International System of Units 1

International System of Units

The International System of Units[2] (abbreviated SI from French:
Système international d'unités[3] ) is the modern form of the metric system
and is generally a system of units of measurement devised around seven
base units and the convenience of the number ten. It is the world's most
widely used system of measurement, both in everyday commerce and in
science.[4] [5] [6]

The older metric system included several groups of units. The SI was
developed in 1960 from the old metre-kilogram-second system, rather than
the centimetre-gram-second system, which, in turn, had a few variants.
Because the SI is not static, units are created and definitions are modified
through international agreement among many nations as the technology of
measurement progresses, and as the precision of measurements improves.

The system has been nearly globally adopted. Three principal exceptions
are Burma (Myanmar), Liberia, and the United States. The United
Cover of brochure The International System
Kingdom has officially adopted the International System of Units but not of Units
[1]
with the intention of replacing customary measures entirely.

History
The metric system was conceived by a group of scientists (among them, Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, who is known as
the "father of modern chemistry") who had been commissioned by the assemblee nationale and Louis XVI of France
to create a unified and rational system of measures.[7] On 1 August 1793, the National Convention adopted the new
decimal metre with a provisional length as well as the other decimal units with preliminary definitions and terms. On
7 April 1795 (Loi du 18 germinal, an III) the terms gramme and kilogramme replaced the former terms gravet
(correctly milligrave) and grave. On 10 December 1799 (a month after Napoleon's coup d'état), the metric system
was definitively adopted in France.
The desire for international
cooperation on metrology led to the
signing in 1875 of the Metre
Convention, a treaty which established
three international organizations to
oversee the keeping of metric
standards:

• General Conference on Weights and

Measures (Conférence générale des
poids et mesures or CGPM) - a
meeting every four to six years of Countries by date of metrication
delegates from all member states;
• International Bureau of Weights and Measures (Bureau international des poids et mesures or BIPM) - an
international metrology centre at Sèvres in France; and
• International Committee for Weights and Measures (Comité international des poids et mesures or CIPM) - an
administrative committee which meets annually at the BIPM.
International System of Units 2

The history of the metric system has seen a number of variations, whose use has spread around the world, to replace
many traditional measurement systems. At the end of World War II a number of different systems of measurement
were still in use throughout the world. Some of these systems were metric-system variations, whereas others were
based on customary systems. It was recognised that additional steps were needed to promote a worldwide
measurement system. As a result the 9th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM), in 1948, asked the
International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) to conduct an international study of the measurement
needs of the scientific, technical, and educational communities.
Based on the findings of this study, the 10th CGPM in 1954 decided that an international system should be derived
from six base units to provide for the measurement of temperature and optical radiation in addition to mechanical
and electromagnetic quantities. The six base units that were recommended are the metre, kilogram, second, ampere,
degree Kelvin (later renamed the kelvin), and the candela. In 1960, the 11th CGPM named the system the
International System of Units, abbreviated SI from the French name: Le Système international d'unités. The seventh
base unit, the mole, was added in 1971 by the 14th CGPM.
One of the CIPM committees, the CCU, has proposed a number of changes to the definitions of the base units used
in SI .[8] The CIPM meeting of October 2010 found that the proposal was not fully complete,[9] and it is expected
that the CGPM will consider the full proposal in 2015.

Related systems
The definitions of the concepts 'quantity', 'unit', 'dimension' etc. used in measurement, are given in the International
Vocabulary of Metrology.[10]
The quantities and equations which define the SI units are now referred to as the International System of Quantities
(ISQ), and are set out in the ISO/IEC 80000 Quantities and Units.
A readable discussion of the present units and standards is found at Brian W. Petley [11] International Union of Pure
and Applied Physics I.U.P.A.P.- 39 (2004).

Units
The International System of Units consists of a set of units together with a set of prefixes. The units are divided into
two classes—base units and derived units. There are seven base units, each representing, by convention, different
kinds of physical quantities.

SI base units[12] [13]

Name Unit symbol Quantity Symbol

metre m length l (a lowercase L)

kilogram kg mass m

second s time t

ampere A electric current I (a capital i)

kelvin K thermodynamic temperature T

candela cd luminous intensity Iv (a capital i with lowercase v subscript)

mole mol amount of substance n

There are an unlimited number of derived units formed from multiplication and division of the seven base units,[14]
for example the SI derived unit of speed is metre per second, m/s. Some derived units have special names; for
example, the unit of resistance, the ohm, symbol Ω, is uniquely defined by the relation Ω = m2·kg·s−3·A−2, which
follows from the definition of the quantity electrical resistance. The radian and steradian, once given special status,
International System of Units 3

are now considered derived units.[14]

A prefix may be added to a unit to produce a multiple of the original unit. All multiples are integer powers of ten,
and beyond a hundred(th) all are integer powers of a thousand. For example, kilo- denotes a multiple of a thousand
and milli- denotes a multiple of a thousandth; hence there are one thousand millimetres to the metre and one
thousand metres to the kilometre. The prefixes are never combined: a millionth of a metre is a micrometre not a
millimillimetre.

