CH2104 – Units and Dimensions

The Seven Basic S.I. Units

S.I.-Systéme Internationale d’Unités

Physical Quantity Name of Unit Symbol for Unit

Length Metre m
Mass Kilogram kg
Time Second s
Electric current Ampere A
Thermodynamic temperature Kelvin K
Luminous intensity Candela cd
Amount of substance Mole mol

Some Derived S.I. Units

Physical Quantity Name of Unit Symbol for Unit Symbol Expressed In

Basic S.I. Units
2 -2
Energy Joule J kg m s
-2 -1
Force Newton N kg m s = J m
-1 -2 -2
Pressure Pascal Pa kg m s = N m
2 -3 -1
Power Watt W kg m s = J s
Electric Charge Coulomb C As
2 -3 -1 -1 -1
Electric Potential Volt V kg m s A = J A s
Difference
-2 -1 -2
Magnetic Induction Telsa T Kg s A = V s m
o o
Customary Temperature Celsius C C= K-273.15
-1
Frequency Hertz Hz s

Accepted Non-S.I. Units

a) Units related to S.I. units

Physical Quantity Name of Unit Symbol for Unit S.I. Equivalent

-10
Length Angstrom Å 10 m
3 -3 3
Volume Litre l dm or 10 m
Millilitre ml
3 -3 3
Molar Concentration Molar M cm or 10 dm
(Molarity)
-1 2 -1
Wave Number Reciprocal Centimetre cm 10 m
-4
Magnetic Induction Gauss G 10 T
-3
Mass Gram g 10 kg
3
Tonne t 10 kg
5 -2
Pressure Bar bar 10 N m

b) Other accepted non-S.I. units

Physical Quantity Name of Unit Symbol for Unit S.I. Equivalent

19
Energy electron-Volt eV 1.6021 x 10 J
9 -1
Radioactivity Curie Ci 37 x 10 s
-30
Dipole Moment Debye D 3.334 x 10 C m
Fundamental Physical Constants in S.I. Units

Quantity Symbol Value in S.I. Units

8 -1
Speed of Light c 2.998 x 10 m s
23 -1
Avogadro Constant NA 6.022 x 10 mol
-23 -1
Boltzmann Constant k 1.381 x 10 J K
-1 -1
Gas Constant R = k.NA 8.314 J K mol
-19
Elementary Charge e 1.602 x 10 C
4 -1
Faraday Constant F = e.NA 9.648 x 10 C mol
-34
Planck Constant h 6.626 x 10 J s
-27
Atomic Mass Unit u 1.660 x 10 kg
-31
Mass of Electron me 9.109 x 10 kg
-27
Mass of Proton mp 1.673 x 10 kg
-27
Mass of Neutron mn 1.675 x 10 kg
-24 -1
Bohr Magneton µB 9.274 x 10 J T
5 -1
Rydberg Constant R 1.097 x 10 cm
-2
Acceleration Due to Gravity g 9.806 m s

Multiples and Fractions Number Name Symbol

Modification
Number Name Symbol Factor
Modification Factor 10 deka da
-1 2
10 deci d 10 hecto h
-2 3
10 centi c 10 kilo k
-3 6
10 milli m 10 mega M
-6 9
10 micro µ 10 giga G
-9 12
10 nano n 10 tera T
-12
10 pico p
-15
10 femto f
-8
10 atto a