowel in the prefix is commonly omitted: megohm, kilohm, and
hectare.In all other cases where the unit name begins with a vowel, both vowels are
retained and both are pronounced.
(4) The spellings meter, liter, and deka are recommended. This is in accordance with
guidance given by the US Department of Commerce, which is given the responsibility
of interpreting SI for the United States under the Metric Conversion Act of 1975. The
variant spellings metre, litre, and deca are also used, especially in British
English.
3.5.3 Units Formed by Multiplication and Division

3.5.3.1 Unit Names
(1) Product. Use a space (preferred) or a hyphen:
newton meter or newton-meter
In the case of the watt hour the space may be omitted, thus:
watthour
(2) Quotient. Use the word per and not a solidus:
meter per second, not meterkecond

(3)
Powers. Use the modifier squaredor cubedplaced aRer the unit name:
meter per second squared
In the case of area or volume, a modifier may be placed before the unit name:
square millimeter, cubic meter
This alternative is also allowed for derived units that include area or volume:
NOTE:To avoid ambiguity in oomplicated expressions, symbols are preferred over words.
21
ANSVEEE
Std 268-1992
3.5.3.2 Unit Symbols. A compound unit that is the product of two or more units is indicated by either a raised dot, which is preferred, or by a space; thus, for newton meter
N.m or N m
In the case of W-h, watthour (a non-SI unit), the dot may be omitted, thus:
wh
EXCEFTION For computer printouts and other systems with limited character sets where the raised dot is not possible, a dot on the line may be used.
A compound unit that is a quotient of two or more units is indicated in one of the following
ways:
m/s
or
or
m
-
In no case should more than one solidus be used in the same expression unless parentheses are
inserted to avoid ambiguity. For example, write:
J/(mol-K) or J.mol-l*K-l or (J/mol)/K, but not J/mol/K
3.5.3.3 Mixtures. Symbols and unit names should not be mixed in the same expression.
For example, write:
joules per kilogram or J/kg
Do not write
jouleskilogram nor jouleskg nor jouleskg-'
3.5.4 Numbers
3.5.4.1 Decimal Marker. The recommended decimal marker is a dot on the line. When
writing numbers less than one, a zero should be written before the decimal marker.
Outside the United States, the comma is widely used a s a decimal marker. In some applications, therefore, the common practice in the United States of using the comma t o separate digits into groups of three (as in 23,478) may cause ambiguity. To avoid this potential source of
confusion, recommended international practice calls for separating the digits into groups of
three, counting from the decimal point toward the left and the right, and using a thin space to
separate the groups. In numbers of four digits on either side of the decimal point the space is
usually not necessary, except for uniformity in tables.
Examples: 2.141 596
73 722
7372
0.1334
Where this practice is followed, the width of the space should be constant even if, a s is often
the case in printing, justified spacing is used between words.
3.5.4.2 Billion. Because billion means a thousand million (prefix giga) in the United
States but a million million (prefix tera) in most other countries, the term should be avoided
in technical writing.
3.5.4.3 Roman Numerals. The use of M t o indicate thousands (as in MCF for thousands
of cubic feet or in MCM for thousands of circular mils), of MM t o indicate millions, of C t o indicate hundreds, etc., is deprecated because of obvious conflicts with the SI prefixes.
22
ANSI/IEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
3.5.5 Attachments to Unit Symbols. Attachment of letters to a unit symbol as a means of

giving information about the nature of the quantity under consideration is incorrect. Thus,
MWe for megawatts electrical (power), Vac for volts ac, and k J t for kilojoules thermal
(energy) shall not be used. For this reason, no attempt should be made to construct SI equivalents of the abbreviations psia and psig, so often used to distinguish between absolute
and gage pressure.
If the context leaves any doubt a s to which is meant, the word pressure shall be qualified
appropriately. For example:
............at a gage pressure of 13 kPa
or
............a t an absolute pressure of 13 kPa

Where space is limited, such as on gages, nameplates, graph labels, and in table headings, the
use of a modifier in parentheses, such as %Pa (gage) or kPa (absolute), is permitted.
3.5.6 Pronunciation. Some recommended English pronunciations are shown in Tables 8

and 9.
Table 8
Recommended Pronunciation of Prefixes
Prefix
Pronunciation (USA)
yotta
YOTT-a (a as in about)
zetta
ZETT-a (a as in about)
exa
EX-a (a as in about)
peta
PET-a (as in petal)
tera
TERR-a (as in terrace)
Bigs
GIG-a (gig as in giggle, a as in about)
mega
MEG-a (as in megaphone)
kilo
KILL-oh (see NOTE)
hecto
HECK-toe
deka
DECK-a (as in decahedron)
deci
DESS-ih (as in decimal)
centi
S E N T 4 (as in centipede)
milli
MILL-ih (as in military), but MILL-ee before a vowel
mim
MIKE-roe (as in microbe)
nano
NAN-oh (a as in a n t )
pic0
PEEK-oh
femto
FEM-toe
atto
AT-& (a as in hat)
yocto
YOCK-toe
zepto
ZEP-toe (E as in step)
NOTE: The first syllable of every prefix is accented to ensure that the prefix will retain its identity. Therefore, the
preferred pronunciation of kilometer is KILL-oh-meter, n o t kil-LOM-muh-ter.
23
ANSVIEEE
Std 268-1992
Thble 9
Recommended Pronunciation of Selected Units
Unit
Pronunciation (USA)
candela
can-DELL-a (final a as in about)
coulomb
K00-lom (as in lomm)
hectare
HECK-tair (rhymes with chair)
joule
JOOL (rhymes with tool)
pascal
PASS-cal (rhymes with rascal)
siemens
SEE-mens (same as seamens)
4. Bibliography
[Bll ASME B4.3-1978 (R1984), General Tolerances for Metric Dimensioned product^.^
[B21 ASME SI-9-1980, Guide for Metrication of Codes and Standards (Metric Units).
[B31 ASTM E29-90, Standard Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data t o Determine
Conformance with specification^.^
[B41 ASTM E380-91, Standard Practice for the Use of The International System of Units.
[B51 IEEE Std 260-1978, IEEE Standard Letter Symbols for Units of M e a ~ u r e m e n t . ~
[B61 I S 0 31-0: 1992, Quantities and units-Part
0: General principles.6
[B71 IS0 31-1: 1992, Quantities and units-Part
1:Space and time.
[B81 I S 0 31-2: 1992, Quantities and units-Part 2: Periodic and related phenomena.
[B91 I S 0 31-3: 1992, Quantities and units-Part 3: Mechanics.
[BlOl IS0 31-4: 1992, Quantities and units-Part
4: Heat.
5 : Electricity and magnetism.

radiations.
[B131 I S 0 31-7: 1992, Quantities and units-Part
6: Light and related electromagnetic
7: Acoustics.
3ASh4E publications are available from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 22 Law Drive, Fairfield, NJ
07007,USA.
4ASThl publications are available from the Customer Service Department, American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.
IEEE publications are available from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Service Center, 445
Hoes Lane, P.O. Box 1331, Fiscataway, NJ 08855-1331, USA.
publications are available from ISO,Case Postale 56, 1 rue de VarembB, CH-1211, Gentwe 20, Switzerland
Suisse. IS0 publications are also available in the United States from the Sales Department, American National Standards Institute, 11West 42nd Street, 13th Floor, New York,NY 10036, USA.
24
ANSI/IEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
[I3141 IS0 31-8: 1992, Quantities and units-Part

physics.
8: Physical chemistry and molecular
9: Atomic and nuclear physics.

radiations.
use in the physical sciences and technology.
10: Nuclear reactions and ionizing
11: Mathematical signs and symbols for

12: Characteristic numbers.
[B191 IS0 31-13: 1992, Quantities and units-Part 13: Solid state physics.
[B201 IS0 370: 1975, Toleranced dimensions-conversion from inches into millimeters and
vice versa.
[B211 ISO-1000: 1992, SI units and recommendations for the use of their multiples and of certain other units.
[B221 NIST Special Publication 304-1991, The Modernized Metric System-International
System o f ~ n i t s . ~
[B231 NIST Special Publication 330-1991, The International System of Units (SI).
[B241 NIST Special Publication 814-1992, Interpretation of SI for the United States and Metric Conversion Policy for Federal Agencies.
[B251 NIST Technical Note 1265, Guidelines for Realizing the International Temperature
Scale of 1990 (ITS -90).
[B261 SAE J916 (May 1991), Rules For S A E Use of SI (Metric) Units.'
'NIST publications are available from the Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office, Washin on, DC 20402, USA.
S
' AE publications are available from SAE, Customer Sales, 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096,
USA.
25
ANSI/IEEE
Std 268-1992
Appendixes
(These appendixes are not a part of ANSI/IEEE Std 268-1992,American National Standard for Metric Practice,
but are included for information only.)
Appendix A
Tables of Conversion Factors
Al. General
The following tables provide factors to convert values expressed in various units into equivalent values expressed in the International System of Units.
In most cases the converted values are expressed in terms of the base, supplementary, and
derived units of SI t o provide a coherent presentation of the conversion factors and t o facilitate computations. If desired, the user can select appropriate SI prefixes (see 3.2.2) and shift
the decimal marker. For example, the factor for the International Table British thermal unit
leads to 1 055.056 J when applied directly, and this is clearly seen t o be equal to 1.055 056 kJ.
For convenience, a few conversions to non-SI units, such as the kilometer per hour and the
liter, are given.
A2. Notation
In most cases factors are given to seven significant figures. When fewer figures are shown,
more precision is not warranted. Factors that are too large or too small to fit into the field of
the tables are given in exponential notation. For example, the factor for converting an area in
circular mils into square millimeters is given a s 5.067 075 E-04, which is t o be interpreted a s
5.067 075 x 10" or 0.000 506 707 5. The order of magnitude of each factor given in decimal
notation in the tables that follow is obvious to the eye, as the decimal points of those multipliers are aligned.
A conversion factor that is set in boldface is exact.
A3. Use
The table entries are to be interpreted a s follows:
To Convert From
To
Multiply By
foot
cubic inch
meter (m)
cubic meter (m3)
0.304 8
means
1.638 706
Exponent
E-05
1 foot = 0.304 8 meters (exactly)

