Appendix A: Units
- Page ID
- 7933
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Units Used in Physics (Fundamental units in bold)
Quantity | Common Symbol | Unit | Unit in Terms of Base SI Units |
---|---|---|---|
Acceleration | $$\vec{a}$$ | m/s2 | m/s2 |
Amount of substance | n | mole | mol |
Angle | $$\theta, \phi$$ | radian (rad) | |
Angular acceleration | $$\vec{\alpha}$$ | rad/s2 | s-2 |
Angular frequency | $$\omega$$ | rad/s | s-1 |
Angular momentum | $$\vec{L}$$ | kg • m/s2 | kg • m/s2 |
Angular velocity | $$\vec{\omega}$$ | rad/s | s-1 |
Area | A | m2 | m2 |
Atomic number | Z | ||
Capacitance | C | farad (F) | A2 • s4/kg • m2 |
Charge | q, Q, e | coulomb (C) | A • s |
Charge density: | |||
Line | $$\lambda$$ | C/m | A• s/m |
Surface | $$\sigma$$ | C/m2 | A• s/m2 |
Volume | $$\rho$$ | C/m3 | A• s/m3 |
Conductivity | $$\sigma$$ | $$\frac{1}{\Omega \cdotp m}$$ | A2 • s3/kg • m3 |
Current | I | ampere | A |
Current density | $$\vec{J}$$ | A/m2 | A/m2 |
Density | $$\rho$$ | kg/m3 | kg/m3 |
Dielectric constant | $$\kappa$$ | ||
Electric dipole moment | $$\vec{p}$$ | C• m | A• s • m |
Electric field | $$\vec{E}$$ | N/C | kg • m/A • s3 |
Electric flux | $$\Phi$$ | N • m2/C | kg • m3/A • s3 |
Electromotive force | $$\varepsilon$$ | volt (V) | kg • m2/A • s3 |
Energy | E, U, K | joule (J) | kg • m2/s2 |
Entropy | S | J/K | kg • m2/s2 • K |
Force | $$\vec{F}$$ | newton (N) | kg • m/s2 |
Frequency | f | hertz (Hz) | s-1 |
Heat | Q | joule (J) | kg • m2/s2 |
Inductance | L | henry (H) | kg • m2/A2 • s2 |
Length: | \(\ell\), L | meter | m |
Displacement | $$\Delta x, \Delta \vec{r}$$ | ||
Distance | d, h | ||
Position | x, y, z, \(\vec{r}\) | ||
Magnetic dipole moment | $$\vec{\mu}$$ | N • J/T | A • m2 |
Magnetic field | $$\vec{B}$$ | tesla (T) = Wb/m2 | kg/A • s2 |
Magnetic flux | $$\Phi_{m}$$ | weber (Wb) | kg • m2/A • s2 |
Mass | m, M | kilogram | kg |
Molar specific heat | C | J/mol • K | kg • m2/s2 • mol • K |
Moment of inertia | I | kg • m2 | kg • m2 |
Momentum | $$\vec{p}$$ | kg • m/s | kg • m/s |
Period | T | s | s |
Permeability of free space | $$\mu_{0}$$ | N/A2 = H/m | kg • m/A2 • s2 |
Permittivity of free space | $$\varepsilon_{0}$$ | C2/N • m2 = F/m | A2 • s4/kg • m3 |
Potential | V | volt (V) = J/C | kg • m2/A2 • s3 |
Power | P | watt (W) = J/s | kg • m2/s3 |
Pressure | p | pascal (Pa) = N/m2 | kg/m • s2 |
Resistance | R | ohm (\(\Omega\)) = V/A | kg • m2/A2 • s3 |
Specific heat | c | J/kg • K | m2/s2 • K |
Speed | v | m/s | m/s |
Temperature | T | kelvin | K |
Time | t | second | s |
Torque | $$\vec{\tau}$$ | N • m | kg • m2/s2 |
Velocity | $$\vec{v}$$ | m/s | m/s |
Volume | V | m3 | m3 |
Wavelength | $$\lambda$$ | m | m |
Work | W | joule (J) = N • m | kg • m2/s2 |
Contributors and Attributions
Samuel J. Ling (Truman State University), Jeff Sanny (Loyola Marymount University), and Bill Moebs with many contributing authors. This work is licensed by OpenStax University Physics under a Creative Commons Attribution License (by 4.0).