Standard prefixes for the SI units of measure

Multiples Name deca- hecto- kilo- mega- giga- tera- peta- exa- zetta- yotta-

Symbol da h k M G T P E Z Y

Factor 100 101 102 103 106 109 1012 1015 1018 1021 1024

Fractions Name deci- centi- milli- micro- nano- pico- femto- atto- zepto- yocto-

Symbol d c m μ n p f a z y

Factor 100 10−1 10−2 10−3 10−6 10−9 10−12 10−15 10−18 10−21 10−24

In addition to the SI units, there is also a set of non-SI units accepted for use with SI which includes some commonly
used non-coherent units such as the litre.

Writing unit symbols and the values of quantities

• The value of a quantity is written as a number followed by a space (representing a multiplication sign) and a unit
symbol; e.g., "2.21 kg", "7.3 × 102 m2", "22 K". This rule explicitly includes the percent sign (%). Exceptions are
the symbols for plane angular degrees, minutes and seconds (°, ′ and ″), which are placed immediately after the
number with no intervening space.[15] [16]
• Symbols for derived units formed by multiplication are joined with a centre dot (·) or a non-break space, for
example, "N·m" or "N m".
• Symbols for derived units formed by division are joined with a solidus (⁄), or given as a negative exponent. For
example, the "metre per second" can be written "m⁄s", "m s−1", "m·s−1" or . Only one solidus should be used;
e.g., "kg⁄(m·s2)" or "kg·m−1·s−2" are acceptable but "kg⁄m⁄s2" is ambiguous and unacceptable. Many computer
users will type the / character provided on computer keyboards, which in turn produces the Unicode character
U+002F, which is named solidus but is distinct from the Unicode solidus character, U+2044.
• Symbols are mathematical entities, not abbreviations, and do not have an appended period/full stop (.).
• Symbols are written in upright (Roman) type (m for metres, s for seconds), so as to differentiate from the italic
type used for variables (m for mass, s for displacement). By consensus of international standards bodies, this rule
is applied independent of the font used for surrounding text.[17]
• Symbols for units are written in lower case (e.g., "m", "s", "mol"), except for symbols derived from the name of a
person. For example, the unit of pressure is named after Blaise Pascal, so its symbol is written "Pa", whereas the
unit itself is written "pascal".[18]
• The one exception is the litre, whose original symbol "l" is unsuitably similar to the numeral "1" or the
uppercase letter "i" (depending on the typeface used), at least in many English-speaking countries. The
American National Institute of Standards and Technology recommends that "L" be used instead, a usage which
is common in the US, Canada and Australia (but not elsewhere). This has been accepted as an alternative by
the CGPM since 1979. The cursive ℓ is occasionally seen, especially in Japan and Greece, but this is not
currently recommended by any standards body. For more information, see litre.
International System of Units 4

• A prefix is part of the unit, and its symbol is prepended to the unit symbol without a separator (e.g., "k" in "km",
"M" in "MPa", "G" in "GHz" and so on). Compound prefixes are not allowed.
• All symbols of prefixes larger than 103 (kilo) are uppercase.[19]
• Symbols of units are not pluralised; e.g., "25 kg", not "25 kgs".[17]
• The 10th resolution of CGPM in 2003 declared that "the symbol for the decimal marker shall be either the point
on the line or the comma on the line." In practice, the decimal point is used in English-speaking countries as well
as most of Asia and the comma in most continental European languages.
• Spaces may be used as a thousands separator (1000000) in contrast to commas or periods (1,000,000 or
1.000.000) in order to reduce confusion resulting from the variation between these forms in different countries. In
print, the space used for this purpose is typically narrower than that between words (commonly a thin space).
• Any line-break inside a number, inside a compound unit, or between number and unit should be avoided, but, if
necessary, the last-named option should be used.
• In Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language computing (CJK), some of the commonly used units, prefix-unit
combinations, or unit-exponent combinations have been allocated predefined single characters taking up a full
square. Unicode includes these in its CJK Compatibility [20] and Letterlike Symbols [21] subranges for back
compatibility, without necessarily recommending future usage.
• When writing dimensionless quantities, the terms 'ppb' (parts per billion) and 'ppt' (parts per trillion) are
recognised as language-dependent terms, since the value of billion and trillion can vary from language to
language. SI, therefore, recommends avoiding these terms.[22] However, no alternative is suggested by the
International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM).

