Send me an e-mail if you find something useful to add to these lists.

Latin Symbols in Physics (items in bold are vectors)

a acceleration (m/s
2
)
A ampere (S.I. unit of current, fundamental)
A amplitude (typically m)
B magnetic field (T)
B ul! modulus ("/m
2
)
c specific heat capacity (#/(!g$%))
c speed of light (m/s)
& molar heat capacity (#/(mol$%))
& coulom (S.I. unit of charge ' A$s)
cal calorie (non-S.I. unit of energy ' (.)*+ #)
&al &alorie or !cal (non-S.I. unit of energy ' ()*+ #)
d distance (m)
dB deciels (non-S.I. unit of intensity)
e magnitude of charge of an electron (&)
e efficiency (dimensionless)
e, electron-,olt (non-S.I. unit of energy ' ).+-.-)/ #)
. energy (#)
E electric field ("/&)
f fre0uency (12. or s
-)
)
f friction force (")
f focal length (m)
F force (")
3 farad, S.I. unit of capacitance ' A
2
$s
(
/(!g$m
2
)
g magnitude of free fall acceleration 4 /.*- m/s
2
g gram (non-S.I. unit of mass ' -.--) !g)
5 uni6ersal gra6itational constant
h 7lan!8s constant (+.+9.-9( #$s)
h height (m)
12 hert2, S.I. unit of fre0uency ' s
-)
i, I current (A)
I moment of inertia, !g$m
2
I intensity, :/m
2
; current density, A/m
2
j impulse, !g$m/s
# ;oule, S.I. unit of energy ' !g$m
2
/s
2
! Bolt2mann8s constant, #/%
! spring constant, "/m
! thermal conducti6ity, :/(m$%)
! <a6e numer, rad/m
!g !ilogram, S.I. unit of mass, fundamental
% !el6in, S.I. unit of temperature, fundamental
% !inetic energy, #
l length, m
= liter, non-S.I. unit of 6olume
= latent heat, #/!g
L angular momentum (#$s)
m mass, !g
m meter (S.I. unit of distance)
n inde> of refraction (dimensionless)
n numer of moles
" numer of particles
" ne<ton (S.I. unit of force ' !g$m/s
2
)
N normal force (")
"A A6ogadro8s numer
p momentum (!g$m/s)
p, 7 pressure (7a ' "/m
2
' !g/(m$s
2
)
7 po<er (:)
0, ? charge (&)
? heat (#)
r radius 6ariale (m)
@ fi>ed radius (m)
@ ideal gas constant (*.9) #/(mol$%))
@ resistance (A)
s seconds (S.I. unit of time)
s generic position, could e >, y, or 2 (m)
S entropy (#/%)
t time (s)
T period (s)
T temperature (%)
T tension force (")
T tesla (S.I. unit of magnetic field)
u atomic mass unit, non-S.I. unit of mass
u energy density (#/m
9
)
B potential energy (#)
v, 6 6elocity, speed (m/s)
, 6olt (S.I. unit of potential)
, potential (,)
, 6oltage or potential difference (,), more correctly <ritten as C,
, 6olume (m
9
)
w, W <eight force (")
: <att (S.I. unit of po<er ' !g$m
2
/s
9
)
: <or! (#)
> &artesian coordinate (m)
y &artesian coordinate (m)
D Doung8s modulus ("/m
2
)
2 &artesian coordinate (m)
Greek Symbols in Physics
alpha angular acceleration (rad/s
2
)
E alpha temperature coefficient of linear
e>pansion (%
-)
)
F eta temperature coefficient of 6olume
e>pansion (%
-)
)
G gamma ratio of heat capacities (dimensionless)
G gamma relati6istic gamma factor
(dimensionless)
H gamma (capital)
I delta instantaneous change
C delta (capital) finite change
J epsilon permitti6ity
K 2eta
L eta efficiency (dimensionless)
M theta angle (rad)
N theta (capital)
O iota
P !appa dielectric constant (dimensionless)
Q lamda <a6elength (m)
R lamda (capital)
S mu coefficient of friction (dimensionless)
T nu
U >i
V >i (capital)
W pi circumference/diameter ratio
(dimensionless)
X pi (capital) series product
Y rho density (!g/m
9
)
Y rho resisti6ity (A$m)
Z sigma Stefan-Bolt2mann constant
[ sigma (capital) series summation
\ tau tor0ue (" > m)
\ tau time constant (s)
] upsilon
^ phi angle (rad)
_ phi (capital)
` chi
a psi psychic po<er (:)
a psi <a6e function (dimensionless)
b psi (capital) <a6e function (dimensionless)
omega angular 6elocity (rad/s)
A omega (capital) ohms (S.I. unit of resistance ' ,/A)
Common Subscripts
a6 or a6e a6erage
c cold
f final
h hot
i initial
ma> ma>imum
min minimum
- initial
rms root mean s0uare
th thermal
tot total
Other Stuff
d
or =
e0ual y definition
c suscript
d superscript
s0rt s0uare root
. $)-d