Base quantity

Symbol Description

Length

Mass

Time

Electric current

Temperature

Amount of
substance

Luminous
intensity

The onedimensional
extent of an
object.
The amount
of matter in
an object.
The
duration of
an event.
Rate of
flow of
electrical
charge.
Average
energy per
degree of
freedom of
a system.
Number of
particles
compared
to the
number of
atoms in
0.012 kg of
12
C.
Amount of
energy
emitted by
a light
source in a
particular
direction.

SI unit

Symbol for
dimension
L

Comments

kilogram (kg)

extensive, scalar

second (s)

scalar

ampere (A)

kelvin (K)

intensive, scalar

mole (mol)

extensive, scalar

candela (cd)

scalar

metre (m)

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Derived
Symbol
Description
SI units
quantity
Plane angle

Measure of a
radian (rad)
change in
direction or
orientation.

Dimension
1

Comments

Solid angle

Absorbed dose
rate
Acceleration

Angular
acceleration

Angular speed
(or angular
velocity)

Angular
momentum

Area

Area density

Capacitance

Catalytic
activity

Measure of the
size of an
object as
projected on a
sphere.
Absorbed dose
received per
unit of time.
Rate of change
of the speed or
velocity of an
object.
Rate of change
in angular
speed or
velocity.
The angle
incremented in
a plane by a
segment
connecting an
object and a
reference point
per unit time.
Measure of the
extent and
direction an
object rotates
about a
reference point.
The twodimensional
extent of an
object.
The amount of
mass per unit
area of a twodimensional
object.
Measure for the
amount of
stored charge
for a given
potential.
Change in
reaction rate

steradian
(sr)

Gy s1

L2 T3

m s2

L T2

rad s2

T2

rad s1

T1

scalar or
pseudovector

M L2 T1

conserved
quantity,
pseudovector

kg m2 s1

m2

kg m2

L2

vector

scalar

M L2

farad (F =
A2 s4 kg1
m2)

I2 T4 M1 L2

katal (kat =
mol s1)

N T1

scalar

Catalytic
activity
concentration

Chemical
potential

Molar
concentration

Crackle

Current density

Dose equivalent

Dynamic
Viscosity

Electric Charge

Electric charge
density

due to presence
of a catalyst.
Change in
reaction rate
due to presence
of a catalyst per
unit volume of
the system.
The amount of
energy needed
to add a
particle to a
system.
Amount of
substance per
unit volume.
Rate of change
of Jounce. The
fifth derivative
of position.
Amount of
electric current
flowing
through a
surface.
Measure for the
received
amount of
radiation
adjusted for the
effect of
different types
of radiant on
biological
tissue.
Measure for the
resistance of an
incompressible
fluid to stress.
Amount of
electric charge.
Amount of
electric charge
per unit
volume.

kat m3

N L3 T1

J mol1

M L2 T2 N1

intensive

mol m3

N L3

intensive

m s-5

L T-5

Vector

A m2

I L2

vector

sievert (Sv
= m2 s2)

Pa s

coulomb (C
= A s)
C m3

L2 T2

M L1 T1

IT
I T L3

extensive,
conserved
quantity
intensive

Electric
displacement

Electric field
strength
Electrical
conductance

E
G

Electric
potential

Electrical
resistance

Energy

Energy density

Entropy

Force

Fuel efficiency

mpg

Impulse

Strength of the
electric
displacement.
Strength of the
electric field.
Meausure for
how easily
current flows
through a
material.
The amount of
work required
to bring a unit
charge into an
electric field
from infinity.
The degree to
which an object
opposes the
passage of an
electric current.
The capacity of
a body or
system to do
work.
Amount of
energy per unit
volume.
Measure for the
amount of
available states
for a system.
The cause of
acceleration,
acting on an
object.
Distance
traveled per
meter cubed.
The cause of a
change in
momentum,
acting on an
object.

C m2

I T L2

vector field

V m1

M L T3 I1

vector field

siemens (S
= A2 s3 kg1
m2)

L2 M1 T3 I2

scalar

volt (V = kg
m2 A1 s3)

L2 M T3 I1

scalar

ohm ( =
kg m2 A2
s3)

L2 M T3 I2

scalar

joule (J = kg
m2 s2)

M L2 T2

J m3

M L1 T2

J K1

M L2 T2 1

newton (N =
kg m s2)

fuel
efficiency
(mpg = m
m3
kg m s1

extensive,
scalar,
conserved
quantity
intensive

extensive,
scalar

M L T2

vector

M M3

scalar

M L T1

vector

Frequency

Half-life

t1/2

Heat

Heat capacity

Cp

Heat flux
density

Illuminance

Ev

Impedance

Index of
refraction

Inductance

The number of
times
something
happens in a
period of time.
The time
needed for a
quantity to
decay to half its
original value.
Amount of
energy
transferred
between
systems due to
temperature
difference.
Amount of
energy needed
to raise the
temperature of
a system by
one degree.
Amount of heat
flowing
through a
surface per unit
area.
Total luminous
flux incident to
a surface per
unit area.
Measure for the
resistance of an
electrical
circuit against
an alternating
current.
The factor by
which the
speed of light is
reduce in a
medium.
Measure for the
amount of
magnetic flux

hertz (Hz
=s1)

T1

M L2 T2

J K1

M L2 T2 1

W m2

M T3

lux (lx = cd
sr m2)

J L2

ohm ( =
kg m2 A2
s3)

L2 M T3 I2

henry (H =
kg m2 A2
s2)

