Table of Contents

Measurement

SI: Système International (SI) d’unités; International system of units.

SI base units

Quantity Name of unit Symbol of unit
Length meter m
Time second s
Mass kilogram kg
Electric current ampere A
Thermodynamic temperature kelvin K
Amount of substance mole mol
Luminous intensity candela cd

SI derived units

Quantity Name of unit Symbol Equivalent units
Area square meter m$^2$
Volume cubic meter m$^3$
Frequency hertz Hz s$^{-1}$
Density, mass density kilogram per cubic meter kg m$^{-3}$
Speed, velocity meter per second m s$^{-1}$
Angular speed, angular velocity radian per second rad s$^{-1}$
Acceleration meter per second squared m s$^{-2}$
Angular acceleration radian per second squared rad s$^{-2}$
Force newton N kg m s$^{-2}$
Pressure, mechanical stress pascal Pa N m$^{-2}$
Kinematic viscosity square meter per second m$^2$ s$^{-1}$
Dynamic viscosity newton-second per meter squared N s m$^{-2}$
Work, energy, quantity of heat joule J N m
Power watt W J s$^{-1}$
Charge, quantity of electricity coulomb C A s
Potential difference, electromotive force volt V J C$^{-1}$, W A$^{-1}$
Electric field strength volt per meter V m$^{-1}$ N C$^{-1}$
Electric resistance ohm $\Omega$ V A$^{-1}$
Capacitance farad F A s V$^{-1}$
Magnetic flux weber Wb V s
Inductance henry H V s A$^{-1}$
Magnetic flux density tesla T Wb m$^{-2}$
Magnetic field strength ampere per meter A m$^{-1}$
Magnetomotive force ampere A
Luminous flux lumen lm cd sr
Luminance candela per square meter cd m$^{-2}$
Illuminance lux lx lm m$^{-2}$
Wave number one per meter m$^{-1}$
Entropy joule per kelvin J K$^{-1}$
Specific heat capacity joule per kilogram-kelvin J kg$^{-1}$ K$^{-1}$
Thermal conductivity watt per meter-kelvin W $m^{-1}$ K$^{-1}$
Radiant intensity watt per steradian W sr$^{-1}$
Activity, radioactivity becquerel Bq s$^{-1}$
Radiation dose gray Gy J kg$^{-1}$
radiation dose equivalent sievert Sv J kg$^{-1}$
Angle (plane) radian rad
Solid angle steradian sr

Unit prefixes

Prefix Base 10 English word
Name Symbol Short scale Long scale
yotta Y $10^{24}$ septillion quadrillion
zetta Z $10^{21}$ sextillion trilliard
exa E $10^{18}$ quintillion trillion
peta P $10^{15}$ quadrillion billiard
tera T $10^{12}$ trillion billion
giga G $10^9$ billion milliard
mega M $10^6$ million
kilo k $10^3$ thousand
hecto h $10^2$ hundred
deca da $10^1$ ten
$10^0$ one
deci d $10^{-1}$ tenth
centi c $10^{-2}$ hundredth
milli m $10^{-3}$ thousandth
micro μ $10^{-6}$ millionth
nano n $10^{-9}$ billionth milliardth
pico p $10^{-12}$ trillionth billionth
femto f $10^{-15}$ quadrillionth billiardth
atto a $10^{-18}$ quintillionth trillionth
zepto z $10^{-21}$ sextillionth trilliardth
yocto y $10^{-24}$ septillionth quadrillionth

Length-scales in the universe

Numerical constants

Fundamental physical constants

Name Symbol Python code
scipy.constants.
Value
Speed of light in vacuum c c $3.0 \times 10^8$ m s$^{-1}$
Magnitude of charge of electron e e $1.6\times 10^{-19}$ C
Gravitational constant G G $6.7\times 10^{-11}$ N m$^2$ kg$^{-2}$
Planck’s constant h h $6.6\times 10^{-34}$ J s
Boltzmann constant k k $1.4\times 10^{-23}$ J K$^{-1}$
Avogadro’s number N$_A$ N_A $6.0\times 10^{23}$ mol$^{-1}$
Gas constant R R $8.3$ J mol$^{-1}$ K$^{-1}$
Mass of electron m$_e$ m_e $9.1\times 10^{-31}$ kg
Mass of proton m$_p$ m_p $1.7\times 10^{-27}$ kg
Mass of neutron m$_n$ m_n $1.7\times 10^{-27}$ kg
Permeability of free space $\mu_0$ mu_0 $1.3 \times 10^{-6}$ T m A$^{-1}$
Permittivity of free space $\epsilon_0$ epsilon_0 $8.9\times 10^{-12}$ C$^2$ N$^{-1}$ m$^{-2}$

Astronomical data

Name Symbol Python code
Hubble constant
Age of the universe
1 astronomical unit (AU)