List of physical quantities

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
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. Note that the angle and solid
angle are included in this list but are actually dimensionless quantities. The second table list the
other physical quantities.
Note that neither the names nor the symbols used for the physical quantities are international
standards. Some quantities are known under 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 list only one name and symbol.
The final column lists some special properties 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.
Symbol Symbol for
Base quantity Description SI unit Comments
dimension
The one
dimensional
Length l metre (m) L
extent of an
object.
The amount
Mass m of matter in kilogram (kg) M extensive
an object.
The
Time t duration of second (s) T
an event.
Rate of flow
Electric current I of electrical ampere (A) I
charge.
Average
energy per
Temperature T degree of kelvin (K) Θ intensive
freedom of
a system.
Amount of n Number of mole (mol) N extensive
substance particles
compared to
the number
 of atoms in
0.012 kg of
12
C.
Amount of
energy
emitted by a
Luminous
L light source candela (cd) J
intensity
in a
particular
direction.
Measure of
a change in
Plane angle θ radian (rad) 1
direction or
orientation.
Measure of
the size of
Solid angle Ω an object as steradian (sr) 1
projected on
a sphere.

Symbol
Derived quantity Description SI units Dimension Comments

Absorbed dose
Absorbed dose rate received per Gy s−1 L2 T−3
unit of time.
Rate of change
of the speed or
Acceleration a m s−2 L T−2 scalar or vector
velocity of an
object.
Rate of change
Angular in angular
α rad s−2 T−2
acceleration speed or
velocity.
The angle
incremented in
a plane by a
Angular speed (or scalar or
ω or ω segment rad s−1 T−1
angular velocity) pseudovector
connecting an
object and a
reference point.
Angular L Measure of the kg m2 s−1 M L2 T−1 conserved
momentum extent and quantity,
direction and pseudovector
object rotates
 about a
reference point.
The two
dimensional
Area A m2 L2
extent of an
object.
The amount of
mass per unit
Area density ρA area of a two kg m−2 M L−2
dimensional
object.
Measure for the
amount of
farad (F = A2
Capacitance C stored charge I2 T4 M−1 L−2
s4 kg−1 m−2)
for a given
potential.
Change in
reaction rate katal (kat =
Catalytic activity N T−1
due to presence mol s−1)
of a catalyst.
Change in
reaction rate
Catalytic activity due to presence
kat m−3 N L−3 T−1
concentration of a catalyst per
unit volume of
the system.
The amount of
energy needed
Chemical potential μ J mol−1 M L2 T−2 N−1 intensive
to add a particle
to a system.
Amount of
Molar
C substance per mol m−3 N L−3 intensive
concentration
unit volume.
Amount of
electric current
Current density J flowing A m−2 I L−2
through a
surface.
Dose equivalent H Measure for the sievert (Sv = L2 T−2
received m2 s−2)
amount of
radiation
adjusted for the
effect of
 different types
of radiant on
biological
tissue.
Measure for the
resistance of an
Dynamic Viscosity η Pa s M L−1 T−1
incompressible
fluid to stress.
Amount of coulomb (C = extensive,
Electric Charge Q IT
electric charge. A s) conserved quantity
Amount of
Electric charge electric charge
ρQ C m−3 I T L−3 intensive
density per unit
volume.
Strength of the
Electric
D electric C m−2 I T L−2 vector field
displacement
displacement.
Electric field Strength of the
E V m−1 M I−1 L2 T−3 vector field
strength electric field.
Meausure for
how easily
Electrical siemens (S =
G current flows L−2 M−1 T3 I2 scalar
conductance A2 s3 kg−1 m−2)
through a
material.
The amount of
work required
to bring a unit volt (V = kg
Electric potential V L2 M T−3 I−1 scalar
charge into an m2 A−1 s−3)
electric field
from infinity.
The degree to
which an object
Electrical ohm (Ω = kg
R opposes the L2 M T−3 I−2 scalar
resistance m2 A−2 s−3)
passage of an
electric current.
The capacity of
a body or joule (J = kg extensive, scalar,
Energy E M L2 T−2
system to do m2 s−2) conserved quantity
work.
Amount of
Energy density ρE energy per unit J m−3 M L−1 T−2 intensive
volume.
Entropy S Measure for the J K−1 M L2 T−2 extensive, scalar
amount of Θ−1
 available states
for a system.
The cause of
acceleration, newton (N =
Force F M L T−2 vector
acting on an kg m s−2)
object.
The cause of a
change in
Impulse p momentum, kg m s−1 M L T−1 vector
acting on an
object.
The number of
times
hertz (Hz
Frequency f something T−1
=s−1)
happens in a
period of time.
The time
needed for a
Half-life t1/2 quantity to s T
decay to half its
original value.
Amount of
energy
transferred
Heat Q between J M L2 T−2
systems due to
temperature
difference.
Amount of
energy needed
to raise the M L2 T−2
Heat capacity Cp J K−1 extensive
temperature of Θ−1
a system by one
degree.
Amount of heat
flowing
Heat flux density ϕQ through a W m−2 M T−3
surface per unit
area.
Total luminous
flux incident to lux (lx = cd sr
Illuminance Ev J L−2
a surface per m−2)
unit area.
Impedance Z Measure for the ohm (Ω = kg L2 M T−3 I−2 complex scalar
 resistance of an
electrical
circuit against m2 A−2 s−3)
an alternating
current.
The factor by
which the
Index of refraction n speed of light is 1 intensive