1 cubic inch = 1.638 706 x
cubic meters
The conversion factors for other compound units can easily be generated from factors given
in the tables, a s follows:
Example:
To find the conversion factor required to convert pound feet per second ( a unit of
momentum) t o kilogram meters per second, use
27
ANSyIEEE
Std 268-1992
1 lb = 0.453 592 4 kg and 1 ft = 0.3048 m (exactly)
By substitution, 1 1b.Ws = (0.453 592 4 kg).(0.3048m)/s = 0.138 255 0 k g d s and

the desired conversion factor is 0.138 255 0
Note that the seventh decimal place is significant, because the conversion from feet t o meters
is exact.
A4.Organization
The factors are classified according to the following categories:
Space and Time
Mechanics
Heat
Electricity and Magnetism
Light
Radiology
In another table, all units are listed in alphabetical order.
Numbers that appear in brackets in the tables, e.g. [l],refer to the following explanatory
notes:
[ll The US Metric Law of 1866 gave the relationship 1 meter equals 39.37 inches. Since 1893,
the US yard has been derived from the meter. In 1959, a refinement was made in the definition
of the yard to bring the US yard and the yard used in other countries into agreement. The US
yard was changed from 3600/3937 meters t o 0.9144 meters exactly. The new length is shorter
by exactly two parts in a million.
At the same time it was decided that any data in feet derived from and published as a result
of geodetic surveys within the United States would remain with the old standard (1 foot =
1200/3937 meters). This foot is named the US survey foot, and is identified (US survey) in
these conversion tables and in the prior edition of this standard, ANSIAEEE Std 268-1982.
Lengths based on the US survey foot are identified in these conversion tables. The five-digit
multipliers for fathom, acre, and acre foot are correct for either the US survey foot or the foot
of 0.3048 meters exactly. Other lengths, areas, and volumes are based on the yard equal to
0.9144 meters exactly.
[21 The actual pressure corresponding to the height of a vertical column of fluid depends upon
the local acceleration of free fall and the density of the fluid, which in turn depends upon the
temperature. The conversion factors given here are conventional values adopted by ISO. They
assume standard acceleration of free fall and a density of water equal t o 1000 kg/m3.
[31 The British thermal unit which is used in these tables is the International Table Btu. The
Fifth International Conference on the Properties of Steam (London, July 1956) defined the calorie (International Table) as 4.1868 J. Therefore the exact conversion factor for the Btu (International Table) is 1.055 055 852 62 kJ. Other conversion factors for the Btu that have been
used include the following:
British
British
British
British
British
thermal unit (mean)

thermal unit (thermochemical)
thermal unit (39 O F )
thermal unit (59 OF)
thermal unit (60 O F )
28
1055.87
1054.350
1059.67
1054.80
1054.68
J
J
J
J
J
ANSVIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
The calorie used in these tables is the thermochemical calorie, defined as 4.184J exactly,
which has been widely used in scientific work. Other calories that have seen practical application include the following:
calorie (International Table)
calorie (mean)
calorie (15OC)
calorie (20OC)
4.186 8 J (exact)
4.190 02 J
4.185 80 J
4.181 90 J
The International Table calorie has been frequently used in European engineering work.
Various kilocalories have often been used, sometimes being called kilogram-calories.The socalled calorie used in the field of nutrition is in fact a kilocalorie.
[41 The therm (EEC) is legally defined in the Council Directive of December 20,1979,Council
of the European Communities. The therm (US) is legally defined in the Federal Register of July
27, 1968. Although the therm (EEC), which is based on the International Table Btu, is frequently used by engineers in the United States, the therm (US) is the legal unit used by the
US natural gas industry.
[51 In metric countries automotive fuel efficiency is often expressed in terms of fuel consumption, stating liters per hundred kilometers. The fuel consumption in L4100 km) is equal to
235.215divided by the fuel economy expressed in miles per US gallon.
[61 Agricultural products that are sold by the bushel in the United States are often sold by
weight in metric countries. There is of course a considerable variation in the weight per unit
volume owing to differences in variety, size, or condition of the commodity, tightness of pack,
degree to which the container is heaped, etc. The following conversion factors for 1 bushel are
used by the US Department of Agriculture for statistical purposes:
barley
corn, shelled
oats
potatoes
soybeans
wheat
21.8 kg
25.4kg
14.5kg
27.2kg
27.2 kg
27.2 kg
29
ANSYIEEE
Std 268-1992
Table Al
Classified List of Units-Space and Time
To Convert I?
To
Multiply By
Exponent
Angle
degree
radian (rad)
0.017 453 29
grade
degree of angle ()
0.9
grade
radian (rad)
0.015 707 96
second
radian (rad)
4.848 137
E-06
minute
radian (rad)
2.908 882
E -04
revolution
radian (rad)
6.283 185
HngstMm
meter (m)
1.0
Bngstrtjm
nanometer (nm)
0.1
astronomical unit
meter (m)
1.495 979
chain (66 US survey feet) [ l ]
meter (m)
20.116 84
fathom
meter (m)
1.828 8
fermi
meter (m)
1.0
fermi
femtometer (fm)
1.0
foot
meter (m)
0.304 8
foot, US survey [I]
meter (m)
0.304 800 6
inch
meter (m)
0.025 4
light year
meter (m)
9.461
microinch
micrometer (pm)
0.025 4
micron
micrometer (pm)
1.0
mil
millimeter (mm)
0.025 4
mile, nautical
meter (m)
1852
mile, international (5280 ft)
meter (m)
1609.344
mile, US statute [I]
meter (m)
1609.347
Parsec
meter (m)
3.085 678
pica (printers)
millimeter (mm)
4.217 518
point (printers)
millimeter (mm)
0.361 459 8
30
E-10
E+11
E-15
E+15
E+16
ANSI/IEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
Table Al (Continued)
To Convert From
To
rod (16.5US survey feet) [l]
meter (m)
5.029 210
yard
meter (m)
0.914 4
Multiply By
Exponent
Area
acre
square meter (m2)
4 046.9
are
square meter (m2)
100
barn
square meter (m2)
1.0
E -28
circular mil
square millimeter (mm2)
5.067 075
E -04
hectare
square meter (m2)
square inch
square meter (m2)
6.451 6
square foot
square meter (m2)
0.092 903 04
square yard
square meter (m2)
0.836 127 4
square mile
square meter (m2)
2.589 988
10 000
E-04
E+06
Volume (Inclua!es Capacity)

acre-foot
cubic meter (m3)
barrel (oil, 42 US gallons)
liter (L)
cubic meter (m3)
0.1 58 987 3
board foot
cubic meter (m3)
0.002 359 737
bushel (US)
cubic meter (m3)
0.035 239 07
cubic inch
cubic meter (m3)
1.638 706 4
cubic foot
cubic meter (m3)
0.028 316 85
cubic yard
cubic meter (m3)
0.764 554 9
cup ( U S )
milliliter (d)
cup (US)
liter (L)
0.236 6
gallon (US)
liter (L)
3.785 412
gallon (Imperial)
liter
liter
cubic meter (m3)
ounce (Imperial fluid)
milliliter (d)
28.413 062 5
ounce (US fluid)
milliliter (mL)
29.573 53
1233.5
158.987 3
(L)
236.6
4.646 09
31
0.001
E-05
ANSIlIEEE
Std 268-1992
To Convert From
Multiply By
liter (L)
8.8098
liter (L)
0.55061
pint (US liquid)
liter (L)
0.473 176
quart (USdry)
liter (L)
1.101 22
quart (US liquid)
liter (L)
0.946353
cubic meter (m3)
1.0
Pint
(Usdry)
tablespoon
milliliter (mL)
teaspoon
milliliter (mL)
4.929
ton,register
cubic meter (m3)
2.831 685
Exponent
14.79
lFme
day (mean solar)
second (8)
86 400
day (sidereal)
second (s)
86 164.09
hour
second (6)
3 600
hour (sidereal)
second ( 8 )
3 590.170
minute
second ( 8 )
60
minute (sidereal)
second (s)
59.836 17
second (sidereal)
second ( 8 )
shake
nanosecond (ns)
year (365 days)
second (5)
3.153 6
E+07
year (sidereal)
second ( 8 )
3.155815
E+07
E-05
0.997 269 6
10
Velocity (Includes Speed)

foot per hour
meter per second ( d s )
8.466667
foot per minute
0.006 08
foot per second
0.304 8
inch per second
0.025 4
kilometer per hour
0.277777 8
knot (nautical mile per hour)
0.514444 4
mile per hour
0.447 04
32
ANSVJEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
To Convert From
~~
Multiply By
To
Exponent
~~
mile per hour
kilometer per hour (km/h)
mile per minute
revolution per minute (rpm)
radian per second (Taus)
1.609 344
26.822 4
0.104 719 8
Acceleration
0.304 8
meter e r second squared
foot per second squared
e,
( d s )
g, (standard acceleration of free

fall)
meter er second squared
9.806 66
e,
( d s )
0.01
e,
( d s)
inch per second squared
0.026 4
e,
(ds)
Volume per lFme (Includes Flow)

cubic foot per second
cubic meter per second

(m3/s)
0.028316 85
cubic yard per minute

(m3/s)
0.012742 58
cubic foot per minute
4.719474
E-04
(m3/s)
cubic inch per minute

(m3/s)
2.731 177
E-07
gallon (US) per day
liter per second (Us)
4.381 264
E-05
gallon (US) per minute
0.063 090 20
Table A2
Classified List of Units-Mechanics
To Convert From
To
Multiply By
carat (metric)
gram (g)
grain
milligram (mg)
64.798 91
hundredweight, long (112

pounds)
kilogram (kg)
50.802 35
02
33
Exponent
ANSIlIEEE
Std 268-1992
Table A2 (Continued)
To Convert From
To
hundredweight, short (100

pounds)
kilogram (kg)
Multiply By
Exponent
45.359 24
ounce (avoirdupois)
28.349 52
ounce (troy or apothecary)
31 .lo3 48
pennyweight
1.555 174
pound (avoirdupois)
0.453 592 37
pound (troy or apothecary)
0.373 241 7
slug
14.593 90
ton, assay
29.166 67
ton,long (2240 pounds)
1016.047
ton, metric
1000
907.184 7
ton, short (2000 pounds)

tonne
1 000
Mass per lllme (Includes Flow)

perm (0"C)
kilogram per pascal second

square meter
(kg/(Pa.s.m2)j
5.721 35
E-11
perm (23 "C)

square meter
(kg/(Pa.s.m2))
5.745 25
E-11
perm inch (0"C)

meter (kg/(Pa.s.m))
1.453 22
E-12
perm inch (23 "c)

meter (kg/(Pa.s.m))
1.459 29
E-12
pound per hour
kilogram per second (kg/s)
1.259 979
E-04
pound per minute
0.007 559 873
pound per second
0.453 592 4
ton (short) per hour
0.251 995 8
Mass per Length

