Editorial Information
Quantity | Unit | |
---|---|---|
Name | Symbol | |
Time | second | s |
Length | metre | m |
Mass | kilogram | kg |
Electric current | ampere | A |
Thermodynamic temperature | kelvin | K |
Amount of substance | mole | mol |
Luminous intensity | candela | cd |
Definitions of SI base units:
Unit of time
The second, symbol s, is the SI unit of time. It is defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the caesium frequency Δ ν Cs , the unperturbed ground-state hyperfine transition frequency of the caesium 133 atom, to be 9 192 631 770 when expressed in the unit Hz, which is equal to s –1 .
Unit of length
The metre, symbol m, is the SI unit of length. It is defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the speed of light in vacuum c to be 299 792 458 when expressed in the unit m/s, where the second is defined in terms of Δ ν Cs .
Unit of mass
The kilogram, symbol kg, is the SI unit of mass. It is defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the Planck constant h to be 6,626 070 15 × 10 –34 when expressed in the unit J s, which is equal to kg m 2 s –1 , where the metre and the second are defined in terms of c and Δ ν Cs .
Unit of electric current
The ampere, symbol A, is the SI unit of electric current. It is defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the elementary charge e to be 1,602 176 634 × 10 –19 when expressed in the unit C, which is equal to A s, where the second is defined in terms of Δ ν Cs .
Unit of thermodynamic temperature
The kelvin, symbol K, is the SI unit of thermodynamic temperature. It is defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the Boltzmann constant k to be 1,380 649 × 10 –23 when expressed in the unit J K –1 , which is equal to kg m 2 s –2 K –1 , where the kilogram, metre and second are defined in terms of h , c and Δ ν Cs .
Unit of amount of substance
The mole, symbol mol, is the SI unit of amount of substance. One mole contains exactly 6,022 140 76 × 10 23 elementary entities. This number is the fixed numerical value of the Avogadro constant, N A, when expressed in the unit mol –1 and is called the Avogadro number.
The amount of substance, symbol n , of a system is a measure of the number of specified elementary entities. An elementary entity may be an atom, a molecule, an ion, an electron, any other particle or specified group of particles.
Unit of luminous intensity
The candela, symbol cd, is the SI unit of luminous intensity in a given direction. It is defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the luminous efficacy of monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 × 10 12 Hz, K cd , to be 683 when expressed in the unit lm W –1 , which is equal to cd sr W –1 , or cd sr kg –1 m –2 s 3 , where the kilogram, metre and second are defined in terms of h , c and Δ ν Cs .
Quantity | Unit | |
---|---|---|
Name | Symbol | |
Celsius temperature | degree Celsius | °C |
Celsius temperature t is defined as the difference t = T – T 0 between the two thermodynamic temperatures T and T 0 where T 0 = 273,15 K. An interval or difference of temperature may be expressed either in kelvins or in degrees Celsius. The unit ‘ degree Celsius ’ is equal to the unit ‘ kelvin ’ .]
Textual Amendments
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Textual Amendments
Units derived coherently from SI base units are given as algebraic expressions in the form of products of powers of the SI base units with a numerical factor equal to 1.
a Special names for the unit of power: the name volt–ampere (symbol ‘ VA ’ ) when it is used to express the apparent power of alternating electric current, and var (symbol ‘ var ’ ) when it is used to express reactive electric power. The ‘ var ’ is not included in GCPM resolutions. | ||||
Quantity | Unit | Expression | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Symbol | In terms of other SI units | In terms of SI base units | |
Plane angle | radian | rad | m · m –1 | |
Solid angle | steradian | sr | m 2 · m –2 | |
Frequency | hertz | Hz | s –1 | |
Force | newton | N | m · kg · s –2 | |
Pressure, stress | pascal | Pa | N · m –2 | m –1 · kg · s –2 |
Energy, work; quantity of heat | joule | J | N · m | m 2 · kg · s –2 |
Power a , radiant flux | watt | W | J · s –1 | m 2 · kg · s –3 |
Quantity of electricity, electric charge | coulomb | C | s · A | |
Electric potential, potential difference, electromotive force | volt | V | W · A –1 | m 2 · kg · s –3 · A –1 |
Electric resistance | ohm | Ω | V · A –1 | m 2 · kg · s –3 · A –2 |
Conductance | siemens | S | A · V –1 | m –2 · kg –1 · s 3 · A 2 |
Capacitance | farad | F | C · V –1 | m –2 · kg –1 · s 4 · A 2 |
Magnetic flux | weber | Wb | V · s | m 2 · kg · s –2 · A –1 |
Magnetic flux density | tesla | T | Wb · m –2 | kg · s –2 · A –1 |
Inductance | henry | H | Wb · A –1 | m 2 · kg · s –2 · A –2 |
Luminous flux | lumen | lm | cd · sr | cd |
Illuminance | lux | lx | lm · m –2 | m –2 · cd |
Activity (of a radionuclide) | becquerel | Bq | s –1 | |
Absorbed dose, specific energy imparted, kerma, absorbed dose index | gray | Gy | J · kg –1 | m 2 · s –2 |
Dose equivalent | sievert | Sv | J · kg –1 | m 2 · s –2 |
Catalytic activity | katal | kat | mol · s –1 |
Units derived from SI base units may be expressed in terms of the units listed in Chapter I.