Writing the unit names

• Names of units start with a lowercase letter (e.g., newton, hertz, pascal), even when the symbol for the unit begins
with a capital letter. This also applies to 'degrees Celsius', since 'degree' is the unit.
• Names of units are pluralised using the normal English grammar rules;[23] [24] e.g., "henries" is the plural of
"henry".[23] :31 The units lux, hertz, and siemens are exceptions from this rule: they remain the same in singular
and plural form. Note that this rule applies only to the full names of units, not to their symbols.
• The official U.S. spellings for deca, metre, and litre are deka, meter, and liter, respectively.[25]

Realisation of units
Metrologists carefully distinguish between the definition of a unit and its realisation. The definition of each base unit
of the SI is drawn up so that it is unique and provides a sound theoretical basis upon which the most accurate and
reproducible measurements can be made. The realisation of the definition of a unit is the procedure by which the
definition may be used to establish the value and associated uncertainty of a quantity of the same kind as the unit. A
description of how the definitions of some important units are realised in practice is given on the BIPM website.[26]
However, "any method consistent with the laws of physics could be used to realise any SI unit."[27] (p. 111).
International System of Units 5

Conversion factors
The relationship between the units used in different systems is determined by convention or from the basic definition
of the units. Conversion of units from one system to another is accomplished by use of a conversion factor. There are
several compilations of conversion factors; see, for example, Appendix B of NIST SP 811.[23]

Cultural issues
The near-worldwide adoption of the metric system
as a tool of economy and everyday commerce was
based to some extent on the lack of customary
systems in many countries to adequately describe
some concepts, or as a result of an attempt to
standardise the many regional variations in the
customary system. International factors also
affected the adoption of the metric system, as
Three nations have not officially adopted the International System of Units
many countries increased their trade. For use in
as their primary or sole system of measurement: Myanmar (Burma),
science, it simplifies dealing with very large and Liberia, and the United States
small quantities, since it lines up so well with the
decimal numeral system.

Many units in everyday and scientific use are not derived from the seven SI base units (metre, kilogram, second,
ampere, kelvin, mole, and candela) combined with the SI prefixes. In some cases these deviations have been
approved by the BIPM.[28] Some examples include:
• The many units of time (minute, min; hour, h; day, d) in use besides the SI second, and are specifically accepted
for use according to table 6.[29]
• The year is specifically not included but has a recommended conversion factor.[30]
• The Celsius temperature scale; kelvins are rarely employed in everyday use.
• Electric energy is often billed in kilowatt-hours instead of megajoules. Similarly, battery charge is often measured
as milliamperes-hour (mAh) instead of coulombs.
• The nautical mile and knot (nautical mile per hour) used to measure travel distance and speed of ships and aircraft
(1 International nautical mile = 1852 m or approximately 1 minute of latitude). In addition to these, Annex 5 of
the Convention on International Civil Aviation permits the "temporary use" of the foot for altitude.
• Astronomical distances measured in astronomical units, parsecs, and light-years instead of, for example,
petametres (a light-year is about 9.461 Pm or about 9461000000000000 m).
• Atomic scale units used in physics and chemistry, such as the ångström, electron volt, atomic mass unit and barn.
• Some physicists prefer the centimetre-gram-second (CGS) units, or systems based on physical constants, such as
Planck units, atomic units, or geometric units.
• In some countries, the informal cup measurement has become 250 mL. Likewise, a 500 g metric pound is used in
many countries. Liquids, especially alcoholic ones, are often sold in units whose origins are historical (for
example, pints for beer and cider in glasses in the UK —although pint means 568 mL; champagne in Jeroboams
in France).
• A metric mile of 10 km is used in Norway and Sweden. The term metric mile is also used in some English
speaking countries for the 1500 m foot race.
• In the US, blood glucose measurements are recorded in milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL), which would normalise
to cg/L; in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, and Europe, the standard is millimole per litre (mmol/L) or
mM (millimolar).
International System of Units 6

• Blood pressure and atmospheric pressure are usually measured in mmHg(≈Torr) and bars, respectively, instead of
Pa.
The fine-tuning that has happened to the metric base-unit definitions over the past 200 years, as experts have tried
periodically to find more precise and reproducible methods, does not affect the everyday use of metric units. Since
most non-SI units in common use, such as the US customary units, are defined in SI units,[31] any change in the
definition of the SI units results in a change of the definition of the older units, as well.