denier
gram per meter (g/m)
1.111111
pound per foot
kilogram per meter (kg/m)
1.488 164
pound per inch
34
17.857 97
E -04
ANSUTEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
To Convert From
To
Multiply By
~~~~~
teX
Exponent
E -06
1.0
Mass per Area

ounce per square foot
kilogram per q u a m meter

(kg/m2)
0.305 151 7
ounce per square yard
kilogram per square meter

(kg/m2)
0.033905 75
pound per square foot

(kg/m2)
4.882 428
~
~~
Mass per Volume (Includes Density a n d Mass Concentration)

grain per gallon (US)
milligram per liter (mg/L)
ounce (av) per gallon (US)
gram per liter ( g L )
pound per gallon (US)
kilogram per liter (kg&)
ounce (av)per cubic inch

(kg/m3)
pound per cubic inch

(kg/m3)
pound per cubic foot

(kidm3)
pound per cubic yard

(kidm3)
ton (long) per cubic yard
17.118 06
7.489152
119.826 4
1729.994
27 679.90
16.018 46
0.593 276 4
1328.939
(ks/m3)
ton (short) per cubic yard

(kg/m3)
1186.553
Force
dyne
newton (N)
0.000 01
kilogram-force
newton (N)
9.806 65
kilopond (kilogram-force)
newton (N)
9.806 65
kip (1000pounds-force)
kilonewton (kN)
4.448222
ounce-force
newton (N)
0.278013 9
pound-force
newton (N)
4.448222
poundal
newton (N)
0.138 255 0
ton-force (2000pounds-force)
kilonewton (W)
8.896 443
35
ANSyIEEE
Std 268-1992
To Convert From
To
Multiply By
Exponent
Force per Length

pound force per foot
newton per meter (N/m)
pound force per inch
14.593 90
175.126 8
Thrust to Mass Ratio

pound force per pound
newton per kilogram
9.806650
Bending Moment or lbrque (See 3.4.4)

dyne centimeter
newton meter W.m)
1.0
kilogram-force meter
newton meter (N.m)
9.806 65
ounce-force inch
millinewton meter (mN.m)
7.061 552
pound-force inch
newton meter (N.m)
0.112 984 8
pound-force foot
newton meter (N.m)
1.355818
pound-force foot per inch
newton meter per meter

(Ndm)
pound-force inch per inch

(Ndm)
53.378 66
4.448222
Pressure or Stress (Force per Area)

atmosphere, standard
kilopascal ( P a )
atmosphere, technical (1 kilogram force per square

centimeter)
kilopascal ( P a )
bar
kilopascal ( W a )
centimeter of water [21
pascal (Pa)
dyne per square centimeter
pascal (Pa)
0.1
foot of water [2]
kilopascal ( W a )
2.98907
inch of mercury [2]
kilopascal (kPa)
3.38639
inch of water [2]
pascal (Pa)
kilogram-force per square

centimeter
kilopascal ( W a )
kilogram-force per square meter
pascal (Pa)
kip per square inch (ksi)
kilopascal (Wa)
millibar
pascal (Pa)
101.325
98.066 5
100
98.066 5
249.089
98.066 5
9.806 65
6 894.757
100
36
E-07
ANSYIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
To Convert From
To
millibar
kilopascal ( P a )
millimeter of mercury [2]
pascal (Pa)
poundal per square foot
pascal (Pa)
pound-force per square foot
pascal (Pa)
pound-force per square inch
kilopascal (Wa)
6.894 757
psi
kilopascal ( W a )
6.894 757
torr
pascal (Pa)
Multiply By
Exponent
0.1
133.322
1.488 164
47.880 26
133.322
viscosity
stokes

(Ill%)
1.0
E-04
centistokes

(m2/s)
1.0
E -06

(m2/s)
0.092 903 04
centipoise
pascal second (Pa&
0.001
poise
pascal second (Pa.s)
0.1
pound per foot hour
4.1 33 789
pound per foot second
pascal second ( P a d
1.488 164
pound-force second per square

foot
pascal second (Pa.8)

inch
rhe
1 per pascal second (1Pa.s)
square foot per
second
E-04
47.880 26
6 894.757
10
Energy and Work

British thermal unit (Btu) [3]
joule (J)
1055.056
calorie [3]
joule (J)
4.184
calorie, nutrition [3]
joule (J)
4 184
kilocalorie [3]
joule (J)
4 184
electronvolt
joule (J)
1.602 1 9
E-19
erg
joule (J)
1.0
E -07
foot pound-foorce
joule (J)
1.355 818
37
ANSYIEEE
Std 268-1992
~~~
Multiply By
Exponent
To Convert From
To
foot poundal
joule (J)
0.042140 11
kilowatthour
joule (J)
3.6
kilowatthour
megajoule (MJ)
3.6
quad
joule (J)
1.055
E+18
therm (EEC)[4]
joule (J)
1.055 06
E+08
therm (US)141
joule (J)
1.054 804
E+08
ton (explosive energy of one ton

of TNT)*
joule (J)
4.184
E+09
watthour
joule (J)
wattsecond
joule (J)
E+06
3 600
1.0
~~
~~
Energy per Area rime

erg per square centimeter
second

(W/m2)
0.001
watt per square centimeter

(W/mz)
1.0
watt per square inch

(W/m2)
E+04
1550.003
Power
erg per second
watt (W)
1.0
E-07
foot pound-force per hour
watt (W)
3.766161
E-04
foot pound-force per minute
watt (W)
0.022596 97
foot pound-force per second
watt (W)
1.355 818
horsepower (550foot poundforce per second)
watt (W)
horsepower (boiler)
watt (W)
horsepower (electric)
watt
horsepower (metric)
watt (W)
735.499
horsepower (water)
watt (W)
746.043
'Defined-not
745.699 9
9 809.50
(W)
746
measured.
38
ANSVIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
Table A3
Classified List of Units -Heat [31
To Convert From
Multiply By
To
Exponent
Ikmperature
+ 273.15
degree Celsius ("C)
kelvin (K)
TK = tT
degree centigrade
degree Celsius ("C)
t"C
degree Fahrenheit ( O F )
degree Celsius ("C)
tOC= (tP - 32)&.8
degree Fahrenheit (OF)
kelvin (K)
T K = (tq? +459.67)&.8
degree Rankine ("R)
kelvin (K)
TK = T,/1.8
kelvin (K)
degree Celsius PC)
t T = TK - 273.15
= teentigrade
Ikmperature Interval
degree Celsius ("C)
kelvin (K)
1 .o
degree centigrade
degree Celsius ("C)
1 .o
degree Fahrenheit ( O F )
kelvin (K)
0.555 555 6
degree Fahrenheit (OF)
degree Celsius ("C)
0.555555 6
degree Rankine (OR)
kelvin (K)
0.555 555 6
Thermal Energy
British thermal unit (Btu) [31
joule (J)
calorie [3]
joule (J)
calorie, nutrition [31
joule (J)
4 184
kilocalorie [3]
joule (J)
4 184
therm (EEC) [4]
joule (J)
1.055 06
E +08
therm (US)[4]
joule (J)
1.054 804
E+08
1055.056
4.184
Heat Flow Rate
0.293 071 1
Btu per hour
watt (W)
Btu per second
watt (W)
calorie per minute
watt (W)
0.069733 33
calorie per second
watt (W)
4.184
ton of refrigeration
(12000 Btu per hour) [3]
watt (W)
1055.056
3 517
39
ANSIlIEEE
Std 268-1992
Classified List of Units -Heat 131
To Convert From
To
Multiply By
Exponent
Density of Heat Flow Rate

Btu per square foot second

(W/m2)
Btu per square foot hour

(W/m2)
calorie per centimeter squared

minute

(W/IIl2)
calorie per square centimeter

second

(W/m2)
11 356.53
3.154591
697.3333
41 840
Thermal Conductivity
Btu foot per hour square foot
degree Fahrenheit

W/(m.K))
1.730 735
Btu inch per hour square foot

degree Fahrenheit

W4m.K))
0.144 227 9
Btu inch per second square foot

degree Fahrenheit

(W/(m.K))
519.220 4
calorie per centimeter second

degree Celsius

(W4m.K))
418.4
~
Coefficient of Heat Dansfer

Btu per hour square foot degree
Fahrenheit
watt per square meter kelvin

W/(m2.K))
5.678263
Btu per second square foot

degree Fahrenheit

(W/(m2.K))
2.044 175
E+04
Thermal Insulance
clo
kelvin uaremeterperwatt
(K.m9/W)
0.200 371 2
degree Fahrenheit hour square

foot per Btu
kelvin uaremeterperwatt
(K.m
9/W)
0.176 110 2
Thermal Resistivity
foot per Btu inch
kelvin meter per watt

(K.mlW)
6.933472
Thermal Resistance
~
degree Fahrenheit
hour per Btu
kelvin per watt (WW)
1.46366
second per Btu
kelvin per watt (K/W)
0.526917 6
40
E -04
ANSIlIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
Classified List of Units -Heat 131
To Convert From
Multiply By
To
Exponent
Thermal Diffusiuity
square foot per hour
2.580 64

(m2/s)
E-05
~~
Heat Capacity and Entropy

Btu per degree Fahrenheit
joule per kelvin (JK)
1899.101
Btu per degree Rankine
joule per kelvin (JK)
1899.101
Specific Heat Capacity