M L2 T2 I2

scalar

extensive

complex scalar

intensive,
scalar

scalar

Irradiance

Intensity

Jerk

Jounce (or
snap)

Linear density

Luminous flux
(or luminous
power)
Mach Number
(or mach)

Magnetic field
strength

Magnetic flux

generated for a
certain current
run through a
circuit.
Power of
electromagnetic
radiation
flowing
through a
surface per unit
area.
Power per unit
cross sectional
area.
Rate of change
of acceleration.
The third
derivative of
position.
Rate of change
of Jerk. The
fourth
derivative of
position.
Amount of
mass per unit
length of a onedimensional
object.
Perceived
power of a light
source.
Ratio of flow
velocity to the
local speed of
sound.
Strength of a
magnetic field
in a material.
Measure of
quantity of
magnetism,
taking account
of the strength
and the extent

W m2

M T2

W m2

M T2#

m s-3

L T-3

Vector

m s-4

L T-4

Vector

M L1

lumen (lm =
cd sr)

Unitless (M
= u/c)

A m1

weber (Wb
= kg m2 A1
s2)

I L1
M L2 T2 I1

vector field

scalar

Magnetic flux
density

Magnetization

Mass fraction

(Mass) Density
(or volume
density)

Mean lifetime

Molar energy

Molar entropy

Molar heat
capacity

Moment of
inertia

Momentum

of a magnetic
field.
Measure for the
strength of the
magnetic field.
Amount of
magnetic
moment per
unit volume.
Mass of a
substance as a
fraction of the
total mass.
The amount of
mass per unit
volume of a
threedimensional
object.
Average time
needed for a
particle to
decay.
Amount of
energy present
is a system per
unit amount of
substance.
Amount of
entropy present
in a system per
unit amount of
substance.
Heat capacity
of a material
per unit amount
of substance.
Inertia of an
object with
respect to
angular
acceleration.
Product of an
object's mass
and velocity.

tesla (T =
kg A1 s2)

M T2 I1

pseudovector
field

A m1

I L1

kg/kg

intensive

kg m3

M L3

intensive

intensive

J mol1

M L2 T2 N1

intensive

J K1 mol1

M L2 T2 1
N1

intensive

J K1 mol1

M L2 T2 N1

intensive

kg m2

Ns

M L2

M L T1

vector field

tensor, scalar

vector,
extensive

Permeability

Permittivity

Power

Pressure

Pop

(Radioactive)
Activity

(Radioactive)
Dose

Radiance

Measure for
how the
magnetization
of material is
affected by the
application of
an external
magnetic field.
Measure for
how the
polarization of
a material is
affected by the
application of
an external
electric field.
The rate of
change in
energy over
time.
Amount of
force per unit
area.
Rate of change
of crackle. The
sixth derivative
of position.
Number of
particles
decaying per
unit time.
Amount of
energy
absorbed by
biological
tissue from
ionizing
radiation per
unit mass.
Power of
emitted
electromagnetic
radiation per
solid angle and
per projected
source area.

H m1

M L T2 I2

intensive

F m1

I2 M1 L3 T4

intensive

watt (W)

M L2 T3

extensive,
scalar

pascal (Pa =
kg m1 s2)

M L1 T2

intensive,
scalar

m s-6

L T-6

becquerel
(Bq = s1)

T1

gray (unit)
(Gy = m2
s2)

L2 T2

W m2 sr1

M T3

Vector

extensive,
scalar

Radiant
intensity

Reaction rate

Refractive Index

Speed

Specific energy

Specific heat
capacity
Specific volume

Spin

Strain
Stress

Surface tension

Power of
emitted
electromagnetic
radiation per
solid angle.
Measure for
speed of a
chemical
reaction.
Measure of
how light is
refracted
through a
medium.
Rate of change
of the position
of an object.
Amount of
energy present
per unit mass.
Heat capacity
per unit mass.
The volume
occupied by a
unit mass of
material
(reciprocal of
density).
Intrinsic
property of
particles,
roughly to be
interpreted as
the intrinsic
angular
momentum of
the particle.
Extension per
unit length.
Amount of
force exerted
per surface
area.
Amount of
work needed to
change the

W sr1

M L2 T3

scalar

mol m3 s1

N L3 T1

intensive,
scalar

Unitless

Dimensionless

m s1

L T1

scalar

J kg1

L2 T2

intensive

L2 T2 1

intensive

L3 M1

intensive

J kg1 K1
m3 kg1

kg m2 s1

M L2 T1

Unitless

Dimensionless

Pa

N m1 or J
m2

M L1 T2

M T2

2-tensor. (or
scalar)

Thermal
conductivity

Torque

Velocity

Volume

Wavelength

Wavenumber

Weight

Work

Young's
modulus

surface of a
liquid by a unit
surface area.
Measure for the
ease with
which a
material
conducts heat.
Product of a
force and the
perpendicular
distance of the
force from the
point about
which it is
exerted.
Speed of an
object in a
chosen
direction.
The three
dimensional
extent of an
object.
Distance
between
repeating units
of a
propagating
wave.
Reciprocal of
the wavelength.
Amount of
gravitation
force exerted
on an object.
Energy
dissipated by a
force moving
over a distance,
scalar product
of the force and
the movement
vector.
Ratio of Stress
over Strain.

W m1 K1

M L T3 1

Nm

M L2 T2

m s1

L T1

m3

L3

m1

intensive

pseudovector

vector

extensive,
scalar

L1

newton (N =
kg m s2)

M L T2

Vector

joule (J = kg
m2 s2)

M L2 T2

scalar

pascal (Pa =
kg m1 s2)

M L1 T2

scalar