International trade
One of the European Union's (EU) objectives is the creation of a single market for trade. In order to achieve this
objective, the EU standardised on using SI as the legal units of measure. At the time of writing (2009) it had issued
two units of measurement directives which catalogued the units of measure that might be used for, amongst other
things, trade: the first was Directive 71/354/EEC[32] issued in 1971 which required member states to standardise on
SI rather than use the variety of cgs and mks units then in use. The second was Directive 80/181/EEC[33] [34] [35] [36]
[37]
issued in 1979 which replaced the first and which gave the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland a
number of derogations from the original directive.
The directives gave a derogation from using SI units in areas where other units of measure had either been agreed by
international treaty or which were in universal use in worldwide trade. They also permitted the use of supplementary
indicators alongside, but not in place of the units catalogued in the directive. In its original form, Directive
80/181/EEC had a cut-off date for the use of such indicators, but with each amendment this date was moved until, in
2009, supplementary indicators have been allowed indefinitely.

References
[1] http:/ / www. bipm. org/ en/ publications/ brochure/
[2] International Bureau of Weights and Measures (2006), The International System of Units (SI) (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ utils/ common/ pdf/
si_brochure_8_en. pdf) (8th ed.), ISBN 92-822-2213-6,
[3] Resolution of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures establishing the International System of Units (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ en/
CGPM/ db/ 11/ 12/ )
[4] Official BIPM definitions (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ en/ si/ base_units/ )
[5] Essentials of the SI: Introduction (http:/ / www. physics. nist. gov/ cuu/ Units/ introduction. html)
[6] An extensive presentation of the SI units is maintained on line by NIST (http:/ / www. physics. nist. gov/ cuu/ Units/ units. html), including a
diagram (http:/ / www. physics. nist. gov/ cuu/ Units/ SIdiagram. html) of the interrelations between the derived units based upon the SI units.
Definitions of the basic units can be found on this site, as well as the CODATA report (http:/ / physics. nist. gov/ cuu/ Constants/ codata. pdf)
listing values for special constants such as the electric constant, the magnetic constant and the speed of light, all of which have defined values
as a result of the definition of the metre and ampere.

In the International System of Units (SI) (BIPM, 2006), the definition of the metre fixes the speed of
light in vacuum c0, the definition of the ampere fixes the magnetic constant (also called the permeability
of vacuum) μ0, and the definition of the mole fixes the molar mass of the carbon 12 atom M(12C) to
have the exact values given in the table [Table 1, p.7]. Since the electric constant (also called the
permittivity of vacuum) is related to μ0 by ε0 = 1/μ0c02, it too is known exactly.
– CODATA report
[7] "The name "kilogram"" (http:/ / www1. bipm. org/ en/ si/ history-si/ name_kg. html). . Retrieved 25 July 2006.
[8] Ian Mills (29 September 2010). "Draft Chapter 2 for SI Brochure, following redefinitions of the base units" (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ utils/ en/
pdf/ si_brochure_draft_ch2. pdf). CCU. . Retrieved 2011-01-01.
[9] Anon (November 2010). "BIPM Bulletin" (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ utils/ en/ pdf/ BIPM_Bulletin. pdf). BIPM. . Retrieved 2011-01-05.
[10] "The International Vocabulary of Metrology (VIM)" (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ en/ publications/ guides/ vim. html). .
[11] http:/ / www. physics. ohio-state. edu/ ~jossem/ IUPAP/ PhysicsNowText-A4-1. pdf
[12] Barry N. Taylor & Ambler Thompson Ed. (2008). The International System of Units (SI) (http:/ / physics. nist. gov/ Pubs/ SP330/ sp330.
pdf). Gaithersburg, MD: National Institute of Standards and Technology. pp. 23. . Retrieved 18 June 2008.
[13] Quantities Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry (http:/ / old. iupac. org/ publications/ books/ author/ mills. html), IUPAC
[14] Ambler Thompson and Barry N. Taylor, (2008), Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI) (http:/ / physics. nist. gov/ cuu/
pdf/ sp811. pdf), (Special publication 811), Gaithersburg, MD: National Institute of Standards and Technology, p. 3, footnote 2.
International System of Units 7

