2.

Phvsical Constants and Conversion Factors

J

A. G. MCNISH
Contents
page
Table 2.1. Common Units and Conversion Factors . . . . . . . . . 6
Table 2.2. Names and Conversion Factors for Electric and Magnetic
u n i t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Table 2.3. Adjusted Values of Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Table 2.4. Miscellaneous Conversion Factors. . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Table 2.5. Conversion Factors for Customary U.S. Units to Metric
u n i t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Table 2.6. Geodetic Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1 National Bureau of Standards.

6
 2. Physical Constants and Conversion Factors
The tables in this chapter supply some of the meter as the unit for length and 1/1000 of the
more commonly needed physical constants and kilogram as the unit for mass gives rise simi-
conversion factors.* larly to the cgs system, often used in physics
and chemistry.
The International System of Units (SI)
established in 1960 by the General Conference SI, as it is ordinarily used in electromagne-
of Weights and Measures under the Treaty of tism, is a rationalized system, Le., the electro-
the Meter is based upon: the meter (m) for magnetic units of SI relate to the quantities
length, defined as 1 650 763.73 wave-lengths appearing in the so-called rationalized electro-
in vacuum corresponding to the transition magnetic equations. Thus, the force per unit
*2p,,-5d5 of krypton 86; the kilogram (kg) length between two current-carrying parallel
for mass, defined as the mass of the prototype wires of infinite length separated by unit dis-
kilogram at Sevres, France; the second (s) for tance in vc1cuo is 2f = pLoili2/4n,where- k, has
time, defined as the duration of 9 192 631 770 the value 4~ x 10-’H/m. The force between
periods of the radiation corresponding to the two electric charges in vacuo is corresponding-
transition between the two hyperfine levels of ly given by f = qlq,/4n~,,r2,e,, having the value
cesium 133; the kelvin (K) for temperature, l/p,,c2, where c is the speed of light in meters
defined as 1/273.16 of the thermodynamic tem- per second. (~,,-8.854 y 10-*2F/m)
perature of the triple point of water; the am- Setting p,, equal to unity and deleting 4~
pere (A) f o r electric current, defined as the from the denominator in the first equation
current which, if flowing in two infinitely long above defines the cgs-emu system. Setting
parallel wires in vacuo separated by one meter, equal to unity and deleting 4~ from the de-
would produce a force of 2 x lo-’newtons per nominator in the second equation correspond-
meter of length between the wires; and the ingly defines the cgs-esu system. The cgs-emu
candela (cd) for luminous intensity, defined as and the cgs-esu systems are most frequently
the luminous intensity of 1/600 000 square used in the unrationalized forms.
meter of a perfect radiator at the temperature
of freezing platinum. Table 2.1. Common Units and Conversion
All other units of SI are derived from these Factors, CGS System and SI
base units by assigning the value unity to the I SI I CGS I
I I I
_ . ~

proportionality constants in the defining equa- Quantity Name Name Factor

tions (official symbols for other SI units appear Force I newton (N)I dvne I 105
in Tables 2.1 and 2.2). Taking 1/100 of the
Energy
Power I joule (Jj
watt .(w) I erg
........................ I 107
10’

*See also “Prefaceto Ninth Printing," page IIIa and page 11.

Table 2.2. Names and Conversion Factors for Electric and Magnetic Units

SI emu esu emu-SI esu-SI

Quantity name name name factors factors

Current ampere (A) abampere statampere 10-1 -3 x 109

Charge coulomb (C) statcoulomb 10-1 -3 x 109
Potential
Resistance
volt (V)
ohm (0)
abcoulomb
abvolt
abohm
statvolt
statohm
108
109
--(1/9)X
(1/3)x 10-2
10-11
lnductance
Capacitance
henry (H)
farad (F)
centimeter
........................ centimeter
109
10-9
--9 (1/9) x lo-”
x 10”
Magnetizing force A m-1 oersted 4r x 10-3 -3 x 109
Magnetomotive force A gilbert 4 r x 10-1 -3/106
--(1/3)
........................
Magnetic flux weber (Wb) maxwell ........................ 108 (1/3)x lo-*
Magnetic flux density tesla ( T ) gauss (G) 10‘ x
Electric displacement ...................... 10-5 -3 x 105

Example: If the value assigned to a current is 100 amperes its value in abamperes is 100 x lo-’= 10.

6
 PHYSICAL CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION FACTORS 7
The values of constants given in Table 2.3 are based on an adjustment by Taylor, Parker, and Langenberg,
Rev. Mod. Phys. 41, .p.375 (1969). They are being considered for adoption by the Task Group on Fundamental Con-
stants of the Committee on Data for Science and Technology, International Council of Scientific Unions. The uncer-
tainties given are standard errors estimated from the experimental data included in the adjustment. Where appli-
cable, values are based on the unified scale of atomic masses in which the atomic mass unit (u) is defined as 1/12 of
the mass of the atom of the 12C nuclide.

