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Constants and SI units
Table 1: SI Base Units
Dimensions
Name
Symbol
Length
metre
m
Mass
kilogram
kg
Time
second
s
Electric Current
ampere
A
Thermodynamic Temperature
kelvin
K
Amount of Substance
mole
mol
Luminous Intensity
candela
cd
Table 2: SI Derived Units
Dimension
Name
Symbol
Area
square metre
m
2
Volume
cubic metre
m
3
Speed/Velocity
metre per second
m s
-1
Acceleration
metre per second squared
m s
-2
Wave Number
reciprocal metre
m
-1
Density/Mass Density
kilogram per cubic metre
kg m
-3
Specific Volume
cubic metre per kilogram
m
3
kg
-1
Current Density
ampere per square metre
A m
-2
Magnetic Field Strength
ampere per metre
A m
-1
Concentration
mole per cubic metre
mol m
-3
Luminance
candela per square metre
cd m
-2
Table 3: SI Derived Units With Special Names
Dimension
Name
Symbol
Standard Units
Base Units
Frequency
hertz
Hz
s
-1
Force
newton
N
kg m s
-2
Pressure/Stress
pascal
Pa
N m
-2
kg m
-1
s
-2
Energy/Work/Quantity of Heat
joule
J
N m
kg m
2
s
-2
Power
watt
W
J s
-1
kg m
2
s
-3
Electric Charge
coulomb
C
A s
Voltage
volt
V
W A
-1
kg m
2
s
-3
A
-1
Capacitance
farad
F
C V-
1
kg
-1
m
-2
s
4
A
2
Inductance
henry
H
A
-2
kg m
2
s
-2
Electric Resistance
ohm
V A
-1
kg m
2
s
-3
A
-2
Celsius Temperature
degree celsius
C
K
Activity of a Radionuclide
becquerel
Bq
s
-1
Dynamic Viscosity
pascal second
Pa s
kg m
-1
s-
1
Moment of Force
newton meter
N m
kg
Heat Capacity/Entropy
joule per kelvin
J K
-1
kg m
2
s
-2
K
-1
Specific Heat Capacity/Specific Entropy
joule per kilorgam kelvin
J kg
-1
K
-1
m
2
s
-2
K
-1
Specific Energy
joule per kilogram
J kg
-1
m
2
s
-2
Thermal Conductivity
watt per metre kelvin
W m
-1
K
-1
kg m s
-3
K
-1
Energy Density
joule per cubic metre
J m
-3
kg m
-1
s
-2
Electric Field Strength
volt per metre
V m
-1
kg m s
-3
A
-1
Table 4: A selection of physical constants from CODATA 2006
Name
Symbol
Value
acceleration due to gravity (exact)
g
9.806 65 ms
2
unified atomic mass unit
u
1.660 538 782(83) x 10
-27
kg
Avogadro constant
N
A
6.022 141 79(30) x 10
23
mol
-1
Bohr magneton
μ
B
9.274 009 15(23) x 10
-24
J T
-1
Bohr radius
a
o
5.291 772 0859(36) x 10
-11
m
Boltzmann constant
k
1.380 650 4(24) x 10
-23
J K
-1
electron charge magnitude
e
1.602 176 487(40) x 10
-19
C
electron mass
m
e
9.109 382 15(45) x 10
-31
kg
fine structure constant
α
7.297 352 5376(50) x 10
-3
inverse fine structure constant
1/α
137.035 999 679(94)
gravitational constant
G
6.674 28(67) x 10
-11
m
3
kg
-1
s
-2
nuclear magneton
μ
N
5.050 783 24(13)x 10
-27
J T
-1
permeability of free space
μ
0
4 π x 10
-7
N A
-2
permittivity of free space
e
0
8.854 187 817... x 10
-12
F m
-1
pi
π
3.141 592 653...
Planck constant
h
6.626 068 96(33) x 10
-34
J s
proton (1H) mass
m
p
1.672 621 637(83) x 10
-27
kg
speed of light in vacuum (exact)
c
299 792 458 ms
-1
Stefan-Boltzmann constant
σ
5.670 400(40) x 10
-8
W m
-2
K
-4