SI units: Difference between revisions

From The School of Biomedical Sciences Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Nnjm2 (talk | contribs)
No edit summary
Nnjm2 (talk | contribs)
No edit summary
Line 3: Line 3:
The Seven Base Units are as Follows:<br>  
The Seven Base Units are as Follows:<br>  


<u>'''Base Quantity&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Name&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Symbol'''</u>
{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="350" align="center" border="1"
 
|-
Length&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; meter&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; m  
| Base Quantity  
 
| Name  
Time&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; second&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;s  
| Symbol
 
|-
Mass&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; kilogram&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;kg  
| Length  
 
| meter  
Amount of Substance&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; mole&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;mol  
| m
 
|-
Thermodynamic Temperature&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; kelvin&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; K  
| Time  
 
| second  
Electric Current&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ampere&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A  
| s
 
|-
Luminous Intensity&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; candela&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; cd  
| Mass  
| kilogram  
| kg
|-
| Amount of Substance  
| mole  
| mol
|-
| Thermodynamic Temperature  
| kelvin  
| K
|-
| Electric Current  
| ampere  
| A
|-
| Luminous Intensity  
| candela  
| cd
|}


When using abbreviations, never add the letter "s" in an attempt to signify plurals. Below are some of the common symbols:  
When using abbreviations, never add the letter "s" in an attempt to signify plurals. Below are some of the common symbols:  
Line 48: Line 67:
|}
|}


 
<br> (1 l = 10<sup>3</sup> ml = 10<sup>6</sup> μl, 1g = 10<sup>3</sup> mg = 10<sup>6</sup> μg)
(1 l = 10<sup>3</sup> ml = 10<sup>6</sup> μl, 1g = 10<sup>3</sup> mg = 10<sup>6</sup> μg)

Revision as of 06:10, 26 November 2014

SI units (Système international d'unités) are now the general fundamental units for scientific work. They are based on seven base units for seven base quantities which we assume to be mutually independent. The main basic units with which you will be concerned are the meter (m), the kilogram (kg) and the second (s). Other non-SI units, notably minute (min), hour (h), degree Celsius (°C) and litre (l) are still commonly used in science.

The Seven Base Units are as Follows:

Base Quantity Name Symbol
Length meter m
Time second s
Mass kilogram kg
Amount of Substance mole mol
Thermodynamic Temperature kelvin K
Electric Current ampere A
Luminous Intensity candela cd

When using abbreviations, never add the letter "s" in an attempt to signify plurals. Below are some of the common symbols:

Symbol Prefix Factor
c centi 10-2
m milli 10-3
μ micro 10-6
n nano 10-9
p pico 10-12


(1 l = 103 ml = 106 μl, 1g = 103 mg = 106 μg)