Table 2.3. Adjusted Values of Constants

Constant Symbol Systeme International

I I
(SI)
Speed of light in vacuum _________ _____. C ~ 2.997 925 0 f10 <lo8 m/s
Elementary charge ............................ e 1.602 191 7 70 10-19 c
4.803 250 21
Avogadro constant .......................... NA 6.022 169 40 1013 mol-'
Atomic mass unit ............................ U 1.660 531 11 1047 kg
Electron rest mass .......................... m. 9.109 558 54 10-31 kg
5.485 930 34 10-4 u
Proton rest mass .............................. nz, 1.672 614 11 lO-*7 kg
1.007 276 61 8 100 u
Neutron rest mass .......................... nk 1.674 920 11 lo-*? kg
1.008 665 20 10 100 u
Faraday constant ............................ F 9.648 670 54 104 C/mol
2.892 599 16 .......................................
Planck constant ................................ h 6.626 196 50 le34 J-s
X 1.054 591 9 80 10-34 J * s
Fine structure constant __________________ a 7.297 351 11 10-3 ........................
l/a 1.370 360 2 21 10' ........................
Charge to mass ratio for electron.. elm. 1.758 802 8 54 10" C k g
5.272 759 16 .......................................
Quantum-charge ratio .._._____ ___________.
~ hle 4.135 708 14 io-15 J.~/c
1.379 523 4 46
Compton wavelength of electron .... ha 2.426 309 6 74 10-1' m
b/2+ 3.861 592 12 10-13 m
Compton wavelength of proton .___ xC.P 1.321 440 9 90 10-15 m
b.p/Zr 2.103 139 14 10-16 m
Rydberg constant .............................. RCO 1.097 373 12 11 107 m-1
Bohr radius ...................................... Q 5.291 771 5 81 10-11 m
Electron radius ................................ Ta 2.817 939 13 10-15 m
Gyromagnetic ratio of proton ........ Y 2.675 196 5 82 108 rad s-lT-1
Y12* 4.257 707 13 107 HdT
(uncorrected for diamagnetism, Y' 2.675 127 0 82 108 rad ~ 1 T - l
HzO ) .............................................. I -f*12r 4.257 597 13 107 HdT
Bohr magneton .................................. PS 9.274 096 65 1044 JIT
Nuclear magneton _.____..___________.._______ P N 5.050 951 50 10-27 JIT
Proton moment .................................. IC, 1.410 620 3 99 10-'6 JIT
CJPN 2.792 782 17 100
(uncorrected for diamagnetism,
HzO) ............................................... P'JPN 2.792 709 17 100 ........................ 10' ......................
Gas constant ...................................... R 8.314 34 35 loo J : K-1 mol-* 107 erg K-1 mol-'
Normal volume perfect gas ............ VO 2.241 36 39 lo-* mVmol 104 cm3lmol
Boltzmann constant .......................... k 1.380 622 59 1043 JIK 10-16 erglK
First radiation constant (8rhc) _.._ Cl 4.992 579 38 10-24 J - m 10-15 erg cm
Second radiation constant .............. C2 1.438 833 61 10-* m * K 100 c m *K
Stefan-Boltmann constant ............ U 5.669 61 96 10-8 w .m - 2 ~ - 4 10-5 erg cm-2s-IK-4
Gravitational constant ..... G 6.673 2 31 10-11 N m*/kgs 10-8 dm ~m*l@
$Based on 1 std. dev; applies to last digits in preceding column. *Electromagnetic system. tElectrostatic system.
8 PHYSICAL CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION FACTORS

Table 2.4. Miscellaneous Conversion Factors

Standard gravity, go = 9.806 65 meters per second per second*
Standard atmospheric pressure, Po = 1.013 25 X lo5 newtons per square meter*
= 1.013 25 x lo6 dynes per square centimeter*
1 thermodynamic calorie,' cal, = 4.1840 joules*
1 IT calorie2,cal, = 4.1868 joules*
1 liter, 1 = cubic meter*
1 angstrom unit, A = 10-lometer*
1 bar = lo5 newtons per square meter*
= lo6 dynes per square centimeter*
1 gal = meter per second per second*
= 1 centimeter per second per second*
1 astronomical unit, AU = 1.496 x 10" meters
1 light year = 9.46 X 1015meters
1 parsec = 3.08 x 10l6meters
= 3.26 light years
1 curie, the quantity of radioactive material undergoing 3.7 x 1Olo disintegrations per second*.
1 roentgen, the exposure of x- or gamma radiation which' produces together with its secondaries
2.082 x loDelectron-ion pairs in 0.001 293 gram of air.
The index of refraction of the atmosphere for radio waves of frequency less than, 3 X 1O1OHz
is given by (n - 1) lo6 = (77.6/t) (p + 4810e/t), where n is the refractive index; t, temperature
in kelvins; p, total pressure in millibars; e, water vapor partial pressure in millibars.
Factors for converting the customary United Geodetic constants for the international
States units to units of the metric system are (Hayford) spheroid are given in Table 2.6.
given in Table 2.5. The gravity values are on the basis of the re-
Table 2.5. Factore for Converting Customary vised Potsdam value. They are about 14 parts
U.S. Units to SI Units per million smaller than previous values. They
are calculated for the surface of the geoid by
1 yard 0.914 4 meter* the international formula.
1 foot 0.304 8 meter*
1 inch 0.025 4 meter* Table 2.6. Geodetic Constants
1 statutemile 1609.344 meters* a = 6 378 388 m; f = 1/297; b = 6 356 912 m
1 nautical mile (inter- 1852 meters*
national) Length of Length of
Latitude 1' of 1' of
1 pound (avdp.) 0.453 592 37 kilogram* longitude latitude
1 oz. (avdp.) 0.028 349 52 kilogram Meters Meters nt/SS
1 pound force 4.448 22 newtons 00 1855.398 1842.925 9.780 350
1 slug 14.593 9 kilograms 15 1792.580 1844.170 9.783 800
1 poundal 0.138 255 newtons 30 1608.174 1847.580 9.793 238
1 foot pound 1.355 82 joules 45 1314.175 1852.256 9.806 154
Temperature 32 + (9/5) Celsius 60 930.047 1856.951 9.819 099
(Fahrenheit) temperature* 75 481.725 1860.401 9.828 593
1 British thermal unitS 1055 joules 90 0 1861.666 9.832 072

1 Used principally by chemists.

* Used principally by engineers.
9 Various definitions are given for the British thermal unit. This represents a rounded mean value differing
from none of the more important definitions by more than 3 in 104.
* Exact value.