Btu per pound degree Rankine

(J/(kg.K))
4 186.8
calorie per gram kelvin

(J/(kg.K))
4 184
Btu per pound degree

Fahrenheit
joule per kilogram degree

kelvin (J/(kgK))
4 186.8
calorie per gram degree Celsius

kelvin (J/(kgK))
4 184
~~~
Density of Heat
Btu per square foot
joule per square meter

(J/m2)
1.135 653
E +04
joule per square meter

(J/m2)
4.184
E+04
Internal Energy
Btu per pound
joule per kilogram ( J k g )
2 326
calorie per gram
joule per kilogram (Jkg)
4 184
Btu per cubic foot
joule per cubic meter (J/m3)
3.725 895
E+04
E-07
Fuel Consumption
pound per horsepower hour
kilogram per joule (kg/J)
1.689 659
gallon (US) per horsepower hour
liter per joule (IJJ)
0,001410 089
mile per gallon (US)
kilometer per liter (km/L)
0.425 143 7
mile per gallon (US) [5]
liter per 100 km(LJl00 km)
41
divide by 235.215
ANSYIEEE
AhlERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD
Std 268-1992
Table A4
Classified List of Units-Electricity
To Convert From
and Magnetism
Multiply By
Exponent
ampere hour
coulomb (C)
biot
ampere (A)
faraday (based on carbon 12)
coulomb (C)
franklin
coulomb (C)
3.335 641
E-10
gamma
tesla (T)
1.0
E-09
gauss
tesla
1.0
E -04
gilbert
ampere (A)
0.795 774 7
maxwell
weber (Wb)
1.0
mho
siemens (S)
1.0
oersted
ampere per meter (Nm)
ohm centimeter
ohm meter (!Am)
0.01
ohm circular-mil per foot
ohm meter (0.m)
1.662 426
ohm square millimeter per

meter (Qmm/m)
0.001 662 426
unit pole
weber (Wb)
1.256 637
3600
10
96 485.3
(T)
E-08
79.577 47
E -09
E-07
Electromagnetic CGS Units

abampere
ampere (A)
abcoulomb
coulomb (C)
abfarad
farad (F)
1.0
E +09
abhenry
henry (HI
1.0
E -09
abmho
siemens (S)
1.0
E+09
abohm
ohm (Q)
1.0
E-09
1.0
E-08
10
abvolt
Electrostatic CGS Units
statampere
ampere (A)
3.335 641
E-10
statcoulomb
coulomb (C)
3.335 641
E-10
statfarad
farad (F)
1,112 650
E-12
stathenry
henry (HI
8.987 552
E +11
42
ANSYIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
Classified List of Units-Electricity and Magnetism
~~
To Convert From
lb
statmho
siemens (S)
1 .112 650
E-12
statohm
ohm (a)
8.987 552
E+11
statvolt
volt (V)
Multiply By
Exponent
299.792 5
Table A5
Classified List of Units-Light
Multiply By
To Convert From
To
footcandle
lux (Lu)
candela per square inch
candela
square meter
(cum 1
footlambert
candela
square meter
(cum 1
lambert
candela g
w square meter
(cdm )
stilb
candela
(cum )
lumen per square foot
lumen per square meter

(lm/m2)
phot

(lm/m2)
Exponent
10.763 91
pr
pr
ysquare meter
1550.003
3.426 259
3 183.099
10 000
10.763 91
10 000
Table A6
Classified List of Units-Radiology
To Convert From
To
curie
becquerel (Bq)
3.7
rad (absorbed dose)
gray (GY)
0.01
rem (dose equivalent)
sievert (Sv)
0.01
roentgen
coulomb per kilogram (C/kg)
0.000 258
Multiply By
43
Exponent
E+10
ANSVIEEE
Std 268-1992
Table A7
Alphabetical List of Units
~
To Convert From
Multiply By
Exponent
abampere
ampere (A)
10
abmulomb
coulomb ( C )
10
abfarad
farad (F)
1.0
E +OS
abhenry
henry (H)
1.0
E-09
abmho
siemens (S)
1.0
E +OS
abohm
ohm (a)
1.0
E-09
abvolt
volt (v)
1.0
E-08
acre
square meter (m2)
4 046.9
acre-foot
cubic meter (m3)
1233.5
ampere hour
coulomb (C)
3600
are
square meter (m2,
astronomical unit
meter (m)
atmosphere, standard
kilopascal ( W a )
atmosphere, technical
(1 kilogram force per square
centimeter)
kilopascal ( W a )
Angstmm
meter (m)
1.0
Angstmm
nanometer (nm)
0.1
bar
kilopascal (kPa)
barn
square meter (m2)
1.0
cubic meter (m3)
0.158987 3
liter (L)
biot
ampere (A)
board foot
cubic meter (m3)
British thermal unit (Btu) [3]
joule (J)
Btu per cubic foot
joule per cubic meter (J/m3)
Btu per degree Fahrenheit
joule per kelvin ( J S )
1899.101
Btu per degree Rankine
joule per kelvin ( J X )
1899.101
100
1.495 979
E+11
101.325
98.066 5
E-10
100
E-28
158.9873
10
0.002 359 737
1055.056
44
3.725 895
E +04
ANSYIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
Multiply By
Exponent
To Convert From
To
Btu per hour square foot degree

Fahrenheit

[W/(m2.K)l
5.678 263
Btu per hour
watt (W)
0.293071 1
Btu per pound
joule per kilogram (Jlkg)
2 326
Btu per pound degree

Fahrenheit

kelvin (J/(kgK))
4 186.8
Btu per pound degree Rankine

(J4kg.K))
4 186.8
Btu per second
watt (W)
1 055.056
Btu per second square foot

degree Fahrenheit

(W/(m2.K)l
2.044 175
E+04
Btu per square foot
joule per square meter (J/m2)
1.1 35 653
E +04
Btu per square foot hour

(W/m2)
3.154591
Btu per square foot second

(W/m2)
Btu foot per hour square foot

degree Fahrenheit

(W/(m.K)
1.730 735
Btu inch per hour square foot

degree Fahrenheit

(W/(m.Kl
0.144227 9
Btu inch per second square foot

degree Fahrenheit

IW/(m.K)
bushel (US)
cubic meter (m3)
0.035239 07
calorie [3]
joule (J)
4.184
calorie per centimeter second

degree Celsius

(W/(m.Kl
418.4
calorie per centimeter squared

minute

(W/m2)
697.3333
calorie per gram
joule per kilogram ( J k g )
4 184
calorie per gram degree Celsius

kelvin (J/(kgK)]
4 184
calorie per gram kelvin

(J/(kg.K)1
4 184
calorie per minute
watt (W)
0.069 733 33
calorie per second
watt (W)
4.184
45
11 356.53
519.220 4
ANSYIEEE
Std 268-1992
"able A7 (Continued)
To Convert From
To
joule per square meter (J/m2)

second

(W/m2)
calorie, nutrition [31
joule (J)
4 184
candela per square inch
candela ger square meter

(cum 1
1550.003
carat (metric)
gram (g)
centimeter of water [2]
pascal (Pa)
centipoise
0.001
centistokes

(m2/s)
1.0
chain (66 US survey feet) [I]
meter (m)
circular mil
square millimeter (mm2)
5.067 075
clo
kelvin s uare meter per watt
0.200 371 2
cubic foot per minute
cubic meter per second (m3/s)
4.719 474
cubic foot per second
0.028 316 85
cubic foot
cubic meter (m3)
0.028 316 85
cubic inch
cubic meter (m3)
1.638 706 4
E-05
cubic inch per minute
2.731 177
E-07
cubic yard
cubic meter (m3)
0.764 554 9
cubic yard per minute
0.012 742 58
cup (US)
liter (L)
0.236 6
cup (US)
milliliter (mL)
236.6
curie
becquerel (Bq)
3.7
day (mean solar)
second (s)
86 400
day (sidereal)
second (9)
86 164.09
degree Celsius ("C) (interval)
kelvin (K)
1.o
degree Celsius ("C)

(temperature)
kelvin (K)
TK= t-c + 273.15
degree centigrade (interval)
degree Celsius PC)
Multiply By
4.184
Exponent
E +04
41 840
09
98.066 6
E -06
20.116 84
(K.m9/W)
46
1 .o
E-04
E-04
E+10
ANSIlIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
Exponent
To Convert From
To
Multiply By
degree centigrade (temperature)
degree Celsius (C)
tC
degree Fahrenheit (OF) (interval)
degree Celsius (C)
degree Fahrenheit (F)

(temperature)
degree Celsius (C)
degree Fahrenheit (F) (interval)
kelvin (K)
degree Fahrenheit (F)

(temperature)
kelvin (K)

foot per Btu inch
kelvin meter per watt

foot per Btu
kelvin uare meter per watt

(K.mY/W)
0.176 110 2
degree Fahrenheit hour per Btu
1.463 66
degree Fahrenheit second per

Btu
0.526 917 6
degree
radian (rad)
0.017 453 29
degree Rankine (OR) (interval)
kelvin (K)
0.555 555 6
degree Rankine ( O R )
(temperature)
kelvin (K)
denier
gram per meter ( d m )
1.111 111
E-04
dyne centimeter
newton meter (N.m)
1.0
E-07
dyne
newton (NI
0.000 01
dyne per square centimeter
pascal (Pa)
0.1
electronvolt
joule (J)
1.602 19
E-19
erg
joule (J)
1.0
E-07
erg per second
watt (W)
1.o
E-07
erg per square centimeter

second

(W/JlP)
0.001
faraday (based on carbon 12)
coulomb (C)
fathom
meter (m)
1.828 8
fermi
femtometer (fm)
1.0
fermi
meter (m)
1.0
foot
meter (m)
0.304 8
= tcentigrade
0.555 555 6
tc = ( t p - 32)/l.8
0.555 555 6
TK= (tF +459.67)/l.8

6.933 472
(KdW
E-04
TK = ToRil.8
96 485.3
47
E-15
ANSVIEEE
Std 268-1992
To Convert From
To
foot, US survey [l]
meter (m)
0.304 800 6
foot of water [21
kilopascal (Wa)
2.989 07
foot per hour
8.466 667
foot per minute
0.005 08
foot per second
0.304 8
foot per second squared
0.304 8
Multiply By
Exponent
E -05
( d s )
foot pound-force
joule (J)
1.355 818
foot pound-force per hour
watt (W)
3.766 161
foot pound-force per minute
watt (W)
0.022596 97
foot pound-force per second
watt (W)
1.355 818
foot poundal
joule (J)
0.042 140 11
footcandle
lux (lx)
footlambert
candela r r square meter

(cdm 1
3.426 259
franklin
coulomb (C)
3.335 641
g, (standard acceleration of free

fall)
9.806 65
E -04
10.763 91
E-10
( d s )
0.01
(Ids )
gallon (Imperial)
liter (L)
4.548 09
gallon (US)
liter (L)
3.785 412
gallon (US) per day
4.381 264
gallon (US) per minute
0.063 090 20
gallon (US)per horsepower hour
liter per joule (UJ)
0.001 410 089
gamma
tesla (T)
1.0
E -09
gauss
tesla (T)
1.0
E -04
gilbert
ampere (A)
0.795774 7
grade
degree of angle (")
0.9
grade
radian (rad)
0.015707 96
48
E-05
ANSIlIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
To Convert From
Ib
grain
milligram (mg)
64.798 91
grain per gallon (US)
milligram per liter (mg/L)
17.118 06
hectare
square meter (m2)
horsepower (550 foot poundforce per second)
watt (W)
horsepower (boiler)
watt (W)
horsepower (electric)
watt (W)
746
horsepower (metric)
watt (W)
735.499
horsepower (water)
watt (W)
746.043
hour (sidereal)
second (s)
3 590.170
hour
second (s)
3 600
hundredweight, long
(112pounds)
kilogram (kg)
50.802 35
hundredweight, short
(100pounds)
kilogram (kg)
45.359 24
inch
meter (m)
0.026 4
inch of mercury [2]
kilopascal ( W a )
3.38639
inch of water [2]
pascal P a )
inch per second
0.025 4
inch per second squared
0.026 4
Multiply By
Exponent
10 000
745.699 9
9 809.50
249.089
( d s )
= TK - 273.16
kelvin (K) (temperature)
degree Celsius (C)
kilocalorie [31
joule (J)
kilogram-force meter
newton meter (N.m)
9.806 65
kilogram-force
newton (N)
9.806 65
kilogram-force per square

centimeter
kilopascal ( E a )
kilogram-force per square meter
pascal (Pa)
9.806 65
kilometer per hour
0.277 777 8
kilopond (kilogram-force)
newton (N)
9.806 65
kilowatthour
joule (J)
3.6
toC
4 184
98.066 5
49
E+06
ANSIlIEEE
Std 268-1992
To Convert From
To
kilowatthour
megajoule (MJ)
3.6
kip (1000pounds-force)
kilonewton (kN)
4.448 222
kip per square inch (ksi)
kilopascal ( W a )
knot (nautical mile per hour)
lambert
candela px square meter

(cum 1
light year
meter (m)
9.461
liter
cubic meter (m3)
0.001
lumen per square foot

(Mm2)
maxwell
weber (Wb)
1.0
mho
siemens (S)
1.0
microinch
micrometer (pm)
0.02s 4
micron
micrometer (pm)
1.0
mil
millimeter (mm)
0.0% 4
mile per hour
kilometer per hour (km/h)
1.609 344
mile per hour
0.447 04
mile per minute
mile, international (5280ft)
meter (m)
1609.344
mile, nautical
meter (m)
1852
mile, US statute [I]
meter (m)
1609.347
mile per gallon (US) [5]
liter per 100 km (MOO km)
mile per gallon (US)
kilometer per liter ( k d )
0.425 143 7
millibar
kilopascal (kPa)
0.1
millibar
pascal (Pa)
100
millimeter of mercury [2]
pascal (Pa)
133.322
minute (sidereal)
semnd (s)
minute
radian (rad)
minute
second (9)
Multiply By
Exponent
6 894.757
0.514444 4
3 183.099
E+15
10.76391
E-08
26.8224
divide by 235.215
59.836 17
2.908882
60
50
E-04
ANSVEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
To Convert From
To
oersted
ampere per meter (Nm)
ohm centimeter
ohm meter (C2.m)
0.01
ohm meter (Om)
1.662 426
ohm square millimeter per

meter (nm"m/m)
0.001 662 426
ounce (av) per cubic inch

(kg/m3)
ounce (av) per gallon (US)
gram per liter (g/L)
ounce (avoirdupois)
gram ( g )
28.349 52
ounce (Imperial fluid)
milliliter (mL)
28.413 062 6
ounce (troy or apothecary)
gram (g)
31.lo3 48
ounce (US fluid)
milliliter (mL)
29.573 53
ounce per square foot

(kg/mz)
0.305 151 7
ounce per square yard

(kg/m2)
0.033 905 75
ounce-force inch
millinewton meter (mN.m)
7.061 552
ounce-force
newton (N)
0.278 013 9
parsec
meter (m)
3.085 678
peck (US)
liter (L)
8.809 8
pennyweight
gram (g)
1.555 174
perm (0"C)

square meter
(kg/(Pa.s.m2))
5.721 35
E-11
perm (23 "C)

square meter
(Irg/(Pa.s.m2))
5.745 25
E-11
perm inch (0OC)

meter (kg4Pa.s.m))
1.453 22
E-12
perm inch (23 "C)

meter (kg4Pa.s.m))
1.459 29
E-12
phot

(lm/m2)
pica (printer's)
millimeter (mm)
Multiply By
51
Exponent
79.577 47
E-09
1729.994
7.489 152
10 000
4.217 518
E+16
ANSYIEEE
Std 268-1992
To Convert F m m
(us dry)
To
Multiply By
liter (L)
0.550 61
pint (USliquid)
liter (L)
0.473 176
point (printers)
millimeter (mm)
0.351 459 8
poise
pascal second (Pa+)
0.1
pound (avoirdupois)
kilogram (kg)
0.453 592 37
pound (troy or apothecary)
kilogram (kg)
0.373 241 7
pound per cubic foot

(Wm3)
pound per cubic inch

(kp/m3)
pound per cubic yard

(wm3)
0.593 276 4
pound per foot hour
pascal second ( P a 4
4.133 789
pound per foot
1.488 164
pound per foot second
1.488 164
pound per gallon (US)
kilogram per liter (kg/L)
pound per hour
pound per inch
pound per minute
0.007 559 873
pound per second
kilogram per second (kgh)
0.453 592 4
pound per square foot

Wm2)
4.882 428
pound per horsepower hour
kilogram per joule (kg/J)
1.689 659
pound force per foot
pound force per inch
pound force per pound
newton per kilogram (N/kg)
9.806650
pound-force foot
newton meter (N.m)
1.355 818
pound-force foot per inch

(Ndm)
pound-force inch
newton meter (N.m)
pint
52
Exponent
16.01846
27 679.90
E -04
119.826 4
1.259979
E-04
17.85797
14.593 90
175.1268
53.37866
