Introduction

This is a brief summary of the SI, the modern metric system of measurement. Long the
language universally used in science, the SI has become the dominant language of
international commerce and trade. These "essentials" are adapted from NIST Special
Publication 811 (SP 811), prepared by B. N. Taylor and entitled Guide for the Use of the
International System of Units (SI), and NIST Special Publication 330 (SP 330), edited by
B. N. Taylor and entitled The International System of Units (SI). Users requiring more
detailed information may access SP 811 and SP 330 online from the Bibliography, or
order SP 811 for postal delivery. Information regarding the adoption and maintenance of
the SI may be found in the section International aspects of the SI.

Some useful definitions

A quantity in the general sense is a property ascribed to phenomena, bodies, or
substances that can be quantified for, or assigned to, a particular phenomenon, body, or
substance. Examples are mass and electric charge.

A quantity in the particular sense is a quantifiable or assignable property ascribed to

a particular phenomenon, body, or substance. Examples are the mass of the moon and
the electric charge of the proton.

A physical quantity is a quantity that can be used in the mathematical equations of

science and technology.

A unit is a particular physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention, with which
other particular quantities of the same kind are compared to express their value.

The value of a physical quantity is the quantitative expression of a particular physical

quantity as the product of a number and a unit, the number being its numerical value.
Thus, the numerical value of a particular physical quantity depends on the unit in which
it is expressed.

For example, the value of the height hW of the Washington

Monument is hW = 169 m = 555 ft. Here hW is the physical
quantity, its value expressed in the unit "meter," unit symbol
m, is 169 m, and its numerical value when expressed in
meters is 169. However, the value of hW expressed in the
unit "foot," symbol ft, is 555 ft, and its numerical value when
expressed in feet is 555.

SI base units
 The SI is founded on seven SI base units for seven base
quantities assumed to be mutually independent, as given in Table 1.

Table 1. SI base units

SI base unit

Base quantity Name Symbol

length meter m
mass kilogram kg
time second s
electric current ampere A
thermodynamic temperature kelvin K
amount of substance mole mol
luminous intensity candela cd

SI derived units
Other quantities, called derived quantities, are defined in terms of the seven base
quantities via a system of quantity equations. The SI derived units for these derived
quantities are obtained from these equations and the seven SI base units. Examples of such SI
derived units are given in Table 2, where it should be noted that the symbol 1 for quantities of
dimension 1 such as mass fraction is generally omitted.

Table 2. Examples of SI derived units

SI derived unit

Derived quantity Name Symbol

area square meter m2
volume cubic meter m3
speed, velocity meter per second m/s
acceleration meter per second squared m/s2
wave number reciprocal meter m-1
mass density kilogram per cubic meter kg/m3
 Table 2. Examples of SI derived units

specific volume cubic meter per kilogram m3/kg

current density ampere per square meter A/m2
magnetic field strength ampere per meter A/m
amount-of-substance concentration mole per cubic meter mol/m3
luminance candela per square meter cd/m2
kilogram per kilogram, which may
mass fraction kg/kg = 1
be represented by the number 1

For ease of understanding and convenience, 22 SI derived units have been

given special names and symbols, as shown in Table 3.

Table 3. SI derived units with special names and

symbols

SI derived unit

Expression
in terms of Expression
Derived other SI in terms of
quantity Name Symbol units SI base units
plane angle radian (a) rad - m·m-1 = 1 (b)
solid angle steradian (a) sr (c) - m2·m-2 = 1 (b)
frequency hertz Hz - s-1
force newton N - m·kg·s-2
pressure,
pascal Pa N/m2 m-1·kg·s-2
stress
energy, work,
quantity of joule J N·m m2·kg·s-2
heat
power,
watt W J/s m2·kg·s-3
radiant flux
electric
charge,
coulomb C - s·A
quantity of
electricity
 Table 3. SI derived units with special names and
symbols

