Physical Quantities - (Standards and Units) - 2
Physical Quantities - (Standards and Units) - 2
Physical Quantities - (Standards and Units) - 2
Derived
Symbol Description SI units Dimension Comments
quantity
Measure of a change in direction or
Plane angle θ radian (rad) 1
orientation.
Measure of the size of an object as
Solid angle Ω steradian (sr) 1
projected on a sphere.
Rate of change of the speed or
Acceleration a→ m s−2 L T−2 vector
velocity of an object.
Angular Rate of change in angular speed or
α rad s−2 T−2
acceleration velocity.
Angular
The angle incremented in a plane by
speed (or) scalar or
ω a segment connecting an object and rad s−1 T−1
angular pseudovector
a reference point per unit time.
velocity)
Measure of the extent and direction conserved
Angular 2 −1 2 −1
L an object rotates about a reference kg m s ML T quantity,
momentum
point. pseudovector
The two-dimensional extent of an
Area A m2 L2 scalar
object.
The amount of mass per unit area of
Area density ρA kg m−2 M L−2
a two-dimensional object.
Measure for the amount of stored
Capacitance C farad (F ) I2 T4 M−1 L−2 scalar
charge for a given potential.
Chemical The amount of energy needed to
μ J mol−1 M L2 T−2 N−1 intensive
potential add a particle to a system.
Molar Amount of substance per unit
C mol m−3 N L−3 intensive
concentration volume.
Amount of electric current flowing
Current density J→ A m−2 I L−2 vector
through a surface.
Dynamic Measure for the resistance of an
η Pa s M L−1 T−1
Viscosity incompressible fluid to stress.
extensive,
coulomb (C = A
Electric Charge Q Amount of electric charge. IT conserved
s)
quantity
Electric charge Amount of electric charge per unit
ρQ C m−3 I T L−3 intensive
density volume.
Electric Strength of the electric
D C m−2 I T L−2 vector field
displacement displacement.
Electric field E→ Strength of the electric field. V m−1 M L T−3 I−1 vector field
Physical Quantities-(standards and units)-2
Derived
Symbol Description SI units Dimension Comments
quantity
strength
Electrical Meausure for how easily current siemens (S =
G L−2 M−1 T3 I2 scalar
conductance flows through a material. A2 s3 kg−1 m−2)
The amount of work required to
Electric volt (V = kg
V bring a unit charge into an electric L2 M T−3 I−1 scalar
potential m2 A−1 s−3)
field from infinity.
The degree to which an object
Electrical ohm (Ω = kg
R opposes the passage of an electric L2 M T−3 I−2 scalar
resistance m2 A−2 s−3)
current.
extensive,
The capacity of a body or system to joule (J = kg scalar,
Energy E M L2 T−2
do work. m2 s−2) conserved
quantity
Energy density ρE Amount of energy per unit volume. J m−3 M L−1 T−2 intensive
Measure for the amount of available extensive,
Entropy S J K−1 M L2 T−2 Θ−1
states for a system. scalar
The cause of acceleration, acting on newton (N = kg
Force F→ M L T−2 vector
an object. m s−2)
Fuel efficiency Distance traveled per meter cubed. L−2 scalar
The cause of a change in
Impulse p→ kg m s−1 M L T−1 vector
momentum, acting on an object.
The number of times something
Frequency f hertz (Hz =s−1) T−1 scalar
happens in a period of time.
The time needed for a quantity to
Half-life t1/2 s T
decay to half its original value.
Amount of energy transferred
Heat Q between systems due to temperature J M L2 T−2
difference.
Amount of energy needed to raise
Heat capacity Cp the temperature of a system by one J K−1 M L2 T−2 Θ−1 extensive
degree.
Heat flux Amount of heat flowing through a
ϕQ W m−2 M T−3
density surface per unit area.
Total luminous flux incident to a lux (lx = cd sr
Illuminance Ev J L−2
surface per unit area. m−2)
Measure for the resistance of an ohm (Ω = kg complex
Impedance Z L2 M T−3 I−2
electrical circuit against an m2 A−2 s−3) scalar
Physical Quantities-(standards and units)-2
Derived
Symbol Description SI units Dimension Comments
quantity
alternating current.
Index of The factor by which the speed of intensive,
n 1
refraction light is reduced in a medium. scalar
Measure for the amount of magnetic
henry (H = kg
Inductance L flux generated for a certain current M L2 T−2 I−2 scalar
m2 A−2 s−2)
run through a circuit.
Power of electromagnetic radiation
Irradiance E flowing through a surface per unit W m−2 M T−2
area.
Intensity I Power per unit cross sectional area. W m−2 M T−3
Amount of mass per unit length of a
Linear density ρl M L−1
one-dimensional object.