[15] The International System of Units (SI) (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ utils/ common/ pdf/ si_brochure_8_en. pdf) (8 ed.). International Bureau of
Weights and Measures (BIPM). 2006. p. 133. .
[16] Thompson, A.; Taylor, B. N. (July 2008). "NIST Guide to SI Units — Rules and Style Conventions" (http:/ / physics. nist. gov/ Pubs/
SP811/ sec07. html). National Institute of Standards and Technology. . Retrieved 29 December 2009.
[17] Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (2006). The International System of Units (SI) (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ utils/ common/ pdf/
si_brochure_8_en. pdf). 8th ed.. . Retrieved 13 February 2008. Chapter 5.
[18] Ambler Thompson and Barry N. Taylor, (2008), Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI) (http:/ / physics. nist. gov/ cuu/
pdf/ sp811. pdf), (Special publication 811), Gaithersburg, MD: National Institute of Standards and Technology, section 6.1.2
[19] Ambler Thompson and Barry N. Taylor, (2008), Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI) (http:/ / physics. nist. gov/ cuu/
pdf/ sp811. pdf), (Special publication 811), Gaithersburg, MD: National Institute of Standards and Technology, section 4.3.
[20] http:/ / www. unicode. org/ charts/ PDF/ U3300. pdf
[21] http:/ / www. unicode. org/ charts/ PDF/ U2100. pdf
[22] http:/ / www. bipm. org/ en/ si/ si_brochure/ chapter5/ 5-3-7. html
[23] Ambler Thompson & Barry N. Taylor (2008). NIST Special Publication 811: Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI)
(http:/ / physics. nist. gov/ cuu/ pdf/ sp811. pdf). National Institute of Standards and Technology. . Retrieved 18 June 2008.
[24] Turner, James M. (9 May 2008). May 2008/pdf/E8-11058.pdf "Interpretation of the International System of Units (the Metric System of
Measurement) for the United States" (http:/ / www. gpo. gov/ fdsys/ pkg/ FR-16). Federal Register (National Archives and Records
Administration) 73 (96): 28432–3. FR Doc number E8-11058. May 2008/pdf/E8-11058.pdf. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
[25] "The International System of Units" (http:/ / physics. nist. gov/ Pubs/ SP330/ sp330. pdf). pp. iii. . Retrieved 27 May 2008.
[26] SI Practical Realization brochure (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ en/ si/ si_brochure/ appendix2/ )
[27] International Bureau of Weights and Measures (2006), The International System of Units (SI) (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ utils/ common/ pdf/
si_brochure_8_en. pdf) (8th ed.), p. 111, ISBN 92-822-2213-6,
[28] BIPM - Table 8 (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ en/ si/ si_brochure/ chapter4/ table8. html)
[29] BIPM - Table 6 (http:/ / www. bipm. org/ en/ si/ si_brochure/ chapter4/ table6. html)
[30] NIST Guide to SI Units - Appendix B9. Conversion Factors (http:/ / physics. nist. gov/ Pubs/ SP811/ appenB9. html#TIME)
[31] Mendenhall, T. C. (1893). "Fundamental Standards of Length and Mass". Reprinted in Barbrow, Louis E. and Judson, Lewis V. (1976).
Weights and measures standards of the United States: A brief history (NBS Special Publication 447). Washington D.C.: Superintendent of
Documents. Viewed 23 August 2006 at (http:/ / physics. nist. gov/ Pubs/ SP447/ ) pp. 28–29.
[32] "Council Directive of 18 October 1971 on the approximation of laws of the member states relating to units of measurement, (71/354/EEC)"
(http:/ / eur-lex. europa. eu/ Notice. do?mode=dbl& lang=en& lng1=en,nl& lng2=da,de,el,en,es,fr,it,nl,pt,& val=22924:cs& page=1&
hwords=). . Retrieved 7 February 2009.
[33] The Council of the European Communities (21 December 1979). "Council Directive 80/181/EEC of 20 December 1979 on the
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to Unit of measurement and on the repeal of Directive 71/354/EEC" (http:/ / eur-lex.
europa. eu/ LexUriServ/ LexUriServ. do?uri=CONSLEG:1980L0181:19791221:EN:PDF). . Retrieved 7 February 2009.
[34] The Council of the European Communities (20 December 1984). "Council Directive 80/181/EEC of 20 December 1979 on the
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to Unit of measurement and on the repeal of Directive 71/354/EEC" (http:/ / eur-lex.
europa. eu/ LexUriServ/ LexUriServ. do?uri=CONSLEG:1980L0181:19841220:EN:PDF). . Retrieved 7 February 2009.
[35] The Council of the European Communities (30 November 1989). "Council Directive 80/181/EEC of 20 December 1979 on the
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to Unit of measurement and on the repeal of Directive 71/354/EEC" (http:/ / eur-lex.
europa. eu/ LexUriServ/ LexUriServ. do?uri=CONSLEG:1980L0181:19891130:EN:PDF). . Retrieved 7 February 2009.
[36] The Council of the European Communities (9 February 2000). "Council Directive 80/181/EEC of 20 December 1979 on the approximation
of the laws of the Member States relating to Unit of measurement and on the repeal of Directive 71/354/EEC" (http:/ / eur-lex. europa. eu/
LexUriServ/ LexUriServ. do?uri=CONSLEG:1980L0181:20000209:EN:PDF). . Retrieved 7 February 2009.
[37] The Council of the European Communities (27 May 2009). "Council Directive 80/181/EEC of 20 December 1979 on the approximation of
the laws of the Member States relating to Unit of measurement and on the repeal of Directive 71/354/EEC" (http:/ / eur-lex. europa. eu/
LexUriServ/ LexUriServ. do?uri=CONSLEG:1980L0181:20090527:EN:PDF). . Retrieved 14 September 2009.
International System of Units 8

