SI derived unit
Measurement unit derived from basic metric value
SI derived units are units of measurement derived from the seven SI base units specified by the International System of Units (SI). They can be expressed as a product (or ratio) of one or more of the base units, possibly scaled by an appropriate power of exponentiation (see: Buckingham π theorem). Some are dimensionless, as when the units cancel out in ratios of like quantities.
SI coherent derived units involve only a trivial proportionality factor, not requiring conversion factors.
The SI has special names for 22 of these coherent derived units (for example, hertz, the SI unit of measurement of frequency), but the rest merely reflect their derivation: for example, the square metre (m2), the SI derived unit of area; and the kilogram per cubic metre (kg/m3 or kg⋅m−3), the SI derived unit of density.
The names of SI coherent derived units, when written in full, are always in lowercase. However, the symbols for units named after persons are written with an uppercase initial letter. For example, the symbol for hertz is "Hz", while the symbol for metre is "m".
01Special names
The International System of Units assigns special names to 22 derived units, which includes two dimensionless units, the radian (rad) and the steradian (sr).
| Name | Symbol | Quantity | Equivalents | SI base unit Equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hertz | Hz | frequency | 1/s | s−1 |
| radian | rad | angle | m/m | 1 |
| steradian | sr | solid angle | m2/m2 | 1 |
| newton | N | force, weight | kg⋅m/s2 | kg⋅m⋅s−2 |
| pascal | Pa | pressure, stress | N/m2 | kg⋅m−1⋅s−2 |
| joule | J | energy, work, heat | m⋅N, C⋅V, W⋅s | kg⋅m2⋅s−2 |
| watt | W | power, radiant flux | J/s, V⋅A | kg⋅m2⋅s−3 |
| coulomb | C | electric charge | A⋅s, F⋅V | s⋅A |
| volt | V | voltage, electric potential, electromotive force | J/C, W/A | kg⋅m2⋅s−3⋅A−1 |
| ohm | Ω | electrical resistance, reactance, impedance | V/A, 1/S | kg⋅m2⋅s−3⋅A−2 |
| siemens | S | electrical conductance, susceptance, admittance | A/V, 1/Ω | kg−1⋅m−2⋅s3⋅A2 |
| farad | F | capacitance | C/V, s/Ω | kg−1⋅m−2⋅s4⋅A2 |
| henry | H | inductance, permeance | V⋅s/A, Wb/A, Ω⋅s | kg⋅m2⋅s−2⋅A−2 |
| tesla | T | magnetic flux density | N/(A⋅m), Wb/m2, V⋅s/m2 | kg⋅s−2⋅A−1 |
| weber | Wb | magnetic flux | V⋅s, T⋅m2, J/A | kg⋅m2⋅s−2⋅A−1 |
| degree Celsius | °C | temperature relative to 273.15 K | K | K |
| lumen | lm | luminous flux | cd⋅sr | cd |
| lux | lx | illuminance | lm/m2 | cd⋅m−2 |
| becquerel | Bq | radioactivity (decays per unit time) | 1/s | s−1 |
| gray | Gy | absorbed dose (of ionizing radiation) | J/kg | m2⋅s−2 |
| sievert | Sv | equivalent dose (of ionizing radiation) | J/kg | m2⋅s−2 |
| katal | kat | catalytic activity | mol/s | s−1⋅mol. |
02By field of application
Kinematics
| Name | Symbol | Quantity | Expression in terms of SI base units |
|---|---|---|---|
| metre per second | m/s | speed, velocity | m⋅s−1 |
| metre per second squared | m/s2 | acceleration | m⋅s−2 |
| metre per second cubed | m/s3 | jerk, jolt | m⋅s−3 |
| metre per second to the fourth | m/s4 | snap, jounce | m⋅s−4 |
| kilogram metre per second to the third | kg⋅m/s3 | yank | m⋅kg⋅s−3 |
| radian per second | rad/s | angular velocity | s−1 |
| radian per second squared | rad/s2 | angular acceleration | s−2 |
| hertz per second | Hz/s | frequency drift | s−2 |
| cubic metre per second | m3/s | volumetric flow | m3⋅s−1 |
Mechanics
| Name | Symbol | Quantity | Expression in terms of SI base units |
|---|---|---|---|
| square metre | m2 | area | m2 |
| cubic metre | m3 | volume | m3 |
| newton-second | N⋅s | momentum, impulse | m⋅kg⋅s−1 |
| newton metre second | N⋅m⋅s | angular momentum | m2⋅kg⋅s−1 |
| newton-metre | N⋅m = J/rad | torque, moment of force | m2⋅kg⋅s−2 |
| newton per second | N/s | yank | m⋅kg⋅s−3 |
| reciprocal metre | m−1 | wavenumber, optical power, curvature, spatial frequency | m−1 |
| kilogram per square metre | kg/m2 | area density | m−2⋅kg |
| kilogram per cubic metre | kg/m3 | density, mass density | m−3⋅kg |
| cubic metre per kilogram | m3/kg | specific volume | m3⋅kg−1 |
| joule-second | J⋅s | action | m2⋅kg⋅s−1 |
| joule per kilogram | J/kg | specific energy | m2⋅s−2 |
| joule per cubic metre | J/m3 | energy density | m−1⋅kg⋅s−2 |
| newton per metre | N/m = J/m2 | surface tension, stiffness | kg⋅s−2 |