Luminous
flux (or) lumen (lm = cd
F Perceived power of a light source. J
luminous sr)
power)
Mach
Ratio of flow velocity to the local Unitless (M =
Number (or) M 1
speed of sound. u/c)
mach
Magnetic field Strength of a magnetic field in a
H A m−1 I L−1 vector field
strength material.
Measure of quantity of magnetism,
weber (Wb = kg
Magnetic flux Φ taking account of the strength and M L2 T−2 I−1 scalar
m2 A−1 s−2)
the extent of a magnetic field.
Magnetic flux Measure for the strength of the tesla (T = kg pseudovector
B M T−2 I−1
density magnetic field. A−1 s−2) field
Amount of magnetic moment per
Magnetization M A m−1 I L−1 vector field
unit volume.
Mass of a substance as a fraction of
Mass fraction x kg/kg 1 intensive
the total mass.
(Mass) The amount of mass per unit
Density (or) ρ volume of a three-dimensional kg m−3 M L−3 intensive
(volume density) object.
Average time needed for a particle
Mean lifetime τ s T intensive
to decay.
Amount of energy present is a
Molar energy J mol−1 M L2 T−2 N−1 intensive
system per unit amount of
Physical Quantities-(standards and units)-2
Derived
Symbol Description SI units Dimension Comments
quantity
substance.
Amount of entropy present in a
Molar entropy system per unit amount of J K−1 mol−1 M L2 T−2 Θ−1N−1 intensive
substance.
Molar heat Heat capacity of a material per unit
c J K−1 mol−1 M L2 T−2 N−1 intensive
capacity amount of substance.
Moment of Inertia of an object with respect to
I kg m2 M L2 tensor, scalar
inertia angular acceleration.
Product of an object's mass and vector,
Momentum p→ Ns M L T−1
velocity. extensive
Measure for how the magnetization
of material is affected by the
Permeability μ H m−1 M L T−2 I−2 intensive
application of an external magnetic
field.
Measure for how the polarization of
a material is affected by the
Permittivity ε F m−1 I2 M−1 L−3 T4 intensive
application of an external electric
field.
The rate of change in energy over extensive,
Power P watt (W) M L2 T−3
time. scalar
pascal (Pa = kg intensive,
Pressure p Amount of force per unit area. M L−1 T−2
m−1 s−2) scalar
Power of emitted electromagnetic
Radiance L radiation per solid angle and per W m−2 sr−1 M T−3
projected source area.
Radiant Power of emitted electromagnetic
I W sr−1 M L2 T−3 scalar
intensity radiation per solid angle.
Measure for speed of a chemical intensive,
Reaction rate r mol m−3 s−1 N L−3 T−1
reaction. scalar
Measure of how light is refracted
Refractive Index n Unitless Dimensionless
through a medium.
The space between two intersecting
Angle θ lines at or close to the point where rad / Degree Dimensionless
they meet.
Rate of change of the position of an
Speed v m s−1 L T−1 scalar
object.
Specific energy Amount of energy present per unit J kg−1 L2 T−2 intensive
Physical Quantities-(standards and units)-2
Derived
Symbol Description SI units Dimension Comments
quantity
mass.
Specific heat
c Heat capacity per unit mass. J kg−1 K−1 L2 T−2 Θ−1 intensive
capacity
The volume occupied by a unit
Specific volume v mass of material (reciprocal of m3 kg−1 L3 M−1 intensive
density).
Strain Extension per unit length. Unitless Dimensionless
Amount of force exerted per surface 2-tensor. (or
Stress σ Pa M L−1 T−2
area. scalar)
Amount of work needed to change
Surface tension γ the surface of a liquid by a unit N m−1 or J m−2 M T−2
surface area.
Thermal Measure for the ease with which a
k W m−1 K−1 M L T−3 Θ−1 intensive
conductivity material conducts heat.
Product of a force and the
perpendicular distance of the force
Torque τ Nm M L2 T−2 pseudovector
from the point about which it is
exerted.
Speed of an object in a chosen
Velocity v→ m s−1 L T−1 vector
direction.
The three dimensional extent of an extensive,
Volume V m3 L3
object. scalar
Distance between repeating units of
Wavelength λ m L
a propagating wave.
Wave number k Reciprocal of the wavelength. m−1 L−1
Amount of gravitation force exerted newton (N = kg
Weight w M L T−2 Vector
on an object. m s−2)
Energy dissipated by a force
moving over a distance, scalar joule (J = kg
Work W M L2 T−2 scalar
product of the force and the m2 s−2)
movement vector.
Young's pascal (Pa = kg
Ratio of Stress over Strain. M L−1 T−2 scalar
modulus m−1 s−2)