0.112 984 8
E-07
ANSYIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
~
~~
To Convert From
To
Multiply By
pound-force inch per inch

(N.dm)
4.448 222
pound-force
newton (N)
4.448 222
pound-force per square foot
pascal (Pa)
pound-force per square inch
kilopascal (@a)

foot
pascal second ( P a 4

inch
poundal
newton (N)
0.138 255 0
poundal per square foot
pascal (Pa)
1.488 164
psi
kilopascal (kPa)
6.894 757
quad
joule (J)
1.055
quart WS dry)
liter
quart (US liquid)
liter (L)
0.946 353
rad (absorbed dose)
gray (CY)
0.01
rem (dose equivalent)
sievert (Sv)
0.01
revolution per minute (rpm)
radian per second (rad/s)
0.104 719 8
revolution
radian (rad)
6.283 185
rhe
1 per pascal second (1Pa.s)
rod (16.5 US survey feet) [ l ]
meter (m)
5.029 210
roentgen
coulomb per kilogram ( C k g )
0.000 258
second (sidereal)
second ( s )
0.997 269 6
second
radian (rad)
4.848 137
shake
nanosecond (ns)
10
slug
kilogram (kg)
14.593 90
square foot per hour

(m%)
2.580 64
square foot per second

(m2/s)
0.092 903 04
square foot
square meter (m2)
0.092 903 04
Exponent
47.880 26
6.894 757
(L)
47.880 26
6 894.757
E+18
1.101 22
53
10
E-06
E-05
ANSIlIEEE
Std 268-1992
To Convert From
To
square inch
square meter (m2)
6.451 6
E-04
square mile
square meter (m2)
2.589 988
E+06
square yard
square meter (m2)
0,836 127 4
statampere
ampere (A)
3.335 641
E-10
statcoulomb
coulomb (C)
3.335 641
E-10
statfarad
farad (F)
1.112 650
E-12
stathenry
henry (H)
8.987 552
E+11
statmho
siemens ( S )
1.112 650
E-12
statohm
ohm (a)
8.987 552
E+11
statvolt
volt (V)
stere
cubic meter (m3)
stilb
candela
square meter
(cum 1
stokes

(m2/s)
tablespoon
milliliter (mL)
teaspoon
milliliter (mL)
4.929
teX
kilogram per meter (kg")
1.0
E -06
therm (EEC) [4]
joule (J)
1.055 06
E +08
therm (US) [4]
joule (J)
1.054 804
E +08
ton (explosive energy of one ton

of TNT)*
joule (J)
4.184
E+09
ton (long) per cubic yard

(kg/m3)
1328.939
ton (short) per cubic yard

(kg/m3)
1186.553
ton (short)per hour
ton of refrigeration (12 000 Btu

per hour) [3]
watt (W)
ton, assay
gram (g)
*Defined-not
Multiply By
Exponent
299.792 5
pr
1.0
10 000
1.0
E -04
14.79
0.251 995 8
3 517
29.166 67
measured.
54
ANSVIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
To Convert From
To
ton,long (2240 pounds)
kilogram (kg)
1016.047
ton,metric
kilogram (kg)
1000
ton,register
cubic meter (m3)
ton,short (2000 pounds)
kilogram (kg)
ton-force (2000 pounds-force)
kilonewton (kN)
tonne
kilogram (kg)
torr
pascal (Pa)
unit pole
weber (Wb)
1.256 637
E-07
watt per square centimeter

(W/m2)
1.0
E+04
watt per square inch
Multiply By
Exponent
2.831 685
907.184 7
8.896 443
1000
133.322
1 550.003
(W/m2)
watthour
joule (J)
wattsecond
joule (J)
1.0
yard
meter (m)
0.914 4
year (365 days)
second ( 8 )
3.153 6
E +07
year (sidereal)
second (s)
3.155 815
E+07
3 600
55
ANSyIEEE
Std 268-1992
Appendix B
Terminology
To help ensure consistently reliable conversion and rounding practices, a clear understanding of the related nontechnical terms is a prerequisite. Certain terms used in this standard
are defined as follows:
accuracy. The degree of conformity of a measured or calculated value to some recognized

standard or specified value. This concept involves the systematic error of a n operation, which
is seldom negligible. See also precision.
approximate value. Avalue that is nearly correct or accurate.
deviation. Variation from a specified dimension or design requirement, usually defining
upper and lower limits. See also tolerance.
digit. One of the ten arabic numerals (0 t o 9).
dimension. A geometric element in a design, such as length or angle, o r the magnitude of
such a quantity.
feature. An individual characteristic of a part, such as screw-thread, taper, or slot.
figure (numerical).An arithmetic value expressed by one o r more digits.
inch-pound units. Units based upon the yard and the pound commonly used in the United
States of America and defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Note
that units having the same names in other countries may differ in magnitude.
precision. The degree of mutual agreement between individual measurements, namely
repeatability and reproducibility. See also accuracy.
significant digit. Any digit that is necessary t o define a value or quantity. (See C2.)
tolerance. The total amount by which a quantity is allowed to vary; thus, the tolerance is the
algebraic difference between the maximum and minimum limits.
57
ANSIlIEEE
Std 268-1992
Appendix C
Rules for Conversion and Rounding
C1. General
Appendix A contains conversion factors that give exact values or seven-digit accuracy for
implementing these rules except where the nature of the dimension makes this impractical.
Conversion of quantities should be handled with careful regard t o the implied correspondence between the accuracy of the data and the given number of digits. In all conversions, the
number of significant digits retained should be such that accuracy is neither sacrificed nor
exaggerated. (For guidance concerning significant digits, see C2.) For example, a length of
125 ft converts exactly to 38.1 m. If, however, the 125 ft length had been obtained by rounding
t o the nearest 5 ft, the conversion should be given as 38 m; and if it had been obtained by
rounding to the nearest 25 ft, the conversion should be given as 40 m.
Proper conversion procedure is t o multiply the specified numerical value by the conversion
factor exactly a s given in Appendix A and then round to the appropriate number of significant
digits. For example, to convert 3 ft 2 9/16 in to meters: (3 x 0.3048) + (2.5625 x 0.0254) = 0.979
487 5 m, which rounds to 0.979 m. Do not round either the conversion factor or the numerical
value before performing the multiplication, as accuracy may be reduced. After the conversion,
the SI value may be expressed by a multiple or submultiple unit of SI by the use of an appropriate prefix, for example, 979 mm.
C2. Significant Digits

When converting integral values of units, consideration must be given to the implied or
required precision of the integral value to be converted. For example, the value 4 in may be
intended to represent 4,4.0, 4.00 in, or even greater accuracy. Obviously, the converted value
must be carried t o a sufficient number of digits to maintain the accuracy implied or required
in the original quantity.
Any digit that is necessary to define the specific value or quantity is said to be significant.
When measured t o the nearest 1 m, a distance may be recorded as 157 m; this number has
three significant digits. If the measurement had been made to the nearest 0.1 m, the distance
might have been 157.4 m; this number has four significant digits.
Zeros may be used either to indicate a specific value, like any other digit, or t o indicate the
order of magnitude of a number. According t o the 1990 census, the US population figure was
248 709 873. Rounded t o thousands, this figure becomes 248 710 000. The first six digits of
this number, including the left-most zero, are significant; each measures a value. The last
three digits are zeros that merely indicate the order of magnitude of the number rounded t o
the nearest thousand. The identification of significant digits is only possible through knowledge of the circumstances. For example, the number 1000 may be the result of rounding from
965, in which case only one zero is significant, or i t may be rounded from 999.7, in which case
all three zeros are significant.
C3. Operations on Data

Occasionally, data required for an investigation must be drawn from a variety of sources
where they have been recorded with varying degrees of refinement. Specific rules must be
observed when such data are to be added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided.
59
ANSYIEEE
Std 268-1992
C3.1 Addition and Subtraction. The rule for addition and subtraction is that the answer
shall contain no significant digits farther t o the right than occurs in the least precise number.
Consider the addition of three numbers drawn from three sources, the first of which reported
data in millions, the second in thousands, and the third in units:
The total indicates a precision that is not valid. The numbers should first be rounded t o one
significant digit farther to-the right than that of the least precise number, and the sum taken:
163 000 000
217 885 000
96 432 768
477 317 768
163 000 000

217 900 000
96 400 OOQ
477 300 000
The total is then rounded to 477 000 000 a s called for by the rule. Note that if the second of
the figures to be added had been 217 985 000, the rounding before addition would have produced 218 000 000, in which case the 0 following 218 would have been a significant digit.
C3.2 Multiplication and Division. The rule for multiplication and division is that the product or quotient shall contain no more significant digits than are contained in the number with
the fewest significant digits used in the multiplication or division. The difference between this
rule and the rule for addition and subtraction should be noted; the latter rule merely requires
rounding of digits that lie to the right of the last significant digit in the least precise number.
The following illustration highlights this difference:
Multiplication:
Division:
Addition:
Subtraction:
113.2 x 1.43 = 161.876, rounded to 162

113.2 11.43 = 79.16, rounded t o 79.2
113.2 + 1.43 = 114.63, rounded t o 114.6
113.2 - 1.43 = 111.77, rounded to 111.8
The above product and quotient are limited to three significant digits since 1.43 contains
only three significant digits. In contrast, the rounded answers in the addition and subtraction
examples contain four significant digits.
C3.3 Integers. Numbers used in the above illustrations have all been estimates or measurements. Numbers that are exact counts are treated a s though they consist of an infinite number of significant digits. More simply stated, when a count is used in computation with a
measurement, the number of significant digits in the answer is the same a s the number of significant digits in the measurement. If a count of 40 is multiplied by a measurement of 10.2,
the product is 408. However, if 40 were an estimate accurate only to the nearest 10, and
hence contained but one significant digit, the product would be 400.
C4. Accuracy and Rounding

Accurate conversions are obtained by multiplying the specified numerical value by the
appropriate conversion factor given in Appendix A. However, this product will usually imply
a n accuracy not intended by the original value. Proper conversion procedure includes rounding this converted quantity to the proper number of significant digits commensurate with its
intended precision.
The practical aspect of measuring must be considered when using SI equivalents. If a scale
having divisions of 1/16 in was suitable for making the original measurements, a metric scale
having divisions of 1 mm is obviously suitable for measuring in SI units. Similarly, a gage or
caliper graduated in divisions of 0.02 mm is comparable to one graduated in divisions of 0.001
in. Analogous situations exist in the measurement of mass, force, and other quantities.
60
ANSIlIEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
Many techniques are used to guide the determination of the proper number of significant
digits in the converted values. Two different approaches to rounding of quantities are here
described, one for general use and the other for conversion of dimensions involving mechanical interchangeability.
C4.1 General Conversion. This approach depends on first establishing the intended precision or accuracy of the quantity as a necessary guide to the number of digits t o retain. This
precision should relate to the number of digits in the original, but in many cases this is not a
reliable indicator, 1.1875 may be the accurate decimalization of 1 3/16, which could have been
expressed as 1.19. On the other hand, the value 2 may mean about 2, or it may mean a very
accurate value of 2, which should have been written 2.000.
It is therefore necessary to determine the intended precision of a quantity before converting. This estimate of intended precision should never be smaller than the accuracy of measurement and should usually be smaller than one tenth the tolerance if one exists. After
estimating the precision of the dimension, the converted dimension should be rounded to a
minimum number of significant digits (see C2) such that a unit of the last place is equal to or
smaller than the converted precision.
Examples:
(1) A stirring rod 6 in long. In this case precision is estimated t o be about 112 in (k 114 in).
Converted, this is 12.7 mm. The converted dimension 152.4 mm should be rounded to
the nearest 1 0 mm, or 150 mm.
(2) Test pressure 200 lbf7in2 (psi) f 15 Ibf7in2 (psi). Since one tenth of the tolerance is 3 lbf7