electric
potential
difference, volt V W/A m2·kg·s-3·A-1
electromotive
force
capacitance farad F C/V m-2·kg-1·s4·A2
electric
ohm V/A m2·kg·s-3·A-2
resistance
electric
siemens S A/V m-2·kg-1·s3·A2
conductance
magnetic
weber Wb V·s m2·kg·s-2·A-1
flux
magnetic
tesla T Wb/m2 kg·s-2·A-1
flux density
inductance henry H Wb/A m2·kg·s-2·A-2
Celsius degree
°C - K
temperature Celsius
luminous
lumen lm cd·sr (c) m2·m-2·cd = cd
flux
illuminance lux lx lm/m2 m2·m-4·cd = m-2·cd
activity (of a
becquerel Bq - s-1
radionuclide)
absorbed
dose, specific
energy gray Gy J/kg m2·s-2
(imparted),
kerma
dose
sievert Sv J/kg m2·s-2
equivalent (d)
catalytic
katal kat s-1·mol
activity
(a)
The radian and steradian may be used advantageously in expressions for derived
units to distinguish between quantities of a different nature but of the same
dimension; some examples are given in Table 4.
(b)
In practice, the symbols rad and sr are used where appropriate, but the derived
unit "1" is generally omitted.
(c)
In photometry, the unit name steradian and the unit symbol sr are usually retained
in expressions for derived units.
 Table 3. SI derived units with special names and
symbols
(d)
Other quantities expressed in sieverts are ambient dose equivalent, directional
dose equivalent, personal dose equivalent, and organ equivalent dose.

Derived quantity Name Symbol

dynamic viscosity pascal second Pa·s
moment of force newton meter N·m
surface tension newton per meter N/m
angular velocity radian per second rad/s
angular acceleration radian per second squared rad/s2
heat flux density, irradiance watt per square meter W/m2
heat capacity, entropy joule per kelvin J/K
specific heat capacity, specific entropy joule per kilogram kelvin J/(kg·K)
specific energy joule per kilogram J/kg
thermal conductivity watt per meter kelvin W/(m·K)
energy density joule per cubic meter J/m3
electric field strength volt per meter V/m
electric charge density coulomb per cubic meter C/m3
electric flux density coulomb per square meter C/m2
permittivity farad per meter F/m
permeability henry per meter H/m
molar energy joule per mole J/mol
molar entropy, molar heat capacity joule per mole kelvin J/(mol·K)
exposure (x and rays) coulomb per kilogram C/kg
absorbed dose rate gray per second Gy/s
radiant intensity watt per steradian W/sr
radiance watt per square meter steradian W/(m2·sr)
catalytic (activity) concentration katal per cubic meter kat/m3

SI prefixes
See also prefixes for binary multiples adopted by the
IEC.

The 20 SI prefixes used to form decimal multiples and submultiples of SI units are given in Table 5.

Table 5. SI prefixes

Factor Name Symbol Factor Name Symbol

1024 yotta Y 10-1 deci d
21 -2
10 zetta Z 10 centi c
18 -3
10 exa E 10 milli m
15 -6
10 peta P 10 micro µ
12 -9
10 tera T 10 nano n
9 -12
10 giga G 10 pico p
6 -15
10 mega M 10 femto f
3 -18
10 kilo k 10 atto a
2 -21
10 hecto h 10 zepto z
1 -24
10 deka da 10 yocto y

It is important to note that the kilogram is the only SI unit with a prefix as part of its name and symbol.
Because multiple prefixes may not be used, in the case of the kilogram the prefix names of Table 5 are
used with the unit name "gram" and the prefix symbols are used with the unit symbol "g." With this
exception, any SI prefix may be used with any SI unit, including the degree Celsius and its symbol °C.

Example 1:10-6 kg = 1 mg (one milligram), but not 10-6 kg = 1 µkg (one microkilogram)
Example 2:Consider the earlier example of the height of the Washington Monument. We
may write hW = 169 000 mm = 16 900 cm = 169 m = 0.169 km using the
millimeter (SI prefix milli, symbol m), centimeter (SI prefix centi, symbol c), or
kilometer (SI prefix kilo, symbol k).

Because the SI prefixes strictly represent powers of 10, they should not be used to
represent powers of 2. Thus, one kilobit, or 1 kbit, is 1000 bit and not 210 bit = 1024 bit.
To alleviate this ambiguity, prefixes for binary multiples have been adopted by the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for use in information technology.
This is a list of physical quantities.

