AS 1046, Part 1—1978

Australian Standard
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LETTER SYMBOLS
FOR USE IN
ELECTROTECHNOLOGY

Part 1—GENERAL
 The following scientific, industrial and governmental organizations and departments
were officially represented on the committee entrusted with the preparation of this
standard:

Australian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association

Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating Inc.
Confederation of Australian Industry
Department of Construction
Department of Defence
Department of Productivity
Department of Transport
Electricity Supply Association of Australia
Institute of Draftsmen, Australia
Institution of Radio and Electronics Engineers, Australia
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Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works

Queensland Chamber of Mines
Railways of Australia Committee
Technical press
Telecom Australia

This standard, prepared by the Joint Telecommunications and Electronics and Electrical
Committee TE/13, Symbols, Units and Quantities for Electrotechnology, was approved
on behalf of the Council of the Standards Association of Australia on 4 August 1977,
and was published on 1 December 1978.

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important therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest edit ion, and any
amendments thereto.
Full detail s of all Australi an Standards and related publications will be found in the Standards Australi a
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 AS 1046, Part 1—1978

Australian Standard
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

LETTER SYMBOLS
FOR USE IN
ELECTROTECHNOLOGY

Part 1—GENERAL

First publi shed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1972

Revised . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1978

PUBLISHED BY STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

(STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA)
1 THE CRESCENT, HOMEBUSH, NSW 2140
ISBN 0 7262 4633 6
 AS 1046, Part 1—1978
This standard is one of a series being prepared by the
Association’s Committee on Symbols, Units and
Quantities for Electrotechnology under the authority of
both the Telecommunications and Electronics, and the
Electrical Standards Boards. It is a revision of the 1972
edition.
In its terminology, format and general treatment of
the subject, this standard is consistent with IEC 27-1
published by the International Electrotechnical
Commission. Acknowledgement is made of the
assistance received from this source.
This standard was originally based on IEC 27(1966)
with account being taken of changes made in
international symbology following the publication of
ISO 1000, SI Units and Recommendations for the Use of
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.
Their Multiples and of Certain Other Units. Subsequently
IEC 27 was superseded by IEC 27-1 and 27-1A and this
revision was undertaken to bring the standard into line
with the revised requirements therein.
The purpose of the standard is thus to collate
symbols for the quantities and units fundamental to the
various disciplines involved in electrotechnology.
SPECIFICATION
1 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
2 Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
3 Letter Symbols for Physical
Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ..
4 Abbreviations and Symbols for
Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
5 Numerical Values (Numbers) . . ....
6 Rules for Subscripts . . . . . . . . . . .. .
7 Tables for Letter Symbols for
Quantities and Abbreviations or
Symbols for Units . . . . . . . . . . .... 8
8 Introduction to Table 7 . . . . . . ... 20
TABLES
1 Quantities Which Vary With Time
2 Complex Representation of
Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 Prefixes for Multiples and Sub-
multiples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Symbols for Quantities and Units
A. Geometry and Kinematics . . .
B. Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2
PREFACE
While it remains very largely in line with IEC 27-1, it
incorporates some changes in the advice given on the use
of symbols to bring it into line with AS 1000, The
International system of Units (SI) and Its Application.
A further reason for revision was given by the
publication of IEC 27-2 on symbols for tele-
communications and electronics which forms Part 2 of
this standard. The revision of Part 1 was necessary to
provide guidance for the use of Part 2 particularly with
regard to the use of indices and the structure of complex
symbols. The symbols given in Table 4-G, Acoustics, of
the first edition of Part 1 are now in Part 2.
In some degree, this standard is complementary to
AS 1000 insofar as it covers letter symbols for many
quantities and includes some information, for example on
mathematical symbols, not within the scope of AS 1000.
Some non-SI units are mentioned because of their
extensive use in textbooks and papers originating
overseas but it is emphasized that for future Australian
practice preference should be given to those units within
the International System. This standard should therefore
be read in conjunction with AS 1000.
CONTENTS
Page Page
3 C. Thermodynamics . . . . . . . . . . 12
3 D. Electricity and Magnetism . . . 12
E. Radiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3 F. Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5 Symbols for Constants . . . . . . . . . . 18
4
6 Some Mathematical Signs and
6 Symbols
6 A. General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
B. Signs Used in Mathematical
Operations, etc . . . . . . . . . . . 20
7 Recommended Subscripts
A. Fields of Science or technology 20
B. Kind of Value of a Quantity . . 21
C. Waveform, Components and
.. 5 Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
D. Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
.. 5
E. Geometric Condition . . . . . . . 22
.. 5 F. The Situation to which the
Value Refers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
G. Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
.. 9
H. Semiconductors and Tubes . . . 23
. 11
I. Time-dependent Quantities . . . 24
 AS 1046, Part 1—1978 2a

