1.

6 Conversion tables for units The table below gives conversion factors from a variety of units to the corresponding SI unit. Examples of the use of this table have already been given in the preceding section. For each physical quantity the name is given, followed by the recommended symbol(s). The SI unit is given, followed by the esu, emu, Gaussian unit (Gau), atomic unit (au), and other units in common use, with their conversion factors to SI. The constant which occurs in some of the 10 -1 electromagnetic conversiton factors is the (exact) pure number 2.997 924 5810 = c0/(cm s ). The inclusion of non-SI units in this table should not be taken to imply that their use is to be encouraged. With some exceptions, SI units are always to be preferred to non-SI units. However, since may of the units below are to be found in the scientific literature, it is convenient to tabulate their relation to the SI. For convenience units in the esu and Gaussian systems are quoted in terms of the four dimensions length, mass, time, and electric charge, by including the franklin (Fr) as an abbreviation for the electrostatic unit of charge and 40 as a constant with dimensions 2 (charge) /(energylength). This gives each physical quantity the same dimensions in all systems, so that all conversion factors are pure numbers. The factors 40 and the Fr may be 3/2 -1 ir) 2 -1 eliminated by writing Fr = esu of charge = erg cm = cm g s , and 40 = = 1 Fr erg -1 cm = 1, to recover esu expressions in terms of three base units (see section 7.3 below). The symbol Fr should be regarded as a compact representation of (esu of charge). Conversion factors are either given exactly (when the = sign is used), or they are given to the approximation that the corresponding physical constants are known (when the sign is used). In the latter case the uncertainty is always less than 5 in the last digit quoted.

Chapter 1 - 1

Name length, l metre (SI unit) centimetre (cgs unit) ngstrm micron millimicron x unit fermi inch foot yard mile nautical mile astronomical unit parsec light year light second area, A square metre (SI unit) barn acre are hectare volume, V cubic metre (SI unit) litre lambda barrel (US) gallon (US) gallon (UK)

Symbol

Relation to SI

m cm m X f, fm in ft yd mi AU pc l.y.

= 10 m -10 = 10 m -6 = m = 10 m -9 = nm = 10 m -13 1.00210 m -15 = fm = 10 m -2 = 2.5410 m = 12 in = 0.3048 m = 3 ft = 0.9144 m = 1760 yd = 1609.344 m = 1852 m 11 = 1.496 0010 m 16 3.085 6810 m 15 9.460 52810 m = 299 792 458 m

-2

m b

a ha

= 10 m 2 4046.856 m 2 = 100 m 4 2 = 10 m

-28

m l, L gal (US) gal (UK)

= dm = 10 m -6 3 = l = 10 dm 3 158.987 dm 3 = 3.785 41 dm 3 = 4.546 09 dm

-3

Chapter 1 - 2

Name mass, m kilogram (SI unit) gram (cgs unit) electron mass (au) unified atomic mass unit, daltonS gamma tonne pound (avoirdupois) ounce (avoirdupois) ounce (troy) grain time, t second (SI, cgs unit) au of time minute hour 1 day 2 year svedberg

Symbol

Relation to SI

kg g me u, Da t lb oz oz (trou) gr

= 10 kg -31 9.109 3910 kg 12 -27 = ma( C)/12 1.660 54010 kg = g 3 = Mg = 10 kg = 0.453 592 37 kg 28.3495 g 31.1035 g = 64.798 91 mg

-3

s h/Eh min h d a Sv

2.418 8810 = 60 s = 3600 s = 86 400 s 31 556 952 s -13 = 10 s

-17

(1)

Note that the day is not exactly in terms of the second since so-called leap-seconds are added or subtracted from the day semiannually in order to keep the annual average occurrence of midnight at 24:00 on the clock. The year is not commensurable with the day and not a constant. Prior to 1967, when the atomic standard was introduced, the tropical year 1900 served as the basis for the definition of the second. For the epoch 1900.0. it amounted to 365.242 198 79 d 31 556 925.975 s and it decreases by 0.530 seconds per century. The calendar years are exactly defined in terms of the day: Julian year = 365.25 d Gregorian year = 365.2425 d. The definition in the table corresponds to the Gregorian year. This is an average based on a year of length 365 days, with leap years of 366 days; leap years are taken either when the year is divisible by 4 but is not divisible by 100, or when the year is divisible by 400. Whether the year 3200 should be a leap year is still open, but this does not have to be resolved until sometime in the middle of the 32nd century.

(2)

Chapter 1 - 3

Name acceleration, a SI unit standard acceleration of free fall gal, galileo force, F 3 newton (SI unit) dyne (cgs unit) au of force kilogram-force energy, U joule (SI unit) erg (cgs unit) rydberg electronvolt calorie, thermochemical calorie, international 15 C calorie litre atmosphere British thermal unit pressure, p pascal (SI unit) atmosphere bar torr millimetre of mercury (conventional) pounds per squere inch power, P watt (SI unit) horse power (3)

Symbol

Relation to SI

ms gn

-2

= 9.806 65 m s = 10 m s
-2 -2

-2

Gal

N dyn Eh/a0 kgf

= kg m s -2 -5 = g cm s = 10 N -8 8.238 7310 N = 9.806 65 N

-2

J erg Ry eV calth calIT cal15 l atm Btu

= kg m s 2 -2 -7 = g cm s = 10 J -18 = Eh/2 2.179 8710 J -19 = eV 1.602 1810 J = 4.184 J = 4.1868 J 4.1855 J = 101.325 J = 1055.06 J

2 -2

Pa atm bar Torr mmHg psi

= N m = kg m s = 101 325 Pa 5 = 10 Pa = (101 325/760) Pa 133.322 Pa -2 = 13.5951980.66510 Pa 133.322 Pa 6.894 75710 Pa