The first table lists the base quantities used in the International System of Units to define the
physical dimension of physical quantities for dimensional analysis. The second table lists the
derived physical quantities. Derived quantities can be mentioned in terms of the base quantities.

Note that neither the names nor the symbols used for the physical quantities are international
standards. Some quantities are known as several different names such as the magnetic B-field
which known as the magnetic flux density, the magnetic induction or simply as the magnetic
field depending on the context. Similarly, surface tension can be denoted by either σ, γ or T. The
table usually lists only one name and symbol.

The final column lists some special properties that some of the quantities have, such as their
scaling behavior (i.e. whether the quantity is intensive or extensive), their transformation
properties (i.e. whether the quantity is a scalar, vector or tensor) or whether the quantity is
conserved.

Base quantity Symbol Description SI base unit Dimension Comments

The one-
dimensional
Length l metre (m) L
extent of an
object
A measure
of resistance
Mass m kilogram (kg) M extensive, scalar
to
acceleration
The duration
Time t second (s) T scalar
of an event
Rate of flow
of electrical
Electric current I ampere (A) I
charge per
unit time
Temperature T Average kelvin (K) Θ intensive, scalar
kinetic
energy per
degree of
freedom of a
 system
Number of
particles
compared to
Amount of
n the number mole (mol) N extensive, scalar
substance
of atoms in
0.012 kg of
12
C
Wavelength-
weighted
Luminous power of
L candela (cd) J scalar
intensity emitted light
per unit
solid angle
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
SI derived
Derived quantity Symbol Description Dimension Comments
unit
Measure of
sustained
Absement A displacement: ms LT vector
the first integral
of displacement
Absorbed dose
Absorbed dose rate received per Gy s−1 L2 T−3
unit of time
Change of the
speed or
Acceleration a→ m s−2 L T−2 vector
velocity per unit
time
Change in
Angular angular speed or
α rad s−2 T−2
acceleration velocity per unit
time
Measure of the
extent and
Angular direction an conserved quantity,
L kg m2 s−1 M L2 T−1
momentum object rotates pseudovector
about a
reference point
Angular speed (or ω The angle rad s−1 T−1 scalar or
angular velocity) incremented in a pseudovector
 SI derived
Derived quantity Symbol Description Dimension Comments
unit
plane by a
segment
connecting an
object and a
reference point
per unit time
Extent of a
Area A m2 L2 scalar
surface
Mass per unit
Area density ρA kg m−2 M L−2
area
Stored charge
farad (F = A2 s4
Capacitance C per unit electric M−1 L−2 T4 I2 scalar
kg−1 m−2)
potential
Change in
reaction rate due katal (kat =
Catalytic activity T−1 N
to presence of a mol s−1)
catalyst
Change in
reaction rate due
Catalytic activity to presence of a
kat m−3 L−3 T−1 N
concentration catalyst per unit
volume of the
system
Energy per unit
change in
Chemical potential μ J mol−1 M L2 T−2 N−1 intensive
amount of
substance
Change of
jounce per unit
Crackle c→ time: the fifth m s−5 L T−5 vector
time derivative
of position
Electric current
Current density J→ per unit cross- A m−2 L−2 I vector
section area
Dose equivalent H Received sievert (Sv = L2 T−2
radiation m2 s−2)
adjusted for the
 SI derived
Derived quantity Symbol Description Dimension Comments
unit
effect on
biological tissue
Measure for the
resistance of an
Dynamic viscosity η Pa s M L−1 T−1
incompressible
fluid to stress
The force per
coulomb (C = extensive,
Electric charge Q unit electric TI
A s) conserved quantity
field strength
Electric charge Electric charge
ρQ C m−3 L−3 T I intensive
density per unit volume
Strength of the