Further reading
• International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (1993). Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry,
2nd edition, Oxford: Blackwell Science. ISBN 0-632-03583-8. Electronic version. (http://www.iupac.org/
publications/books/gbook/green_book_2ed.pdf)
• Unit Systems in Electromagnetism (http://info.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Workshop/advice/coils/unit_systems/#rms)
• MW Keller et al. (http://qdev.boulder.nist.gov/817.03/pubs/downloads/set/Watt_Triangle_sub1.pdf)
Metrology Triangle Using a Watt Balance, a Calculable Capacitor, and a Single-Electron Tunneling Device

External links
Official
• BIPM Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (SI maintenance agency) (http://www.bipm.org/en/si/)
(home page)
• BIPM brochure (http://www.bipm.org/en/si/si_brochure/) (SI reference)
• ISO 80000-1:2009 Quantities and units -- Part 1: General (http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/
catalogue_ics/catalogue_detail_ics.htm?csnumber=30669)
• NIST Official Publications (http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/bibliography.html)
• NIST Special Publication 330, 2008 Edition: The International System of Units (SI) (http://physics.nist.gov/
Pubs/SP330/sp330.pdf)
• NIST Special Pub 814: Interpretation of the SI for the United States and Federal Government Metric
Conversion Policy (http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/Metric/pub814.cfm)
• Weights and Measures Act, Canada (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/ShowTdm/cs/W-6///en)
• IEEE/ASTM SI 10-2002 Standard for Use of the International System of Units (SI): The Modern Metric System
(http://webstore.ansi.org/ansidocstore/product.asp?sku=SI10-2002) (ANSI approved, joint IEEE/ASTM
standard)
• Rules for SAE Use of SI (Metric) Units (http://www.sae.org/standardsdev/tsb/tsb003.pdf)
• National Physical Laboratory, UK (http://www.npl.co.uk/server.php?show=category.364)
Information
• International System of Units (http://www.dmoz.org/Science/Reference/Units_of_Measurement//) at the
Open Directory Project
• EngNet Metric Conversion Chart (http://www.engnetglobal.com/tips/convert.aspx) Online Categorised
Metric Conversion Calculator
• U.S. Metric Association. 2008. A Practical Guide to the International System of Units (http://lamar.colostate.
edu/~hillger/pdf/Practical_Guide_to_the_SI.pdf)
History
• LaTeX SIunits package manual (ftp://cam.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/SIunits/SIunits.pdf)
gives a historical background to the SI system.
Research
• The metrological triangle (http://www.npl.co.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.1835)
• Recommendation of ICWM 1 (CI-2005) (http://www.bipm.org/cc/CIPM/Allowed/94/
CIPM-Recom1CI-2005-EN.pdf)
Pro-metric advocacy groups
• The UK Metric Association (http://www.ukma.org.uk/)
• The US Metric Association (http://www.metric.org/)
• Canadian Metric Association (http://niagara.cioc.ca/details.asp?RSN=5108&Number=0)
International System of Units 9

• Metrication US (http://www.metrication.us)
Pro-customary measures pressure groups
• Pro-customary measures groups (http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Issues/Government_Operations/
Anti-Metrication//) at the Open Directory Project
Article Sources and Contributors 10

