SI unit system

(1). SI Primary units (base units)

The core of the SI system is a short list of base units defined in an absolute way without referring to any other
units. The base units are consistent with the part of the metric system called the MKS system. The
International System of Units (SI) is founded on seven base units.
Quantity

Name of Unit

Symbol

Length (l)

meter

Mass (m)

kilogram

kg

Time (t)

second

Electrical current (I)

ampere

Thermodynamic temperature (T)

Kelvin

Luminous intensity

candela

cd

Amount of substance

mole

mol

(2). SI secondary unit (derived units) described in terms of acceptable SI units

Derived units are algebraic combinations of the seven base units and the two supplementary units with some
of the combinations being assigned special names and symbols.
Expression Expression in
in other SI terms of SI
units
base units

Quantity

Description

Symbol

Area (A)

square meter

m2

m2

Volume (V)

cubic meter

m3

m3

velocity (or speed) (V)

meters per second

m/s

m s-1

Acceleration (a)

meter per second squared

m/s2

m s-2

density (), =m/V

kilogram per cubic meter

kg/m3

kg m-3

specific volume (v), v=V/m

cubic meter per kilogram

m3/kg

m3 kg-1

specific gravity (SG), SG=/H2O

Dimensionless

force (F), F=ma

Newton

N
1

kgm/s

m kg s-2

Quantity

Description

Symbol

Expression Expression in
in other SI terms of SI
units
base units

Weight (W), W=mg

Newton

kgm/s

m kg s-2

pressure (P), P=F/A

pascal

Pa

N/m2

m-1 kg s-2

work (energy heat) (W), W=F*d

Joule,

Nm

m2 kg s-2

specific energy (e), e=E/m

joule per kilogram

J/kg

m2 s-2

energy density

joule per cubic meter

J/m3

m-1 kg s-2
J/s

power (energy flux)( W ),

Watt,

m2 kg s-3

specific heat capacity (or specific

entropy, c,p or cv)

joule per kilogram Kelvin

J/(kg K)

m2 s-2 K-1

heat capacity

joule per Kelvin

J/K

m2 kg s-2 K-1

heat flow rate (Q or q)

watt

W or J/s

m2 kg s-3

heat flux density or irradiance

watt per square meter

W/m2

kg s-3

thermal conductivity (k)

watt per meter Kelvin

W/(m K)

m kg s-3 K-1

Stress

Pascal

Pa

m-1 kg s-2

surface tension

Newton per meter

N/m

kg s-2

Torque

Newton meter

Nm

m2 kg s-2

moment of force (or torque)

Newton meter

Nm

m2 kg s-2

moment of inertia

kilogram meter squared

kg m2

kg m2

Momentum

kilogram meter per second kg m/s

kg m s-1

molar energy

joule per mole

J/mol

m-2 kg s-2 mol-1

molar entropy (or molar heat

capacity)

joule per mole Kelvin

J/(mol K)

m-2 kg s-2 K-1

mol-1

current density (r)

ampere per square meter

A/m2

A m-2

coefficient of heat transfer (h or U)

watt per square meter

Kelvin

W/(m2 K)

kg s-3K-1

W =W /t

(3). SI Prefixes
Factor

Prefix

Symbol

1024

E 24

yotta

1021

E 21

zetta

1018

E 18

exa

1015

E 15

peta

1012

E 12

tera

109

giga

106

mega

103

kilo

102

hecto

101

deca

da

10-1

E -1

deci

10-2

E -2

centi

10-3

E -3

milli

10-6

E -6

micro

10-9

E -9

nano

10-12

E-12

pico

10-15

E-15

femto

10-18

E-18

atto

10-21

E-21

zepto

10-24

E-24

yocto

(4). Unit conversion

Mass:
1 lbm = 0.45359 kg

Length:
1 ft = 0.3048 m
1 inch = 0.0254 m

Volume:
1 gal = 3.7854 L
1 L = 1 10-3 m3

Temperature:
T (oC) = [T(oF)-32]*5/9
T (K) = 273 + T(oC)

Pressure:
1 torr = 1.333 102 Pa
1 mmHg = 1 torr = 1.333 102 Pa=133.3 Pa
1 bar = 1.0 105 Pa
1 atm = 1.01325 105 Pa
1 psi = 6.895 103 Pa
1 ksi = 6.895 106 Pa

Energy:
1 Btu = 1055.06 J

(1 J = 9.47817 10-4 Btu)

1 hp = 754.7 W

(1 W = 1.341022 10-3 hp)

A frequently used unit conversion:

Work: 1 J = 1 Nm = 1 (N/m2) m3 = 1 Pa m3