Electric
D electric C m−2 L−2 T I vector field
displacement
displacement
Electric field Strength of the
E→ V m−1 M L T−3 I−1 vector field
strength electric field
Measure for
how easily
Electrical siemens (S =
G current flows M−1 L−2 T3 I2 scalar
conductance A2 s3 kg−1 m−2)
through a
material
Measure of a
Electrical material's ability
σ S m−1 M−1 L−3 T3 I2 scalar
conductivity to conduct an
electric current
Energy required
to move a unit
charge through volt (V = kg m2
Electric potential V M L2 T−3 I−1 extensive, scalar
an electric field A−1 s−3)
from a reference
point
Electric
Electrical potential per ohm (Ω = kg extensive, scalar,
R M L2 T−3 I−2
resistance unit electric m2 A−2 s−3) assumes linearity
current
Electrical ρ Bulk property ohm metre M L3 T−3 I−2 intensive, scalar
resistivity equivalent of (Ω⋅m = kg m3
electrical A−2 s−3)
 SI derived
Derived quantity Symbol Description Dimension Comments
unit
resistance
Capacity of a
joule (J = kg extensive, scalar,
Energy E body or system M L2 T−2
m2 s−2) conserved quantity
to do work
Energy per unit
Energy density ρE J m−3 M L−1 T−2 intensive
volume
Logarithmic
measure of the
M L2 T−2
Entropy S number of J K−1 extensive, scalar
Θ−1
available states
of a system
Transfer of
newton (N = kg
Force F→ momentum per M L T−2 extensive, vector
m s−2)
unit time
Distance
Fuel efficiency traveled per unit L−2 scalar
volume of fuel
Number of
(periodic)
Frequency f hertz (Hz = s−1) T−1 scalar
occurrences per
unit time
Time for a
quantity to
Half-life t1/2 s T
decay to half its
initial value
Heat Q Thermal energy joule (J) M L2 T−2
Energy per unit
M L2 T−2
Heat capacity Cp temperature J K−1 extensive
Θ−1
change
Heat flow per
Heat flux density ϕQ unit time per W m−2 M T−3
unit surface area
Luminous flux
lux (lx = cd sr
Illuminance Ev per unit surface L−2 J
m−2)
area
Impedance Z Resistance to an ohm (Ω = kg M L2 T−3 I−2 complex scalar
alternating m2 A−2 s−3)
 SI derived
Derived quantity Symbol Description Dimension Comments
unit
current of a
given frequency,
including effect
on phase
newton second
Transfered
Impulse p→ (N⋅s = kg m M L T−1 vector
momentum
s−1)
Magnetic flux
generated per henry (H = kg
Inductance L M L2 T−2 I−2 scalar
unit current m2 A−2 s−2)
through a circuit
Electromagnetic
radiation power
Irradiance E W m−2 M T−3
per unit surface
area
Power per unit
Intensity I cross sectional W m−2 M T−3
area
Change of
acceleration per
unit time: the
Jerk j→ m s−3 L T−3 vector
third time
derivative of
position
Change of jerk
per unit time:
Jounce (or snap) s→ the fourth time m s−4 L T−4 vector
derivative of
position
Mass per unit
Linear density ρl M L−1
length
Perceived
Luminous flux (or lumen (lm = cd
F power of a light J
luminous power) sr)
source
Ratio of flow
Mach number (or velocity to the
M unitless 1
mach) local speed of
sound
 SI derived
Derived quantity Symbol Description Dimension Comments
unit
Magnetic field Strength of a
H A m−1 L−1 I vector field
strength magnetic field
Measure of
magnetism,
taking account
weber (Wb =
Magnetic flux Φ of the strength M L2 T−2 I−1 scalar
kg m2 A−1 s−2)
and the extent
of a magnetic
field
Measure for the
Magnetic flux tesla (T = kg
B strength of the M T−2 I−1 pseudovector field
density A−1 s−2)
magnetic field
Amount of
magnetic
Magnetization M A m−1 L−1 I vector field
moment per unit
volume
Mass of a
substance as a
Mass fraction x kg/kg 1 intensive
fraction of the
total mass
(Mass) Density (or Mass per unit
ρ kg m−3 M L−3 intensive
volume density) volume
Average time
for a particle of
Mean lifetime τ s T intensive
a substance to
decay
Amount of
Molar
C substance per mol m−3 L−3 N intensive
concentration
unit volume
Amount of
energy present
Molar energy in a system per J mol−1 M L2 T−2 N−1 intensive
unit amount of