Page Page

8A Illustrative Examples . . . . . . . . . . . 26 13 Alphabetical List of Subscripts in

8B Subscripts in Summation of Table 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
9 Singularity Functions, APPENDICES
Distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
10 Alphabetical List of Symbols for A The Greek Alphabet—Recommended
Quantities and for Constants Type Font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Mentioned in Tables 4 and 5 . . . . . 28
B Glossary of Terms Concerning
11 Alphabetical List of Symbols for Letter Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Units Mentioned in Table 4 . . . . . . 30
12 Alphabetical List of Names of C Examples of Time-dependent
Quantities and of Constants Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Mentioned in Tables 4 and 5 . . . . . 31
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 3 AS 1046, Part 1—1978
STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
Australian Standard
for
LETTER SYMBOLS FOR USE IN ELECTROTECHNOLOGY
PART 1 — GENERAL
1 SCOPE. This standard specifies letter symbols
for physical quantities and abbreviations and symbols
for units for general use in electrotechnology and lays
down general principles governing their use.
2 APPLICATION. The recommendations in this
standard on the use of symbols, alphabets and type
fonts relate specifically to printed matter. In written
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and typewritten documents it is recommended that the
choice of type be indicated by underlining with a
straight line for italic type and with a wavy line for
bold type.
In order to make the best use of the limited number
of readily available alphabets and fonts, it is recom-
mended that the general principles specified inter-
nationally be adopted.
Even with the provisions made for the use of dif-
ferent fonts, and cases, the number of distinctive
letter symbols available for use is insufficient to
enable each physical quantity or unit to be allotted a
unique symbol or abbreviation. Alternatives have
therefore been allotted where a need for them is most
likely to arise or where alternative usage has been
firmly established.
The use of the preferred symbol or abbreviation is
strongly recommended.
3 LETTER SYMBOLS FOR PHYSICAL
QUANTITIES.
3.1 Choice of Alphabet. Letter symbols for
physical quantities shall be single letters of the Latin
or Greek alphabets, with subscripts or other mod-
ifying signs where appropriate.
3.2 Choice of Type. Letter symbols for physical
quantities shall be printed in italic (sloping) type.
It is recommended that subscripts to letter symbols
for physical quantities or running numbers should
also be printed in italic type.
Examples:
Cp heat capacity at constant pressure p
F x x-component of force
σxy x, y-component of a stress tensor σ
an coefficient with n = 1, 2, 3 . . . .
All other subscripts should be printed in roman
(upright) type.
Examples:
Cg heat capacity in the gas phase
µr relative permeability
Bi intrinsic magnetic flux density
NA Avogadro constant
mo rest mass of the electron.
It is recognized that on many occasions it will be
unnecessary or undesirable to adhere to this principle;
then the same type should be used consistently for all
subscripts.
3.3 Vector Quantities. Letter symbols indicating
the vector character of a physical quantity shall be
printed in bold face italic type (e.g. H). When such
type is not available an arrow should be placed above
the symbol (e.g. H→
).
3.4 Quantities Which Vary with Time.
3.4.1 Physical quantities. Quantities which vary
with time shall be indicated as in Table 1.
Case 1 applies where both upper-case (capital) and
lower-case letters are available.
Case 2 applies where only upper-case or only lower-
case letters are available.
3.4.2 General comments. Time-dependent quantities
can be periodic, transient or random. The variable
quantity can often be represented by a combination,
e.g. sum, product, polynomial, of components which
are functions such as trigonometric functions,
exponentials, distributions, etc.
The intention of this clause is to codify additional
symbols for the components of a combination of
functions or for special values, e.g. instantaneous,
root-mean-square, of more complicated time-
dependent quantities, e.g. modulated wave, sets of
impulses.
3.4.3 Terminology. The terminology for designating
parts of symbols, additional marks and subscripts is
specified in Clause 6. Definitions of special values or
components of a time-dependent quantity are given in
AS 1852 (101), International Electrotechnical
Vocabulary—Mathematics. No definitions are given,
the meaning of the symbols being illustrated by the
figures in Appendix C.
3.4.4 Types of symbol for time-dependent
quantities. Two types of symbols are given, one
using additional marks, the other using only letter
subscripts such as are found on an ordinary type-
writer. A combination of both systems is possible.
Most examples given in Table 7I use one set of those
symbols only.
The symbol for a time-dependent quantity implies in
itself the dependency on time and indicates therefore
the instantaneous value.
Where both upper-case and lower-case letters are
used, the lower-case letter indicates an instantaneous
value and an upper-case letter an average value.
Example:
i instantaneous value of a ti me-dependent electr ic
curr ent
I it s r.m.s. value.
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AS 1046.1-1978, Letter symbols for use in

electrotechnology General
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