Mesoscopic Electronics in Solid State Nanostructures

Thomas Heinzel
©2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co.

343

A
SI and CGS Units

Some people use the cgs (Gaussian) unit system, while others prefer the SI
system (also known as the MKSA system). This results in both a constant
source of irritation for students as well as an inconvenience for researchers.
The following remarks should allow the reader to switch between them with
confidence.
The cgs and SI systems originate in a different choice of units in equations
containing electrodynamic quantities. Table A.1 lists how the prefactors must
be replaced as the unit system is changed.

Tab. A.1 Prefactors in cgs and SI units.

Quantity cgs SI
√
speed of light c 1/ 0 µ0
√
electric field E 4π0 E
√
dielectric shift 
D 4π/0 D 
√
polarization P (1/ 4π0 ) P

magnetic field B 4π/µ0 B

magnetizing field 
H 4πµ0 H 

magnetization 
M µ0 /4π M 
dielectric constant  /0
permeability µ µ/µ0
√
current I (1/ 4π0 ) I
resistance R 4π0 R
inductance L 4π0 L
capacitance C [1/(4π0 )] C

Mesoscopic Electronics in Solid State Nanostructures. Thomas Heinzel

Copyright © 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
ISBN: 978-3-527-40638-8
344 A SI and cgs units

Examples
• In cgs units, the generalized momentum is given by
e e 
p + A = p − r × H
c 2c
In order to switch to SI units, we make the following replacements:
√
e −→ e/ 4π0 ,  −→ 4πµ0 H
H , c −→ 1/ 0 µ0
such that the generalized momentum is
e 
p − r × µ0 H
2
• In cgs units, the Bohr magneton reads
eh̄
µB =
2mc
This changes to
eh̄
µB =
2m
on replacing the magnetization, the charge and the speed of light.
Occasionally, quantities have to be transformed as well. Table A.2 lists the
most important transformation factors.
Tab. A.2 Numerical factors in cgs and SI units.

Quantity cgs unit SI unit

length 1 cm 0.01 m
weight 1g 10−3 kg
force 1 dyn 10−5 N
energy 1 erg 10−7 J
charge 1 esE (1/3) × 10−9 C
potential 1 statvolt 300 V
capacitance 1 cm (1/9) × 10−11 F
magnetic flux 1 Mx 10−8 Wb
magnetic flux density 1G 10−4 T
magnetic field 1 Oe (1/4π ) × 103 A/m

Question A.1: Sodium has an electric polarizability of 0.4 × 10−24 cm3 . Express
this quantity in SI units.