3/31/2017 EssentialsoftheSI:Base&derivedunits

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Units
SIbaseunits
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TheSIisfoundedonsevenSIbaseunitsforsevenbasequantitiesassumed
tobemutuallyindependent,asgiveninTable1.
Units
Topics:
Introduction
Table1.SIbaseunits
Units
Prefixes
Basequantity Name Symbol
Outside
SIbaseunit
Rules
Background
length meter m
mass kilogram kg
Units time second s
Bibliography
electriccurrent ampere A
thermodynamictemperature kelvin K
Constants,
Units& amountofsubstance mole mol
Uncertainty luminousintensity candela cd
homepage

FordetailedinformationontheSIbaseunits,seeDefinitionsoftheSIbase
unitsandtheirHistoricalcontext.

SIderivedunits
Otherquantities,calledderivedquantities,aredefinedintermsoftheseven
basequantitiesviaasystemofquantityequations.TheSIderivedunitsfor
thesederivedquantitiesareobtainedfromtheseequationsandthesevenSI
baseunits.ExamplesofsuchSIderivedunitsaregiveninTable2,whereit
shouldbenotedthatthesymbol1forquantitiesofdimension1suchas
massfractionisgenerallyomitted.

Derivedquantity Name Symbol

Table2.ExamplesofSIderivedunits

SIderivedunit

area squaremeter m2
volume cubicmeter m3

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Derivedquantity Name Symbol

speed,velocity meterpersecond m/s
acceleration meterpersecondsquared m/s2
wavenumber reciprocalmeter m1
massdensity kilogrampercubicmeter kg/m3
specificvolume cubicmeterperkilogram m3/kg
currentdensity amperepersquaremeter A/m2
magneticfieldstrength amperepermeter A/m
amountofsubstanceconcentration molepercubicmeter mol/m3
luminance candelapersquaremeter cd/m2
kilogramperkilogram,which
massfraction mayberepresentedbythe kg/kg=1
number1

Foreaseofunderstandingandconvenience,22SIderivedunitshavebeen
givenspecialnamesandsymbols,asshowninTable3.

Expression
intermsof Expression
otherSI intermsof
Derivedquantity Name Symbol units SIbaseunits

Table3.SIderivedunitswithspecialnamesandsymbols

SIderivedunit

planeangle radian(a) rad mm1=1(b)

solidangle steradian(a) sr(c) m2m2=1(b)
frequency hertz Hz s1
force newton N mkgs2
pressure,stress pascal Pa N/m2 m1kgs2
energy,work,
quantityofheat
joule J Nm m2kgs2
power,radiant
flux
watt W J/s m2kgs3
electriccharge,
quantityof coulomb C sA
electricity

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Expression
intermsof Expression
otherSI intermsof
Derivedquantity Name Symbol units SIbaseunits
electricpotential
difference,
electromotive
volt V W/A m2kgs3A1
force
capacitance farad F C/V m2kg1s4A2
electric
resistance
ohm V/A m2kgs3A2
electric
conductance
siemens S A/V m2kg1s3A2

magneticflux weber Wb Vs m2kgs2A1

magneticflux
density
tesla T Wb/m2 kgs2A1

inductance henry H Wb/A m2kgs2A2

Celsius degree
C K
temperature Celsius
luminousflux lumen lm cdsr(c) m2m2cd=cd
illuminance lux lx lm/m2 m2m4cd=m2cd
activity(ofa
radionuclide)
becquerel Bq s1
absorbeddose,
specificenergy gray Gy J/kg m2s2
(imparted),kerma
doseequivalent
(d)
sievert Sv J/kg m2s2

catalyticactivity katal kat s1mol

(a) Theradianandsteradianmaybeusedadvantageouslyinexpressionsforderivedunitsto
distinguishbetweenquantitiesofadifferentnaturebutofthesamedimensionsome
examplesaregiveninTable4.
(b) Inpractice,thesymbolsradandsrareusedwhereappropriate,butthederivedunit"1"is
generallyomitted.
(c) Inphotometry,theunitnamesteradianandtheunitsymbolsrareusuallyretainedin
expressionsforderivedunits.
(d) Otherquantitiesexpressedinsievertsareambientdoseequivalent,directionaldose
equivalent,personaldoseequivalent,andorganequivalentdose.

Foragraphicalillustrationofhowthe22derivedunitswithspecialnames
andsymbolsgiveninTable3arerelatedtothesevenSIbaseunits,see
relationshipsamongSIunits.

NoteondegreeCelsius.ThederivedunitinTable3withthespecial
namedegreeCelsiusandspecialsymbolCdeservescomment.
Becauseofthewaytemperaturescalesusedtobedefined,itremains
commonpracticetoexpressathermodynamictemperature,symbolT,
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intermsofitsdifferencefromthereferencetemperatureT0=273.15K,
theicepoint.ThistemperaturedifferenceiscalledaCelsius
temperature,symbolt,andisdefinedbythequantityequation

t=TT0.

TheunitofCelsiustemperatureisthedegreeCelsius,symbolC.The
numericalvalueofaCelsiustemperaturetexpressedindegrees
Celsiusisgivenby

t/C=T/K273.15.

ItfollowsfromthedefinitionoftthatthedegreeCelsiusisequalin
magnitudetothekelvin,whichinturnimpliesthatthenumericalvalue
ofagiventemperaturedifferenceortemperatureintervalwhosevalue
isexpressedintheunitdegreeCelsius(C)isequaltothenumerical
valueofthesamedifferenceorintervalwhenitsvalueisexpressedin
theunitkelvin(K).Thus,temperaturedifferencesortemperature
intervalsmaybeexpressedineitherthedegreeCelsiusorthekelvin
usingthesamenumericalvalue.Forexample,theCelsiustemperature
difference tandthethermodynamictemperaturedifference T
betweenthemeltingpointofgalliumandthetriplepointofwatermay
bewrittenas t=29.7546C= T=29.7546K.

Thespecialnamesandsymbolsofthe22SIderivedunitswithspecial
namesandsymbolsgiveninTable3maythemselvesbeincludedinthe
namesandsymbolsofotherSIderivedunits,asshowninTable4.

Derivedquantity Name Symbol

Table4.ExamplesofSIderivedunitswhosenamesand
symbolsincludeSIderivedunitswithspecialnamesand
symbols

SIderivedunit

dynamicviscosity pascalsecond Pas

momentofforce newtonmeter Nm
surfacetension newtonpermeter N/m
angularvelocity radianpersecond rad/s
angularacceleration radianpersecondsquared rad/s2
heatfluxdensity,irradiance wattpersquaremeter W/m2
heatcapacity,entropy jouleperkelvin J/K
specificheatcapacity,specific
jouleperkilogramkelvin J/(kgK)
entropy
specificenergy jouleperkilogram J/kg
thermalconductivity wattpermeterkelvin W/(mK)

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Derivedquantity Name Symbol

energydensity joulepercubicmeter J/m3
electricfieldstrength voltpermeter V/m
electricchargedensity coulombpercubicmeter C/m3
electricfluxdensity coulombpersquaremeter C/m2
permittivity faradpermeter F/m
permeability henrypermeter H/m
molarenergy joulepermole J/mol
molarentropy,molarheat
joulepermolekelvin J/(molK)
capacity
exposure(xand rays) coulombperkilogram C/kg
absorbeddoserate graypersecond Gy/s
radiantintensity wattpersteradian W/sr
wattpersquaremeter
radiance
steradian W/(m2sr)

catalytic(activity)concentration katalpercubicmeter kat/m3

ContinuetoSIprefixes

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