Conversions

Conversion Factors of Magnetic Measurements

To convert the CGS To the following Multiply the CGS value

value in in SI units by

Gausses Webers/square meter 10-4

Gausses Tesla 10-4

Gausses Ampere-turns 0.7958

Gilberts/cm Ampere-turns/meter 79.58

Maxwells Webers 10-8

Oersteds Ampere-turns/meter 79.58

SI to CGS

To convert the SI To the following in CGS units Multiply the SI value by

value in

Webers/square meter Gausses 104

Tesla Gausses 104

Ampere-turns Gausses 1.257

Ampere-turns/meter Gilberts/cm 0.01257

Webers Maxwells 108

Ampere-turns/meter Oersteds 0.01257

Tesla-Oersted-Gamma Relationship

Tesla Oersted Gamma

1T 10,000 Oe -

0.1 T (100 mT) 1,000 Oe -

0.01 T (10 mT) 100 Oe -

0.001 (1 mT) 10 Oe -

1x10-4 T (100 µT) 1 Oe 100,000

1x10-5 T (10 µT) 100 mOe 10,000

1x10-6 T (1 µT) 10 mOe 1,000

 1x10-7 T (100 nT) 1 mOe 100

1x10-8 T (10 nT) 100 µOe 10

1x10-9 T (1 nT) 10 µOe 1

1x10-10 T (0.1 nT) 1 µOe 0.1

Hitchhiker's Guide to Magnetism

Bruce M. Moskowitz
Definitions and Units

Let's start with a few definitions. There are three magnetic vectors:

1. H      Magnetic field
2. M      Magnetization
3. B      Magnetic induction

There is some confusion in the literature over units. SI units are now the preferred units
over the older CGS. Confusion prevails because there are two ways that magnetostatics is
presented:

1. fictitious magnetic poles   (CGS: centimeter, gram, second)

2. current sources   (SI: systme internationale)

As a result, the form of many of the basic equations are different between the two
systems. What this all means is that some arbitrary constant has units in one system but is
equal to unity and dimensionless in the other system. There are also factors of 4 floating
around.

The difference between the pole and current approach is only significant in the subject of
units. The older (pre 1980) paleomagnetic and rock magnetic literature is primarily in
CGS units.

Because SI are now the units of choice, we begin with current loops. Consider a loop of
radius r and current i, roughly equivalent to an atom with orbiting electrons.

A magnetic field H will be produced at the center

of the loop given by

H =   i/2r    [Amperes/meter, A/m]

The current loop has a magnetic moment, m,

associated with it
m =  i x Area    [Am ] 2

The intensity of magnetization, M or J, is magnetic moment per unit volume

      M = m/v      [A/m]

Note that M and H have the same units.

Magnetic moment per unit mass,, is

       = m/mass      [Am /kg]

2

Another fundamental quantity is the ratio of magnetization to magnetic field, which is

called the susceptibility

       = M/H      [dimensionless]

The mass susceptibility is

        = /H =  /density      [ m /kg].

3

Susceptibility is a measure of how magnetizable a substance can become in the presence

of a magnetic field and can be used in a general way to describe the various classes of
magnetic materials. A related quantity, denoted by , relates B to H and is called the
permeability (Engineering types use permeability instead of susceptibility).

In the SI system, the relationship between B, H and M is given by

    B =  (H+M)      [Tesla, T]
o

The B unit is called the Tesla and the total B field is the sum of the H field and the
magnetization M of the medium. The constant o is called the permeability of free space.
In SI it is equal to  x 10-7 Henry / m.

However, in CGS, o is set equal to unity, which makes B and H, and M numerically
equal to one another, but each have different unit names (arbitrarily chosen and named
after famous dead people, Gauss, Oersted, and emu/cm3). The CGS equation is

      B = H+4M
 

Herein lies some of the confusion, because in CGS, B and H are used interchangeably,
but the unit conversions going to SI give different numerical values. For example, the
earth's field is 0.5 Gauss or 0.5 Oe. However, in SI

      0.5 Gauss = 50 T       [B fields]

      0.5 Oersted = 39.8 A/m      [H fields].

As you can see from this example, it is much easier to convert Gauss to Tesla (move the
decimal point 4 places) than to convert Oersted to A/m. So it is not too surprising that this
is the current practice used by paleomagnetists to report all fields (B and H) in Tesla. We
have not decided suddenly that the B field is more fundamental than the H field (neither
field is any more fundamental than the other). Actually, when we talk about an
alternating "field", or a magnetic "field", of say 100 milliTesla (mT), we really mean oH
= 100 mT. However, this is rarely noted.

I have summarized the comments about units in Table 1.

Magnetic Term Symbol SI unit CGS unit conversion factor

magnetic induction B Tesla (T) Gauss (G) 1 T = 104 G

magnetic field H A/m Oersted (Oe) 1 A/m =4/103 Oe

magnetization M A/m emu/cm3 1 A/m = 10-3 emu/cm3

mass magnetization  Am2/kg emu/g 1 Am2/kg = 1 emu/g

magnetic moment m Am2 emu 1 Am2 = 103emu

volume
 dimensionless dimensionless 4 (SI) = 1 (cgs)
susceptibility

1 m3/kg = 103/4emu
mass susceptibility  m3/kg emu/Oe·g
/Oe·g

permeability of
0 H/m dimensionless 4x10-7 H/m = 1 (cgs)
free space
A= Ampere
cm= centimeter
emu= electromagnetic unit
g= gram
kg= kilogram
m= meter
H= Henry

PSI Pressure Conversion Factors

0.0689476 bar
 68.9476 mbar

6894.76 N/m²

6894.76 Pa

68.9476 hPa

6.89476 kPa

0.00689476 MPa

0.0703070 kgf/cm²

703.070 mmH2O 4°C (39.2°F)

70.3070 cmH2O 4°C (39.2°F)

0.703070 mH2O 4°C (39.2°F)

27.6799 inH2O 4°C (39.2°F)

2.30666 ftH2O 4°C (39.2°F)

51.7149 mmHg 0°C (32°F)

5.17149 cmHg 0°C (32°F)

2.03602 inHg 0°C (32°F)

51.7149 Torr

51714.9 mtorr

0.0680460 atm

68947.6 Dynes/cm²

16 oz/in²

51714.9 µHg 0°C

0.000446429 tfsi (UK)

0.000500000 tfsi (USA)

0.0720000 tfsf (USA)

144.000 psf (USA)

70.3070 gf/cm²