In particular, derived SI units may be expressed by the special names and symbols given in the above table; for example, the SI unit of dynamic viscosity may be expressed as m –1 · kg · s –1 or N · s · m –2 or Pa · s.]
Textual Amendments
[F4Factor | Prefix | Symbol |
---|---|---|
10 24 | yotta | Y |
10 21 | zetta | Z |
10 18 | exa | E |
10 15 | peta | P |
10 12 | tera | T |
10 9 | giga | G |
10 6 | mega | M |
10 3 | kilo | [X2k] |
10 2 | hecto | [X2h] |
10 1 | deca | da |
10 -1 | deci | d |
10 -2 | centi | c |
10 -3 | milli | m |
10 -6 | micro | μ |
10 -9 | nano | n |
10 -12 | pico | p |
10 -15 | femto | f |
10 -18 | atto | a |
10 -21 | zepto | z |
10 -24 | yocto | y] |
The names and symbols of the decimal multiples and submultiples of the unit of mass are formed by attaching prefixes to the word ‘ gram ’ and their symbols to the symbol ‘ g ’ .
Where a derived unit is expressed as a fraction, its decimal multiples and submultiples may be designated by attaching a prefix to units in the numerator or the denominator, or in both these parts.
Compound prefixes, that is to say prefixes formed by the juxtaposition of several of the above prefixes, may not be used.
a The two symbols ‘ I ’ and ‘ L ’ may be used for the litre unit. (Sixteenth CGPM (1979), resolution 6). | |||
b Unit listed in the International Bureau of Weights and Measures booklet as among the units to be permitted temporarily. | |||
Quantity | Unit | ||
---|---|---|---|
Name | Symbol | Value | |
Volume | litre | 1 or L a | 1 l = 1 dm 3 = 10 -3 m 3 |
Mass | tonne | t | 1 t = 1 Mg = 10 3 kg |
Pressure, stress | bar | bar b | 1 bar = 10 5 Pa |
The prefixes and their symbols listed in 1.3 may be used in conjunction with the units and symbols contained in Table 1.4. U.K.
a The character (*) after a unit name or symbol indicates that it does not appear in the lists drawn up by the CGPM, CIPM o BIPM. This applies to the whole of this Annex. | |||
b No international symbol exists. | |||
Quantity | Unit | ||
---|---|---|---|
Name | Symbol | Value | |
Plane angle | revolution* a b | 1 revolution = 2 π rad | |
grade* or gon* | gon* | ||
degree | ° | ||
minute of angle | ′ | ||
second of angle | ″ | ||
Time | minute | min | 1 min = 60 s |
hour | h | 1 h = 3 600 s | |
day | d | 1 d = 86 400 s |
The prefixes listed in 1.3 may only be used in conjunction with the names ‘ grade ’ or ‘ gon ’ and the symbol ‘ gon ’ . U.K.
Quantity | Unit | ||
---|---|---|---|
Name | Symbol | Definition | |
Energy | Electronvolt | eV | The electron volt is the kinetic energy acquired by an electron in passing through a potential difference of 1 volt in vaccum |
Mass | Unified atomic mass unit | u | The unified atomic mass units is equal to 1/12 of the mass of an atom of the nuclide 12 C. |
The prefixes and their symbols listed in 1.3 may be used in conjunction with these two units and with their symbols.] U.K.
Quantity | Unit | ||
---|---|---|---|
Name | Symbol | Value | |
Vergency of optical systems | dioptre* | 1 dioptre = 1 m -1 | |
Mass of precious stones | metric carat | 1 metric carat = 2 × 10 -4 kg | |
Area of farmland and building land | are | a | 1 a = 10 2 m 2 |
Mass per unit length of textile yarns and threads | tex* | tex* | 1 tex = 10 -6 kg · m -1 |
[F5Blood pressure and pressure of other body fluids | Millimetre of mercury | mm Hg(*) | 1 mm Hg = 133,322 Pa |
Effective cross-sectional area | Barn | b | 1 b = 10 -28 m 2] |
[F6The prefixes and their symbols listed in 1.3 may be used in conjunction with the above units and symbols, with the exception of the millimetre of mercury and its symbol. The multiple of 10 2 a is, however, called a ‘ hectare ’ .] U.K.
Combinations of the units listed in Chapter I form compound units.]