substance
Entropy per unit
M L2 T−2
Molar entropy amount of J K−1 mol−1 intensive
Θ−1 N−1
substance
Molar heat c Heat capacity of J K−1 mol−1 M L2 T−2 N−1 intensive
 SI derived
Derived quantity Symbol Description Dimension Comments
unit
a material per
capacity unit amount of
substance
Inertia of an
object with
Moment of inertia I respect to kg m2 M L2 tensor, scalar
angular
acceleration
Product of an
Momentum p→ object's mass Ns M L T−1 vector, extensive
and velocity
Measure for
how the
magnetization
of material is
Permeability μ H m−1 M L T−2 I−2 intensive
affected by the
application of
an external
magnetic field
Measure for
how the
polarization of a
material is
Permittivity ε F m−1 M−1 L−3 T4 I2 intensive
affected by the
application of
an external
electric field
Ratio of circular
Plane angle θ arc length to radian (rad) 1
radius
Rate of transfer
Power P of energy per watt (W) M L2 T−3 extensive, scalar
unit time
Force per unit pascal (Pa = kg
Pressure p M L−1 T−2 intensive, scalar
area m−1 s−2)
Pop p→ Rate of change m s−6 L T−6 vector
of crackle per
unit time: the
sixth time
 SI derived
Derived quantity Symbol Description Dimension Comments
unit
derivative of
position
Number of
(Radioactive) particles becquerel (Bq
A T−1 extensive, scalar
Activity decaying per = s−1)
unit time
Ionizing
radiation energy
gray (Gy = m2
(Radioactive) Dose D absorbed by L2 T−2
s−2)
biological tissue
per unit mass
Power of
emitted
electromagnetic
Radiance L radiation per W m−2 sr−1 M T−3
unit solid angle
per emitting
source area
Power of
emitted
Radiant intensity I electromagnetic W sr−1 M L2 T−3 scalar
radiation per
unit solid angle
Rate of a
chemical
Reaction rate r mol m−3 s−1 N L−3 T−1 intensive, scalar
reaction for unit
time
Factor by which
the phase
Refractive index n velocity of light unitless 1 intensive, scalar
is reduced in a
medium
Ratio of area on
Solid angle Ω a sphere to its steradian (sr) 1
radius squared
Speed v Moved distance m s−1 L T−1 scalar
per unit time:
the first time
derivative of
 SI derived
Derived quantity Symbol Description Dimension Comments
unit
position
Energy density
Specific energy J kg−1 L2 T−2 intensive
per unit mass
Specific heat Heat capacity
c J kg−1 K−1 L2 T−2 Θ−1 intensive
capacity per unit mass
Volume per unit
Specific volume v mass (reciprocal m3 kg−1 M−1 L3 intensive
of density)
Quantum-
mechanically
Spin S defined angular kg m2 s−1 M L2 T−1
momentum of a
particle
Extension per
Strain ε unitless 1
unit length
Force per unit
Stress σ oriented surface Pa M L−1 T−2 order 2 tensor
area
Energy change
Surface tension γ per unit change N m−1 or J m−2 M T−2
in surface area
Measure for the
Thermal ease with which
k W m−1 K−1 M L T−3 Θ−1 intensive
conductivity a material
conducts heat
Product of a
force and the
perpendicular
bivector (or
distance of the newton metre 2 −2
Torque τ ML T pseudovector in
force from the (N m)
3D)
point about
which it is
exerted
Speed and
Velocity v→ direction of an m s−1 L T−1 vector
object
Volume V Three m3 L3 extensive, scalar
 SI derived
Derived quantity Symbol Description Dimension Comments
unit
dimensional
extent of an
object
Perpendicular
distance
Wavelength λ between m L
repeating units
of a wave
Repetency or
spacial
frequency: the
Wavenumber k m−1 L−1 scalar
number of
cycles per unit
distance
Repetency or
spacial
frequency
m−1 with
Wavevector k→ vector: the L−1 vector
direction
number of
cycles per unit
distance
Gravitational
newton (N = kg
Weight w force on an M L T−2 vector
m s−2)
object
Transferred joule (J = kg
Work W M L2 T−2 scalar
energy m2 s−2)
scalar; assumes
Ratio of stress pascal (Pa = kg −1 −2
Young's modulus E ML T isotropic linear
to strain m−1 s−2)
material
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