3

-2

-1 -2

W hp

= kg m s = 745.7 W

2 -3

1 N is approximately the force exerted by the earth upon an apple.

Chapter 1 - 4

Name action, L, J (angular momentum) SI unit cgs unit au of action dynamic viscosity, SI unit poise centipoise kinematic viscosity, v SI unit stokes thermodynamic temperature, T kelvin (SI unit) 4 degree Rankine entropy, S heat capacity, C SI unit clausius molar entropy, Sm molar heat capacity, Cm SI unit entropy unit

Symbol

Relation to SI

JS erg s h = h / 2

= kg m s -7 = 10 J s -34 1.054 5710 J s

2 -1

Pa s P cP

= kg m s -1 = 10 Pa s = mPa s

-1 -1

m s St

2 -1

= 10 m s

-4

2 -1

K R

= (5/9) K

JK Cl

-1

= calth/K = 4.184 J K

-1

J K mol e.u.

-1

-1

= calth K mol = 4.184 J K mol

-1

-1

-1

-1

(4)

T/R = (9/5) T/K. Also, Celsius temperature is related to thermodynamic temperature T by equation /C = T/K - 273.15 Similarly Fahrenheit temperature F is related to Celsius temperature by the equation F/F = (9/5) (/C) + 32

Chapter 1 - 5

Name molar volume, Vm SI unit amagat

Symbol

Relation to SI

m mol amagat

-1

= Vm of real gas at 1 atm and 273.15 K -3 3 -1 22.410 m mol

plane angle, radian (SI unit) degree minute second grade radioactivity, A becquerel (SI unit) curie absorbed dose of radiation gray (SI unit) rad dose equialent sievert (SI unit) rem
5

rad grad

= rad2/360 (1/57.295 78) rad = degree/60 = degree/3600 = rad2/400 (1/63.661 98) rad
-1

Bq Ci

=s 10 = 3.710 Bq

Gy rad

= J kg = 0.01 Gy

-1

Sv rem

= J kg 0.01 Sv

-1

(5)

The unit rntgen, employed to express exposure to X or radiation, is equal to: R = -4 -1 2.58 x 10 C kg

Chapter 1 - 6

Name electric current, I ampere (SI unit) esu, Gau biot (emu) electric charge, Q coulomb (SI unit) franklin (esu, Gau) emu (abcoulomb) proton charge (au) charge density, SI unit esu, Gau electrical potential, V, volt (SI unit) esu, Gau mean international volt US international volt electric resistance, R ohm (SI unit) mean international ohm US international ohm electric field, E SI unit esu, Gau electric field gradient, E, q SI unit esu, Gau electric dipol moment, p, SI unit esu, Gau debye

Symbol

Relation to SI

A (10/)A Bi

3.335 6410 = 10 A

-10

C Fr e

=As -10 = (10/)C 3.335 6410 C = 10 C -19 -10 1.602 1810 C 4.803 2110 Fr
-3

Cm -3 Fr cm

= 10 C m 3.335 6410 C m
-1 -1 -1

7 -1

-3

-4

-3

V -1 erg Fr

=JC =JA s -1 = Fr cm /40 = 299.792 458 V = 1.00034 V = 1.000 330 V

= V A = m kg s A = 1.000 49 = 1.000 495

-1

-3

-2

Vm =JC m -2 4 -1 Fr cm /40 = 2.997 924 5810 V m

-2 -1 -2

-1

-1

-1

Vm =JC m -3 6 -2 Fr cm /40 = 2.997 924 5810 V m

Cm Fr cm D

3.335 6410 C m -18 -30 = 10 Fr cm 3.335 6410 C m

-12

Chapter 1 - 7

Name

Symbol

Relation to SI

electric quadrupole moment, Q, , eQ 2 SI unit Cm 2 esu, Gau Fr cm magnetic flux density, B (magnetic field) tesla (SI unit) gauss (emu, Gau) magnetic flux, weber (SI unit) maxwell (emu, Gau)

3.335 6410

-14

Cm

-2

T G

= J A m = V s m = Wb m -4 = 10 T

-1

-2

-2

-2

Wb Mx

=JA =Vs -2 -8 = G cm = 10 Wb

-1

magnetic field, H (volume) magnetization, M -1 -1 -1 =Cs m SI unit Am 3 -1 oersted (emu, Gau) Oe = 10 A m (ir) [But note: in practice the oersted, Oe, is only used as a unit for H = 4H; thus when (ir) 3 -1 H = 1 Oe, H = (10 /4) A m .] magnetic dipole moment, m, 2 SI unit Am -1 emu, Gau erg G 6 Bohr magneton B nuclear magneton N magnetizability, SI unit

=JT 2 -3 -1 = 10 A cm =10 J T -24 -1 = eh/2me 9.274 0210 J T -27 -1 = (me/mp)B 5.050 7910 J T
2 2 -1

-1

JT

-2

= C m kg

(6)

The Bohr magneton B is sometimes denoted BM (or B.M.), but this is not recommended.

Chapter 1 - 8

Name

Symbol

Relation to SI

magnetic susceptibility, , SI unit 1 emu, Gau 1 [But note: in practice susceptibilities quoted in the context of emu or Gaussian units are (ir) (ir) -6 -6 always values for = /4; thus when = 10 , = 410 .] molar magnetic susceptibility, m 3 -1 SI unit m mol 3 -1 -6 3 -1 emu, Gau cm mol = 10 m mol 3 -1 [But note: in practice the units cm mol usually imply that the irrational molar (ir) (ir) -6 3 susceptibility is being quoted, m = m/4; thus, for example if m = -1510 cm -1 -10 3 -1 mol , which is often written as '-15 cgs ppm', then m = -1.8810 m mol .]

Chapter 1 - 9