reduce in a
medium.
Measure for the
amount of
magnetic flux
henry (H = kg
Inductance L generated for a M L2 T−2 I−2
m2 A−2 s−2)
certain current
run through a
circuit.
Power of
electromagnetic
radiation
Irradiance E flowing W m−2 M T−2
through a
surface per unit
area.
Amount of
mass per unit
Linear density ρl length of a one M L−1
dimensional
object.
Perceived
Luminous flux (or lumen (lm =
F power of a light J
luminous power) cd sr)
source.
Strength of a
Magnetic field
H magnetic field A m−1 I L−1 vector field
strength
in a material.
Measure of
quantity of
magnetism,
taking account weber (Wb =
Magnetic flux Φ M L2 T−2 I−1 scalar
of the strength kg m2 A−1 s−2)
and the extent
of a magnetic
field.
Magnetic flux B Measure for the tesla (T = kg M T−2 I−1 pseudovector field
density strength of the A−1 s−2)
 magnetic field.
Amount of
magnetic
Magnetization M A m−1 I L−1 vector field
moment per
unit volume.
Mass of a
substance as a
Mass fraction x kg/kg 1 intensive
fraction of the
total mass.
The amount of
mass per unit
(Mass) Density volume of a
ρ kg m−3 M L−3 intensive
(volume density) three
dimensional
object.
Average time
needed for a
Mean lifetime τ s T intensive
particle to
decay.
Amount of
energy present
Molar energy is a system per J mol−1 M L2 T−2 N−1 intensive
unit amount of
substance.
Amount of
entropy present
M L2 T−2
Molar entropy in a system per J K−1 mol−1 intensive
Θ−1 N−1
unit amount of
substance.
Heat capacity
of a material
Molar heat capacity c J K−1 mol−1 M L2 T−2 N−1 intensive
per unit amount
of substance.
Inertia of an
object with
Moment of inertia I respect to kg m2 M L2 scalar
angular
acceleration.
Product of an
Momentum p object's mass Ns M L T−1 vector, extensive
and velocity.
Permeability μ Measure for H m−1 M L−1 I−2 intensive
how the
magnetization
 of material is
affected by the
application of
an external
magnetic field.
Measure for
how the
polarization of
a material is
Permittivity ε F m−1 I2 M−1 L−2 T4 intensive
affected by the
application of
an external
electric field.
The rate of
change in
Power P watt (W) M L2 T−3 extensive
energy over
time.
Amount of
pascal (Pa =
Pressure p force per unit M L−1 T−2 intensive
kg m−1 s−2)
area.
Number of
(Radioactive) particles becquerel (Bq
A T−1 extensive
Activity decaying per = s−1)
unit time.
Amount of
energy
absorbed by
biological gray (unit)
(Radioactive) Dose D L2 T−2
tissue from (Gy = m2 s−2)
ionizing
radiation per
unit mass.
Power of
emitted
electromagnetic
Radiance L radiation per W m−2 sr−1 M T−3
solid angle and
per projected
source area.
Power of
emitted
Radiant intensity I electromagnetic W sr−1 M L2 T−3 scalar
radiation per
solid angle.
Reaction rate r Measure for mol m−3 s−1 N L−3 T−1 intensive
 speed of a
chemical
reaction.
Rate of change
Speed v of the position m s−1 L T−1 scalar
of an object.
Amount of
Specific energy energy present 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.
The volume
occupied by a
unit mass of
Specific volume v m3 kg−1 L3 M−1 intensive
material
(reciprocal of
density).
Intrinsic
property of
particles,
roughly to be
Spin S interpreted as kg m2 s−1 M L2 T−1
the intrinsic
angular
momentum of
the particle.
Amount of
force exerted 2-tensor. (or
Stress σ Pa M L−1 T−2
per surface scalar)
area.
Amount of
work needed to
change the
Surface tension γ N m−1 or J m−2 M T−2
surface of a
liquid by a unit
surface area.
Measure for the
ease with
Thermal M L−1 T−3
k which a W m−1 K−1 intensive
conductivity Θ−1
material
conducts heat.
Torque (moment of T Product of a Nm M L2 T−2 pseudovector
force) force and the
perpendicular
 distance of the
force from the
point about
which it is
exerted.
Speed of an
object in a
Velocity v m s−1 L T−1 vector
chosen
direction.
The three
dimensional
Volume V m3 L3 extensive
extent of an
object.
Distance
between
repeating units
Wavelength λ m L
of a
propagating
wave.
Reciprocal of
Wavenumber k m−1 L−1
the wavelength.
Amount of
gravitation newton (N =
Weight w M L T−2
force exerted kg m s−2)
on an object.
Energy
dissipated by a
force moving
over a distance, joule (J = kg
Work W M L2 T−2 scalar
scalar product m2 s−2)
of the force and
the movement
vector.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_physical_quantities"
Categories: Physics lists | Physical quantities
Personal tools
• New features
• Log in / create account
Namespaces
• Article
• Discussion
Variants
Views
 • Read
• Edit
• View history
Actions
Search
Top of Form
Special:Search

Search

Bottom of Form
Navigation
• Main page
• Contents
• Featured content
• Current events
• Random article
• Donate
Interaction
• About Wikipedia
• Community portal
• Recent changes
• Contact Wikipedia
• Help
Toolbox
• What links here
• Related changes
• Upload file
• Special pages
• Permanent link
• Cite this page
Print/export
• Create a book
• Download as PDF
• Printable version
Languages
• Български
• Deutsch
• Eesti
• Magyar
• Latina
• Русский
• தமிழ்
• This page was last modified on 21 September 2010 at 12:22.
• Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;
additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit
organization.
• Contact us
• Privacy policy
• About Wikipedia
• Disclaimers