| watt per square metre | W/m2 | heat flux density, irradiance | kg⋅s−3 |
| square metre per second | m2/s | kinematic viscosity, thermal diffusivity, diffusion coefficient | m2⋅s−1 |
| pascal-second | Pa⋅s = N⋅s/m2 | dynamic viscosity | m−1⋅kg⋅s−1 |
| kilogram per metre | kg/m | linear mass density | m−1⋅kg |
| kilogram per second | kg/s | mass flow rate | kg⋅s−1 |
| watt per steradian square metre | W/(sr⋅m2) | radiance | kg⋅s−3 |
| watt per steradian cubic metre | W/(sr⋅m3) | radiance | m−1⋅kg⋅s−3 |
| watt per metre | W/m | spectral power | m⋅kg⋅s−3 |
| gray per second | Gy/s | absorbed dose rate | m2⋅s−3 |
| metre per cubic metre | m/m3 | fuel efficiency | m−2 |
| watt per cubic metre | W/m3 | spectral irradiance, power density | m−1⋅kg⋅s−3 |
| joule per square metre second | J/(m2⋅s) | energy flux density | kg⋅s−3 |
| reciprocal pascal | Pa−1 | compressibility | m⋅kg−1⋅s2 |
| joule per square metre | J/m2 | radiant exposure | kg⋅s−2 |
| kilogram square metre | kg⋅m2 | moment of inertia | m2⋅kg |
| newton metre second per kilogram | N⋅m⋅s/kg | specific angular momentum | m2⋅s−1 |
| watt per steradian | W/sr | radiant intensity | m2⋅kg⋅s−3 |
| watt per steradian metre | W/(sr⋅m) | spectral intensity | m⋅kg⋅s−3 |
Chemistry
| Name | Symbol | Quantity | Expression in terms of SI base units |
|---|---|---|---|
| mole per cubic metre | mol/m3 | molarity, amount of substance concentration | m−3⋅mol |
| cubic metre per mole | m3/mol | molar volume | m3⋅mol−1 |
| joule per kelvin mole | J/(K⋅mol) | molar heat capacity, molar entropy | m2⋅kg⋅s−2⋅K−1⋅mol−1 |
| joule per mole | J/mol | molar energy | m2⋅kg⋅s−2⋅mol−1 |
| siemens square metre per mole | S⋅m2/mol | molar conductivity | kg−1⋅s3⋅A2⋅mol−1 |
| mole per kilogram | mol/kg | molality | kg−1⋅mol |
| kilogram per mole | kg/mol | molar mass | kg⋅mol−1 |
| cubic metre per mole second | m3/(mol⋅s) | catalytic efficiency | m3⋅s−1⋅mol−1 |
Electromagnetics
| Name | Symbol | Quantity | Expression in terms of SI base units |
|---|---|---|---|
| coulomb per metre | C/m | linear charge density | m−1⋅s⋅A |
| coulomb per square metre | C/m2 | surface charge density, polarization density, electric flux density | m−2⋅s⋅A |
| coulomb per cubic metre | C/m3 | volume charge density | m−3⋅s⋅A |
| ampere per metre | A/m | magnetization, magnetic field strength | m−1⋅A |
| ampere per square metre | A/m2 | current density | m−2⋅A |
| volt per metre | V/m | electric field | m⋅kg⋅s−3⋅A−1 |
| siemens per metre | S/m | electrical conductivity | m−3⋅kg−1⋅s3⋅A2 |
| farad per metre | F/m | permittivity | m−3⋅kg−1⋅s4⋅A2 |
| henry per metre | H/m | permeability | m⋅kg⋅s−2⋅A−2 |
| weber per metre | Wb/m | magnetic vector potential | m⋅kg⋅s−2⋅A−1 |
| coulomb-metre | C⋅m | electric dipole moment | m⋅s⋅A |
| ampere square metre | A⋅m2 | magnetic moment | m2⋅A |
| volt-metre | V⋅m | electric flux | m3⋅kg⋅s−3⋅A−1 |
| ohm-metre | Ω⋅m | electrical resistivity | m3⋅kg⋅s−3⋅A−2 |
| tesla-metre | T⋅m | magnetic rigidity | m⋅kg⋅s−2⋅A−1 |
| reciprocal henry | H−1 | magnetic reluctance | m−2⋅kg−1⋅s2⋅A2 |
| volt-ampere | V⋅A | complex power, apparent power | m2⋅kg⋅s−3 |
| square metre per volt-second | m2/(V⋅s) | electron mobility | kg−1⋅s2⋅A |
| coulomb per kilogram | C/kg | exposure (X and gamma rays) | kg−1⋅s⋅A |
Photometry
| Name | Symbol | Quantity | Expression in terms of SI base units |
|---|---|---|---|
| lumen second | lm⋅s | luminous energy | s⋅cd |
| lux second | lx⋅s | luminous exposure | m−2⋅s⋅cd |
| candela per square metre | cd/m2 | luminance | m−2⋅cd |
| lumen per watt | lm/W | luminous efficacy | m−2⋅kg−1⋅s3⋅cd |
Thermodynamics
| Name | Symbol | Quantity | Expression in terms of SI base units |
|---|---|---|---|
| joule per kelvin | J/K | heat capacity, entropy | m2⋅kg⋅s−2⋅K−1 |
| joule per kilogram kelvin | J/(K⋅kg) | specific heat capacity, specific entropy | m2⋅s−2⋅K−1 |
| watt per metre kelvin | W/(m⋅K) | thermal conductivity | m⋅kg⋅s−3⋅K−1 |
| kelvin per watt | K/W | thermal resistance | m−2⋅kg−1⋅s3⋅K |
| reciprocal kelvin | K−1 | thermal expansion coefficient | K−1 |
| kelvin per metre | K/m | temperature gradient | m−1⋅K |
03Other units used with SI
Some other units such as the hour, litre, tonne, bar, and electronvolt are not SI units, but are widely used in conjunction with SI units.
04Supplementary units
Sources and credits
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