Article Sources and Contributors

International System of Units  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=418764470  Contributors: (3ucky(3all, 28bytes, A bit iffy, A ghost, A-giau, AEMoreira042281, AaronSw,
Accurizer, Adamstevenson, Adamtester, Aeons, Aexus, Ahoerstemeier, Aitias, Ajscilingo, AlefZet, Alexwcovington, Alkari, Allan McInnes, Alpha Quadrant, Altenmann, Andre Engels,
AndrewHowse, Andros 1337, Andyabides, Antiedman, Ap, Aquilina, Aquilosion, Argonaut999, Armando82, ArnoldReinhold, Ashishbhatnagar72, AugPi, Aulis Eskola, Auyongjin, AxelBoldt,
BD2412, BW95, Bart133, Bcrowell, Bdesham, Beetstra, Beland, Belg4mit, Ben-Zin, Benhoyt, BertSen, Bgpaulus, Blainster, BlaiseFEgan, Blaze Labs Research, BlueMoonlet, Bobblewik,
Bobo192, Boivie, Boson, BozMo, BrainMagMo, Brett4u6, Brews ohare, Bryan Derksen, Bsoft, C.Fred, C777, CPCHEM, Caltas, Cameronc, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, Canadianism,
Capricorn42, Carlj7, Carnildo, Carthage, Cdang, Centrx, Charles Matthews, ChazYork, Chris Page, Christian Kaese, Chzz, CiudadanoGlobal, Click23, Colsmeghead, Conversion script,
Coolhandscot, CosineKitty, Cosva, Cpl Syx, Creidieki, Crissov, Cwlq, Cybercobra, CyclePat, DARTH SIDIOUS 2, Dainamo, Dan kelley90, DannyDaWriter, Dante Alighieri, DarkFalls,
Darrenhusted, DarthParadox, DarthSilk, Daveyg21, David Latapie, David from Downunder, David.Monniaux, Davidmaxwaterman, Davipo, DeadEyeArrow, Delirium, Devinlee, Dger, Dhollm,
Diberri, DirkvdM, Discospinster, Diti, Djr32, DmitryKo, Docu, Dod1, Doktor Drakken, Dr Dec, DrBob, Dreish, Driax, Drphilharmonic, Drumguy8800, Dungodung, Dutchguy, Dyslexik,
Eadmund, Ebear422, EdH, Egil, Ehrenkater, Elektron, Elium2, Elyada, EnOreg, Englishnerd, Enquire, Enzo Aquarius, Epbr123, Eric119, Eridani, Espoo, Eszett, Euric, Facts707, Fakedeeps,
Falconpimp, Fatkat61, Favonian, Felix Dance, Femto, Fibula, Finell, Firefox333, Fishal, Flauto Dolce, Flávio Paiva F1, Fnlayson, Fp.monkey, Freak in the bunnysuit, FrstFrs, Fstorino,
GTBacchus, Gabbe, Gaius Cornelius, Galoubet, Gameking3002, Gandalf44, Gatto, Gene Nygaard, Gennaro Prota, Gerry Ashton, Gertie, Giftlite, Gimmetrow, Glenn L, Gogo Dodo, GoldFlower,
Goodnightmush, Graham87, Grammarmonger, Granucci, Greg L, Gulliveig, Gurch, HJ Mitchell, HTait, Hairy Dude, Hans Dunkelberg, Haverton, Head, Headbomb, Hektor, Henrygb,
Henrywizard, Heron, Holon, Hongooi, HorsePunchKid, Humanoidmanticore, Huseyx2, Hypnoticcow, IE, II MusLiM HyBRiD II, Icairns, Ichwan Palongengi, Ike9898, Ikiwi, Imnotminkus,
Indefatigable, Indon, Inferno, Lord of Penguins, Intelati, Invenio, Inwind, Itai, Ixfd64, J4V4, JPH-FM, JWB, Jacob Brower, Jacobolus, Jagginess, Jargoon, Java13690, Jc3s5h, Jcmonteiro42,
Jcw69, Jdpipe, Jeepien, Jeffreyn, Jeodesic, Jeronimo, Jerry, JimWae, Jimfbleak, Jimp, Jl.mendieta, Joe Kress, Joeblakesley, Joen235, Joetaras, John David Wright, John Quincy Adding Machine,
JohnGeering, Johndarrington, Jojit fb, Jonahgreenthal, Jonathunder, Joseolgon, Jovianeye, Jruderman, Julesd, Juliancolton, Jusdafax, Jusjih, Kaihsu, Kan8eDie, Katydidit, Keilana, KelleyCook,
King of Hearts, Klausok, Koyn, Kr5t, Kraftlos, Krauss, Kvng, Kwamikagami, Kwekubo, KyleP, L Kensington, LanceHelsten, Laudaka, Laurusnobilis, Lawrence Cohen, LeadSongDog, Lee S.
Svoboda, Leftarmchinaman2, Leks81, LeonardoGregianin, LeonardoRob0t, Lethe, Liftarn, Linmhall, Lionelbrits, Lir, LittleDan, LizardJr8, Lord Emsworth, M-72, MIT Trekkie, MPF,