in2 (20.68 kPa), the converted dimension should be rounded to the nearest 1 0 kPa.
1378.9514 kPa rt 103.421 35 kPa becomes 1380 kPa k 100 kPa.
C4.2 Special Cases. Converted values should be rounded to the minimum number of significant digits that will maintain the required accuracy, as discussed in C1. In certain cases, deviation from this practice to make use of convenient or whole numbers may be feasible, in which
case the word approximate must be used following the conversion. For example:
1 718 in = 47.625 mm exact
47.6 mm normal rounding
47.5 mm (approximate) rounded t o preferred number
48 mm (approximate) rounded t o whole number
A quantity stated a s a limit, such as not more than or maximum, must be handled so
that the stated limit is not violated. For example, a specimen at least 4 in wide requires a
width of at least 101.6 mm, or at least 102 mm.
C5. Rounding Values

When a figure is to be rounded t o fewer digits than the total number available, the procedure should be as follows:
(1) When the first digit discarded is less than 5, the last digit retained should not be
changed. For example, 3.463 25, if rounded to four digits, would be 3.463; if rounded to
three digits, 3.46.
(2) When the first digit discarded is greater than 5, or if it is a 5 followed by a t least one
digit other than 0, the last digit retained should be increased by one unit. For example
8.376 52, if rounded t o four digits, would be 8.377; if rounded to three digits, 8.38.
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(3) When the first digit discarded is exactly 5, followed only by zeros, the last digit
retained should be rounded upward if it is an odd number, but no adjustment made if it
is an even number. For example, 4.365, when rounded to three digits, becomes 4.36.
The number 4.355 would also round to the same value, 4.36, if rounded t o three digits.
C6. Conversion of Linear Dimensions of Interchangeable Parts

The use of the exact relation 1 in = 25.4 mm generally produces converted values containing
more decimal places than are required for the desired accuracy. It is therefore necessary to
round these values suitably and at the same time maintain the degree of accuracy in the converted values compatible with that of the original values.
C6.1 General. The number of decimal places given in Table C1 for rounding converted toleranced dimensions relates the degree of accuracy to the size of the tolerances specified.
a b l e C1
Rounding Tolerance-Inches to Millimeters
Fineness of Rounding
(mm)
Original Tolerance
(inches)
At Least
Less Than
0.00004
0.000 4
0.000
0.0004
0.004
0.001
0.004
0.04
0.01
0.04
0.4
0.1
Two methods of using Table C1 are given: Method A, which rounds to values nearest to
each limit, and Method B, which rounds to values always inside the limits.
In Method A, rounding is effected to the nearest rounded value of the limit so that, on the
average, the converted tolerances remain statistically identical with the original tolerances.
The limits converted by this method, where acceptable for interchangeability, serve as a basis
for inspection.
In Method B, rounding is done systematically toward the interior of the tolerance zone so
that the converted tolerances are never larger than the original tolerances. This method must
be employed when the original limits have t o be respected absolutely; in particular, when
components made to converted limits are to be inspected by means of original gages.
C6.1.1 Method A. The use of this method ensures that even in the most unfavorable cases
neither of the two original limits will be changed by more than 0.05 of the value of the tolerance. Proceed as follows:
(1) Calculate the maximum and minimum limits in inches.
(2) Convert the corresponding two values exactly into millimeters by means of the conversion factor 1 in = 25.4 mm.
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(3) Round the results obtained to the nearest rounded value as indicated in Table C1,
depending on the original tolerance in inches; that is, on the difference between the
two limits in inches.
C6.1.2 Method B.This method must be employed when the original limits may not be violated, for instance, certain critical mating parts. In extreme cases, this method may increase
the lower limit a maximum of 0.10of the tolerance and decrease the upper limit a maximum
of 0.10of the tolerance.
(1) Proceed as in MethodA step (1).

(2) Proceed as in Method A step (2).
(3) Round each limit toward the interior of the tolerance, that is, to the next lower value
for the upper limit and to the next higher value for the lower limit.
Examples:
A dimension is expressed in inches as .................................................................
1.950f 0.016
The limits are ....................................................................................................
1.934and 1.966
Conversion of the two limits into millimeters gives ................................ 49.1236 and 49.9364
Method A. The tolerance equals 0.032in and thus lies between 0.004 and 0.04in, (see Table
Cl). Rounding these values to the nearest 0.01 mm, the values in millimeters to be employed
for these two limits are 49.12 and 49.94.
Method B. Rounding toward the interior of the tolerance, millimeter values for these two
limits are 49.13 and 49.93.This reduces the tolerance to 0.80 instead of 0.82 mm given by
Method A.
C6.2 Special Method for Dimensions With Plus and Minus Deviations. In order to
avoid accumulation of rounding errors, the two limits of size normally are converted separately; thus, they must first be calculated as if the dimension consists of a basic size and two
deviations. However, as an alternative to Method A, the basic size may be converted to the
nearest rounded value and each of the deviations converted toward the interior of the tolerance. This method, which sometimes makes conversion easier, gives the same maximum guarantee of accuracy as Method A, but usually results in smaller converted tolerances.
C6.3 Special Methods for Limitation Imposed by Accuracy of Measurements. If the
increment of rounding for the tolerances given in Table C1 is too small for the available accuracy of measurement, limits that are acceptable for interchangeability must be determined
separately for the dimensions. For example, where accuracy of measurements is limited to
0.001 mm, study shows that values converted from 1.0000 in f 0.0005 in can be rounded to
25.413mm and 25.387mm instead of 25.4127mm and 25.3873 mm with little disadvantage,
since neither of the two original limits is exceeded by more than 0.012 of the tolerance.
C6.4 Positional Tolerance. If the dimensioning consists solely of a positional tolerance
around a point defined by a nontoleranced basic dimension, the basic dimension must be converted to the nearest rounded value and the positional variation (radius) separately converted
by rounding downward.
C6.5 nleranced Dimension Applied to a Nontoleranced Position Dimension. If the
toleranced dimension is located in a plane, the position of which is given by nontoleranced
basic or gage dimension, such as when dimensioning certain conical surfaces, proceed as
follows:
(1) Round the converted reference gage arbitrarily, to the nearest convenient value.
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(2) Calculate exactly, in the converted unit of measurement, new maximum and minimum
limits of the specified tolerance zone, in the new plane defined by the new basic
dimension.
(3) Round these limits in conformity with the rules given in C5. For example, a cone of
taper 0.05 i d i n has a diameter of 1,000 in k 0.002 in within a reference plane located
by the nontoleranced dimension 0.9300 in. By virtue of the taper of the cone, the limits
of the tolerance zone depend on the position of the reference plane. Consequently, if the
dimension 0.9300 in = 23.6220 mm is rounded to 23.600 mm (that is, a reduction of
0.022 mm), each of the two original limits, when converted exactly into millimeters,
must be corrected by 0.022 mm x 0.05 = 0.0011 mm, in the appropriate sense, before
being rounded.
C6.6 Consideration of Maximum and Minimum Material Condition. The ability t o

assemble mating parts depends on a go condition at the maximum material limits of the
parts. The minimum material limits, which are determined by the respective tolerances, are
often not as critical from a functional standpoint. Accordingly, it may be desirable t o employ a
combination of Methods A and B in certain conversions by using Method B for the maximum
material limits and Method A for the minimum material limits. Alteratively, it may be desirable t o round automatically the converted minimum material limits outside the original limits to provide greater tolerances for manufacturing.
While the technique described in C6 provides good accuracy of conversion, it will often
result in dimensions that are impractical for actual production use. For conversions intended
for production, it is usually necessary to round to fewer decimal places and apply design judgment to each dimension t o ensure interchangeability.
C7. Other Units

C7.1 Temperature. General guidance for converting tolerances from degrees Fahrenheit t o
kelvins or degrees Celsius is given in Table C2.
Table C2
Conversion of Temperature Tolerance Requirements
Tolerance
(OF)
Tolerance
( K or C )
2 (* 1)
1 (*0.5)
5 (+ 2)
2 (* 1)
10 (55)
6 (+ 3)
20 (+ 10)
11 (* 5.5)
30 (*15)
17 (k8.5)
40 (k 20)
22 (+ 11)
50 (k 25)
28 (k14)
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Normally, temperatures expressed in a whole number of degrees Fahrenheit should be converted to the nearest 0.5 K (or degrees Celsius). As with other quantities, the number of significant digits to retain will depend upon the implied accuracy of the original dimension, for
example:
100 "F f 5 OF; implied accuracy estimated t o be 2 "F
37.777 "C f 2.7777 "C rounds to 38 "C k 3 "C
1000 "F f 50 O F ; implied accuracy estimated t o be 20 O F
537.777 "C k 27.7777 "C rounds t o 540 "C f 30 "C
C7.2 Pressure or Stress. As with other quantities, pressure or stress values may be converted by the principle given above. Values with a relative uncertainty of more than 0.02 may
be converted without rounding by approximate factors:
1 lbf7in2 (1 psi) = 7 kN/m2 = 7 kPa
For conversion factors and values, see Appendix A.
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Appendix D
Development of the International System of Units
(Le Systkme International dUnit6s)
D1. History
The decimal system of units was conceived in the 16th century, when there was a p e a t confusion and a jumble of units of weights and measures. I t was not until 1790, however, that the
French National Assembly requested the French Academy of Sciences to work out a system of
units suitable for adoption by the entire world. This system, based on the meter a s a unit of
length and the kilogram a s a unit of mass, was adopted a s a practical measure to benefit
industry and commerce. Physicists soon realized its advantages, and it was adopted also in
scientific and technical circles. The importance of the regulation of weights and measures was
recognized in Article 1, Section 8, when the United States Constitution was written in 1787,
b u t the metric system was not legalized in this country until 1866. In 1893, the international
meter and kilogram became the fundamental standards of length and mass in the United
States, both for metric and customary weights and measures.
Meanwhile, international standardization began with an 1870 meeting of 15 nations in
Paris that led t o the May 20, 1875 International Metric Convention and the establishment of
a permanent International Bureau of Weights and Measures near Paris. A General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) was also constituted t o handle all international matters concerning the metric system. The CGPM meets at least every six years in Paris and
controls the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, which in turn preserves the metric standards, compares national standards with them, and conducts research t o establish
new standards. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) represents the
United States in these activities.
The original metric system provided a set of units for the measurement of length, area, volume, capacity, and mass based on two fundamental units: the meter and the kilogram. Measurement of additional quantities required for science and commerce has necessitated
development of additional fundamental and derived units. Numerous other systems based on
these two metric units have been used. A unit of time was added to produce the centimetergram-second (CGS) system, adopted in 1881 by the International Electrical Congress. About
the year 1900, practical measurements in metric units began t o be based on the meter-kilogram-second (MKS) system. In 1935, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
