Appendix A: Units
- Page ID
- 7933
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)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).