Machomeiskin, Madmanguruman, MagicBez, MajorHazard, Makaristos, Manco Capac, Mandarax, Mangojuice, Martinvl, Martynas Patasius, Mav, Maximaximax, Mcorazao, Meggar, Mem23,
Membender, Metacomet, Metagraph, Metricus, Mets501, Mic, Michael Shields, Michael Zimmermann, Michaelrwiley, MigueldelosSantos, Mihai, Mike Kapuskar, MikeVanVoorhis, Mild Bill
Hiccup, Minimac, Minimac's Clone, Mkweise, Mlf107, Mm40, Modest Genius, Montrealais, Moocow121, Morstar, Morten, Moszczynski, MuZemike, Mxn, Myria, Nameneko, Nandesuka,
Nate1481, Neoki, Newportm, Nick Pisarro, Jr., Nickptar, Nk, Noldoaran, Nthomas, NuclearVacuum, Numbo3, O18, Octahedron80, OldakQuill, Onebravemonkey, Op. Deo, Oran, Orelstrigo,
Orion11M87, Ortolan88, Orzetto, Otets, PHDrillSergeant, Palhi64, Palpalpalpal, Pandamonia, Pandelver, Patrick, Paul Martin, Paul1337, Paul3144, PaulHanson, Pdn, Peter Horn, PeterEastern,
Peterlin, Petrb, Phantomsteve, PhilKnight, Philip Trueman, Phmagnabosco, PhySusie, Physchim62, Piano non troppo, PierreAbbat, Pioneer-12, Piotrus, Pjacobi, Pjessen, Plugwash, Pmanderson,
Popol0707, Popovvk, Porges, Professor Ninja, Pseudomonas, Pt bry, Qatter, QuantumEleven, RG2, RW Marloe, RWyn, Radiant!, RadicalPi, RainbowOfLight, Rav0, Rayvynmage, Rcingham,
Red, Reddi, Rhialto, Rhobite, Rich Farmbrough, Richardlw, Ringler, Rjwilmsi, Rmhermen, Robchurch, Rockear, Rodii, Rollred15, Romanm, Romanzer, Rotem Dan, Rpbfghf, SNIyer1,
SQu1sHyl0v3, Sacxpert, Samuel J. Howard, Samwaltz, Saros136, Sceptre, Sciguy47, Scott3, ScottJ, Seabhcan, Seb, Secdio, Seidenstud, Selmo, Seyemon, Sgt Simpson, ShardPhoenix,
Shelbyedwards, ShelfSkewed, Shervinafshar, Shirulashem, Siddhant, Sideshow Bob Roberts, SiegeLord, Simian, Simon Shek, SkerHawx, Skew-t, SkyWalker, SlimVirgin, Smack, Smyth,
SnowFire, Sonofdot, Spencer, Splash, SpookyMulder, Srleffler, Stan Sykora, Starwiz, Stephan Leeds, Stephen B Streater, Stephen Turner, Supercoolburke, Suruena, Swtpc6800, Symane,
Synchrite, TIGERUPPERCUT29, Tabletop, Tarquin, Tcncv, Terrillja, TerryE, That-Vela-Fella, The Anome, The Thing That Should Not Be, Thermbal, Thue, Thunderbird2, TirthP,
Tivedshambo, Tommy2010, Triplestop, Tunheim, Tuor Beleg, Turbojet, Upquark, Urhixidur, User6854, Ustra, Uvaduck, Vacuum, Vagrant, Van helsing, Versus22, VeryVerily, VictorianMutant,
Vipinhari, Viridian, Viskonsas, Vsmith, Vuo, Waelder, Wasted Time R, Wavelength, Wcp07, Wereon, West.andrew.g, Wgisland, Whaa?, Whispering, Wikiacc, Wikipollock, Witchzilla,
Wmahan, Wwallacee, Yk Yk Yk, Yyy, Zantolak, ZeroOne, Zilog Jones, Zoicon5, Zzorse, Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason, Александър, 834 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Image:SI Brochure Cover.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:SI_Brochure_Cover.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: AEMoreira042281, Benhoyt, Coredesat, Diti,
Urhixidur, 3 anonymous edits
File:Metrication by year map.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Metrication_by_year_map.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:AzaToth
Image:Non-Metric User.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Non-Metric_User.svg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: User:Ichwan Palongengi

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
http:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 3. 0/