acted favorably on a proposal originally made by Professor Giovanni Giorgi in 1901 and recommended that the MKS system of mechanics be linked with the electromagnetic system of
units by adoption of one of the units-ampere, coulomb, ohm, or volt-for a fourth base unit.
Subsequently the ampere, the unit of electric current, was selected as a base unit, thus defining the MKSA system.
The 10th CGPM in 1954 adopted a rationalized and coherent system of units based on the
four MKSA units, plus the degree Kelvin as the unit of temperature and the candela as the
unit of luminous intensity. The 11th CGPM in 1960 formally gave it the full title, International System of Units, for which the abbreviation is SI in all languages. Thirty-six countries, including the United States, participated in this conference. The 12th CGPM in 1964
made some refinements, and the 13th CGPM in 1967 redefined the second, renamed the unit
of temperature as the kelvin (K),
and revised the definition of the candela. The 14th CGPM in
1971 added a seventh base unit, the mole, and approved the pascal (Pa) as a special name for
the S I unit of pressure or stress, the newton per square meter, and the siemens (S) as a special name for the unit of electric conductance, the reciprocal ohm or the ampere per volt.
exa (E) and peta (P) respectively,
The 15th CGPM in 1975 added prefixes for 10l8 and
and approved two special names: the gray (Gy) as a special name for the SI unit of absorbed
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dose, the joule per kilogram; and the becquerel (Bq) as a special name for the SI unit of activity of a radionuclide, one per second.
Because of the experimental difficulties in realizing a Planck radiator at high temperatures
and the new possibilities offered by radiometry, i.e., the measurement of optical radiation
power, the 16th CGPM in 1979 adopted a new definition of the SI base unit candela. It also
adopted the special name sieved for the SI unit of dose equivalent in the field of radioprotection. In order to increase the precision of realization of the SI base unit meter, the definition
based upon the wavelength of a krypton 86 radiation was replaced by one based on the speed
of light by the 17th CGPM in 1983. The 19th CGPM added the prefixes zetta (Z) for 1021,
zepto ( z ) for
yotta 0for
and yocto (y) for
D2. Advantages of SI
SI is a rationalized selection of units from the metric system, which individually are not
new. It includes a unit of force (newton) in place of the kilogram-force. SI is a coherent system
with seven base units for which names, symbols, and precise definitions have been established. Many derived units are defined in terms of the base units; have symbols assigned to
each; and, in some cases, are given names, as for example, the newton (NI.
The great advantage of SI is that there is one and only one unit for each physical quantitythe meter for length (I), kilogram (instead of gram) for mass (m),second for time (t),etc. From
these elemental units, units for all other mechanical quantities are derived. These derived
units are defined by simple equations such as v = dl ldt (velocity), a = dv ldt (acceleration), F =
ma (force), W = FZ (work or energy), P = W / t (power). Some of these units have only generic
names such as meter per second for velocity; others have special names such as newton (N) for
force, joule (J) for work or energy, and watt (W) for power. The SI units for force, energy, and
power are the same regardless of whether the process is mechanical, electrical, chemical,
thermal, or nuclear. A force of 1 N applied for a distance of 1 m can produce 1 J of heat, which
is identical with what l . W of electric power can produce in 1 s.
Corresponding to the advantages of SI that result from the use of a unique unit for each
physical quantity, are the advantages that result from the use of a unique and well-defined set
of symbols. Such symbols eliminate the confbsion that can arise from current practices in different disciplines such as the use of b for both the bar (a unit of pressure) and barn (a unit of
cross section).
Another advantage of SI is its retention of the decimal relation between multiples and submultiples of the unit for each physical quantity-not that there is anything inherently superior in a number system to the base 1 0 but that SI conforms to the system of arabic numerals.
Prefixes are established for designating multiple and submultiple units from yotto
down to yocto (lo-%)for convenience in writing and talking.
Another major advantage of S I is its coherence. Units might be chosen arbitrarily, but making an independent choice of a unit for each category of mutually comparable quantities would
lead in general to the appearance of several additional numerical factors in the equations
between the numerical values. It is possible, however, and in practice more convenient, t o
choose a system of units in such a way that the equations between numerical values, including the numerical factors, have exactly the same form as the corresponding equations
between the quantities.
A unit system defined in this way is called coherent with respect to the system of quantities
and equations in question. Equations between units of a coherent unit system contain as
numerical factors only the number 1.
In a coherent system the product or quotient of any two unit quantities is the unit of the
resulting quantity. For example, in any coherent system, unit area results when unit length is
multiplied by unit length, unit velocity when unit length is divided by unit time, and unit
force when unit mass is multiplied by unit acceleration. Thus, in a coherent system in which
the foot is a unit of length, the square foot is the unit of area (but the acre is not). Similarly in
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a coherent system in which the foot, the pound, and the second are units of length, mass, and
time, the unit of force is the poundal (and not the pound-force).
D3. Selection of Units

Whatever the system of units, whether it be coherent or noncoherent, particular samples of
some physical quantities must be arbitrarily selected as units of those quantities. The remaining units are defined by appropriate experiments related to the theoretical interrelations of
all the quantities. For convenience of analysis, certain units are by convention regarded as
dimensionally independent; these units are called base units, and all other units (derived
units) can be expressed algebraically in terms of the base units. In the SI, the unit of mass,
the kilogram, is defined as the mass of a particular prototype kilogram preserved by the
International Bureau of Weights and Measures. It is the only SI base unit still defined in
terms of a material artifact.
Various other units are associated with SI but are not a part thereof. They are related to
units of the system by powers of 1 0 and are employed in specialized branches of physics.
Examples of such units are the bar, a unit of pressure, approximately equivalent t o 1 atmosphere and equal exactly t o 100 kPa. It is employed extensive1 by meteorologists. Another
such unit is the gal equal exactly t o a n acceleration of 0.01 m / s . I t is used in geodetic work.
These, however, are not coherent units; that is to say, equations involving these units and SI
units together cannot be written without a factor of proportionality even though the factor of
proportionality is a simple power of 10.
Originally (1795) the liter was intended t o be identical with the cubic decimeter. The Third
General Conference on Weights and Measures, meeting in 1901, decided to define the liter as
the volume occupied by the mass of one kilogram of pure water at its maximum density under
normal atmospheric pressure. Careful determinations subsequently established the liter so
defined as being equivalent to 1.000 028 dm3. In 1964 the General Conference on Weights and
Measures withdrew this definition of the liter, and declared that the word liter may be
employed as a special name for the cubic decimeter. Thus its use is permitted in SI, but is discouraged (see 3.3.2.4), since it creates two units for the same quantity, and its use in precision
measurements might conflict with measurements recorded under the old definition.
D4. Definitions of SI Base Units

Authorized translations of the original French definitions of the seven base units of the
International System are given in paragraphs D4.1 through D4.7.
D4.1 meter. The meter is the length of the path traveled by light in vacuum during a time
interval of 11299 792 458 of a second. (Adopted by the 17th CGPM in 1983.)
D4.2 kilogram. The kilogram is the unit of mass; it is equal t o the mass of the international
prototype of the kilogram. (Adopted by the 1 s t and 3rd CGPMs in 1889 and 1901.)
D4.3 second.The second is the duration of 9 192 631 770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the cesium-133
atom. (Adopted by the 13th CGPM in 1967.)
D4.4 ampere. The ampere is that constant current which, if maintained in two straight parallel conductors of infinite length, of negligible circular cross section, and placed one meter
apart in vacuum, would produce between these conductors a force equal t o 2 x
newton per
meter of length. (Adopted by the 9th CGPM in 1948.)
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D4.5 kelvin. The kelvin, unit of thermodynamic temperature, is the fraction 11273.16 of the
thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water. (Adopted by the 13th CGPM in
1967.)
NOTE: It follows from this definition that the temperature of the triple point of water is 273.16 K (0.01 "C). This is
0.01 K above the freezing point of water at normal atmospheric pressure.
D4.6 mole. The mole is the amount of substance of a system that contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in 0.012 kg of carbon-12. (Adopted by the 14th CGPM in
1971.)
When the mole is used, the elementary entities must be specified and may be atoms, molecules, ions, electrons, other particles, or specified groups of such particles.
D4.7 candela. The candela is the luminous intensity, in a given direction, of a source that
emits monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 x 10l2 Hz and that h a s a radiant intensity in
that direction of 11683 watts per steradian. (Adopted by the 16th CGPM in 1979.)
D5. Definitions of SI Supplementary Units

The radian and the steradian are usually defined in the following way:
D5.1radian. The radian is the plane angle between two radii of a circle that cut off on the circumference a n arc equal in length to the radius.
D5.2 steradian. The steradian is the solid angle that, having its vertex in the center of a
sphere, cuts off a n area of the surface of the sphere equal t o that of a square with sides of
length equal t o the radius of the sphere.
D6. Definitions of SI Derived Units With Special Names
Physical Quantity
1. Absorbed dose
Unit and Definition*

The gray is the absorbed dose when the energy per unit mass
imparted to matter by ionizing radiation is one joule per
kilogram.
NOTE: The gray is also used for t h e ionizing radiation quantities: specific energy imparted, kerma, a n d absorbed dose index, which have t h e
SI u n i t joule per kilogram.
2. Activity
The becquerel is the activity of a radionuclide decaying at the

rate of one spontaneous nuclear transition per second.
3. Celsius temperature
The degree Celsius is equal t o the kelvin and is used in place of

the kelvin for expressing Celsius temperature (symbol t )
defined by the equation t = T - To, where T i s the thermodynamic temperature and To= 273.15 K by definition.
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4. Dose equivalent
The sievert is the dose equivalent when the absorbed dose of

ionizing radiation multiplied by the dimensionless factors Q
(quality factor) and N (product of any other multiplying factors), stipulated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection, is one joule per kilogram.
5 . Electric capacitance
The farad is the capacitance of a capacitor between the plates

of which there appears a difference of potential of one volt when
it is charged by a quantity of electricity equal to one coulomb.
6 . Electric charge,
quantity of electricity
Electric charge is the time integral of electric current; its unit,

the coulomb, is equal t o one ampere per second.
7. Electric conductance
The siemens is the electric conductance of a conductor in which

a current of one ampere is produced by a n electric potential difference of one volt.
8. Electric inductance
The henry is the inductance of a closed circuit in which an electromotive force of one volt is produced when the electric current
in the circuit varies uniformly at a rate of one ampere per
second.
9. Electric potential difference, electromotive force
The volt (unit of electric potential difference and electromotive

force) is the difference of electric potential between two points
of a conductor carrying a constant current of one ampere, when
the power dissipated between these points is equal to one watt.
10. Electric resistance
The ohm is the electric resistance between two points of a conductor when a contant difference of potential of one volt,
applied between these two points, produces in this conductor a
current of one ampere, this conductor not being the source of
any electromotive force.
11. Energy
The joule is the work done when the point of application of a

force of one newton is displaced a distance of one meter in the
direction of the force.
12. Force
The newton is that force that, when applied to a body having a

mass of one kilogram, gives it an acceleration of one meter per
second squared.
13.Frequency
The hertz is the frequency of a periodic phenomenon of which

the period is one second.
14.Illuminance
The lux is the illuminance produced by a luminous flux of one

lumen uniformly distributed over a surface of one square
meter.
15. Luminous flux
The lumen is the luminous flux emitted in a solid angle of one

steradian by a point source having a uniform intensity of one
candela.
16. Magnetic flux
The weber is the magnetic flux that, linking a circuit of one

turn, produces in it an electromotive force of one volt as i t is
reduced to zero at a uniform rate in one second.
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17. Magnetic flux

den sity
The tesla is the magnetic flux density of one magnetic induction

weber per square meter. In a n alternative approach to defining
the magnetic field quantities, the tesla may also be defined as
the magnetic flux density t h a t produces on a one-meter length
of wire carrying a current of one ampere, oriented normal t o the
flux density, a force of one newton, magnetic flux density being
defined as a n axial vector quantity such that the force exerted
on a n element of current is equal t o the vector product of this
element and the magnetic flux density.
18. Power
The watt is the power that represents a rate of energy transfer

of one joule per second.
19. Pressure or stress
The pascal is the pressure or stress of one newton per square

meter.
*SIderived units are only uniquely defined in terms of the base units (e.g., 1 R = 1 m ' . k g . ~ - ~ . A - ~ ) .
Thus, in some cases, the definition for a particular derived unit given here is just one of several possible definitions.
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Appendix E
The BIPM and the Meter Convention
The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM, Bureau International des Poids
e t Mesures) was set up by the Meter Convention (Convention du M&tre),signed in Paris on 20
May 1875 by seventeen nations during the final session of the Diplomatic Conference of the
Meter. This Convention was amended in 1921.
The BIPM has its headquarters near Paris, in the grounds (43 520 m2) of the Pavillon de
Breteuil (Parc de Saint-Cloud), placed at its disposal by the French Government; its upkeep is
financed jointly by the member nations of the Meter Convention.
In March 1991,46 nations were members of this Convention: Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China (People's Republic of), Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea (Democratic People's Republic), Korea
(Republic of), Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South
Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, USSR, United Kingdom, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia.
The task of BIPM is t o ensure worldwide unification of physical measurements; it is responsible for:
Establishing the fundamental standards and scales for measurement of the principal
physical quantities and maintaining the international prototypes
Carrying out comparisons of national and international standards
Ensuring the coordination of corresponding measuring techniques
Carrying out and coordinating the determinations relating t o the fundamental physital constants that are involved in the above-mentioned activities
The BIPM operates under the exclusive supervision of the International Committee for
Weights and Measures (CIPM, Comitk International des Poids e t Mesures), which itself comes
under the authority of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM, Confhence
Generale des Poids et Mesures).
The General Conference consists of delegates from all the member nations of the Meter
Convention and meets at present every four years. At each meeting it receives the Report of
the International Committee on the work accomplished, and it is responsible for:
Discussing and instigating the arrangements required to ensure the propagation and
improvement of the International System of Units (SI, Systeme International d'Unites), which is the modern form of the metric system
Confirming the results of new fundamental metrological determinations and the various scientific resolutions of international scope
Adopting the important decisions concerning the organization and development of the
BIPM
The International Committee consists of 18 members, each belonging to a different nation;

i t meets at present every year. The officers of this committee issue an annual report on the
administrative and financial position of the BIPM to the governments of the member nations
of the Meter Convention.
The activities of BIPM, which in the beginning were limited to the measurements of length
and mass and to metrological studies in relation t o these quantities, have been extended to
standards of measurement for electricity (19271, photometry (19371, ionizing radiations
(19601, and time scales (1988). To this end the original laboratories, built in 1876-1878, were
enlarged in 1929; new buildings were constructed in 1963-1964 for the ionizing radiation lab-
73
ANSMEEE
Std 268-1992
oratories, in 1984 for laser work, and in 1988 a new building for a library and offices was
opened.
Some 40 physicists or technicians are working in the BIPM laboratories. They are mainly
conducting metrological research, international comparisons of realization of units, and the
checking of standards used in the above-mentioned areas. An annual report in Procis-Verbau
des sdances du Comitt International des P o d s et Mesures gives the details of the work in
progress.
In view of the extension of the work entrusted to the BIPM, the CIPM has set up, since
1927,under the name of Consultative Committees (Comites Consultatifs), bodies designed to
provide it with information on matters that it refers to them for study and advice. These Consultative Committees, which may form temporary or permanent Working Groups t o study
special subjects, are responsible for coordinating the international work carried out in their
respective fields and proposing recommendations concerning units. In order to ensure worldwide uniformity in units of measurement, the International Committee accordingly acts
directly or submits proposals for sanction by the General Conference.
The Consultative Committees have common regulations. Each Consultative Committee,
the chair of which is normally a member of the CIPM, is composed of delegates from the major
metrology laboratories and specialized institutes, a list of which is drawn u p by the CIPM, as
well as individual members also appointed by the CIPM and one representative of the BIPM.
These Committees hold their meetings at irregular intervals; at present there are eight of
them in existence:
The Consultative Committee for Electricity (CCE), set up in 1927.
The Consultative Committee for Photometry and Radiometry (CCPR), a new name
given in 1971 to the Consultative Committee for Photometry, set up in 1933 (between
1930 and 1933 the preceding Committee (CCE) dealt with matters concerning Photometry).
The Consultative Committee for Thermometry (CCT), set up in 1937.
The Consultative Committee for the Definition of the Meter (CCDM), set up in 1952.
The Consultative Committee for the Definition of the Second (CCDS), set up in 1956.
The Consultative Committee for the Standards of Measurement of Ionizing Radiations
(CCEMRI), set up in 1958.,In 1969 this Consultative Committee established four sections: Section I (Measurement of x- and y rays, electrons); Section I1 (Measurement of
radionuclides); Section I11 (Neutron measurements); Section IV (a-energy standards).
In 1975 this last section was dissolved and Section I1 made responsible for its field of
activity.
The Consultative Committee for Units (CCU), set up in 1964. (This Consultative Committee replaced the Commission for the System of Units set up by the CIPM in 1954.)
The Consultative Committee for Mass and Related Quantities (CCM), set up in 1980.
The proceedings of the General Conference, the International Committee, the Consultative
Committees, and the International Bureau are published under the auspices of the latter in
the following series:
Comptes rendus des skances de la Conftrence Genkrale des Poids et Mesures

Proces-verbaux des dances du Comitd International des Poids et Mesures
Sessions des Comitks Consultatifs
Recueil de Davaux du Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (this collection for
private distribution brings together articles published in scientific and technical journals and books, as well as certain work published in the form of duplicated reports)
lBZPMProc&s-VerbauxCZPM, vol. 31,1963,p. 97.
74
ANSVEEE
Std 268-1992
FOR METRIC PRACTICE
The collection of the Davaux et Mdmoires d u Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (22
volumes published between 1881 and 1966)ceased in 1966 by a decision of the CIPM.
Since 1965 the international journal Metrologia, edited under the auspices of CIPM, h a s
published articles on the more important work on scientific metrology carried out throughout
the world, on the improvement in measuring methods and standards, on units, etc., as well as
reports concerning the activities, decisions, and recommendations of the various bodies created under the Meter Convention.
75

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ANSVIEEE Std 268-1992

(Revision of ANSI/IEEE Std 268-1982)

American National Standard

Standards Coordinating Committees

October 28. 1992

American National Standard (ANSI)

American National Standard

IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 14 on

IEEE Standards Board

American National Standards Institute

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form,

P.O. Box 1331

IEEE Standards documents are adopted by the Institute of Electrical

Donald C. Loughry, Vice Chair

Marco W.Migliaro, Chair

Mary Lynne Nielsen

IEEE Standards Project Editor

2 . SI Units and Symbols ........................................................................................................ 9

Tables of Conversion Factors ..........................................................................

Rules for Conversion and Rounding ................................................................

Appendix D Development of the International System of Units

The BIPM and the Meter Convention .............................................................

Base SI Units .............................................................................................................

Fig 1 Illustration of Difference Between Mass (Unit: kilogram) and Force

Classified List of Units-Space and Time ..........................................................

Rounding Tolerance-Inches t o Millimeters ......................................................

American National Standard

2. SI Units and Symbols

Definitions of the units are given in Appendix D.

AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD

See 3.4.2 for a discussion of Celsius temperature.

FOR METRIC PRACTICE

Absorbed dose, specific energy imparted, kerma,

Activity (of a radionuclide)

Electric charge, quantity of electricity

Electric potential difference, electromotive force

Energy, work, quantity of heat

Frequency (of a periodic phenomenon)

Magnetic flux density

Power, radiant flux

*See 3.4.2for a discussion of Celsius temperature.

AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD

Absorbed dose rate

gray per second

meter per second squared

radian per second squared

radian per second

Concentration (of amount of substance)

mole per cubic meter

ampere per square meter

kilogram per cubic meter

Electric charge density

coulomb per cubic meter

Electric field strength

volt per meter

Electric flux density

coulomb per square meter

joule per cubic meter

joule per kelvin

Exposure (X and gamma rays)

coulomb per kilogram

joule per kelvin