Units, systems of units, standards 1

Base And Additional* Units

QUANTITY UNIT SYMBOL DIMENSION DEFINITION (STANDARDS)

Equal to 1,650,763.73 wavelengths in vacuum of the

1. Length meter m L
orange-red line of the krypton-86 spectra.
Cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy kept in France and a
2. Mass kilogram kg M number of copies. (May be replaced by an atomic
standard within the next ten years.)
Time for 9,192,631,770 cycles of resonance vibration
3. Time second s T
of the cesium-133 atom.
Absolute zero is defined as 0 kelvin.
4. Temperature kelvin K K
0 degrees Celsius equals 273.16 kelvins.

Intensity of a light source (frequency 5.40x10 14 Hz) that

5. Luminosity candela C C gives a radiant intensity of 1/683 watts/steradian in a
given direction.
Current that produces a force of 2.10 -7 newtons per
6. Electric
ampere A I meter between a pair of infinitely long parallel wires
current
1 meter apart in a vacuum.
7. Amount of Number of elementary entities of a substance
mole mol 
substance equal to the number of atoms in 0.012 kg of carbon 12.

The angle subtended at the center of a circle by an arc that

*Angle radian rad 
is of the same length as the radius.

The solid angle subtended at the center of a sphere by an

*Solid angle steradian sr 
area on its surface equal to the square of its radius.
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Some Derived Units

QUANTITY UNIT SYMBOL DIMENSION DEFINITION

DEFINITION

Rate of change of velocity of 1 meter per 1 second per one

Acceleration meter/s/s m s-2 ML-2
second.
     
square  Multiplication of two orthogonal (right-angle) lengths in
Area m2 M2
meter meters
   
 cubic  Multiplication of three mutually orthogonal (right-angle)
Volume m3 M3
meter lengths in meters.
   
   The force required to accelerate a 1 kilogram mass 1
Force newton N MLT-2
meter / second / second.
     
 Quantity of electricity carried by a current of 1 ampere for 1
Charge coulomb C IT
  second.
   
 Work done by a force of 1 newton moving through a
Energy joule J ML2T-2
  distance of 1 meter in the direction of the force.
   
 
Power watt W ML2T-3 Energy expenditure at a rate of 1 joule per 1 second.
       
Resistance that produces a 1 volt drop with a 1 ampere
Resistance ohm  ML2T-3I-2 current.
       
Frequency hertz Hz T-1 Number of cycles in 1 second.
       
Pressure due a a force of 1 newton applied over an area of
Pressure pascal Pa ML-1T-2 1 square meter.
       
Velocity meter/s m s-1 LT-1 Rate of movement in a direction of 1 meter in 1 second.
       
Potential volt The potential when 1 joule of work is done in making 1
V ML2T-3I-1
(emf)   coulomb of electricity flow.
   
 
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Standards

The terms unit and physical quantity are both abstract

concepts. In order to use a unit as a measure, there must be
a realization of the unit available: a physical standard.

A standard can be:

an artifact (prototype)

a natural phenomenon (atomic processes, etc.);

a standardized procedure of measurement using

standardized measurement methods and equipment.

Reference: [1]
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There are primary and secondary standards.

Primary standards are preserved and improved in a

national institute of standards and technology.

Measurements are usually based on secondary or lower order

(working) standards.

These are are calibrated to higher (primary or secondary)

standards.

An even lower order standard (reference) is present in every

instrument that can perform an absolute measurement.

Such instruments should also be calibrated regularly, since

aging, drift, wear, etc., will cause the internal reference to
become less accurate.

Accuracy is defined here as an expression of the closeness of

the value of the reference to the primary standard value.

Reference: [1]
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Illustration: Measurement standards

Standards users

Defacto
National International Industry
international
standards standards standards
standards

International International
Organization for Electrotechnical
Standards (ISO) Commission (IEC)

American National British Standards Israeli Standards Other national

Standard Institute Institute Institute standards
)(ANSI)
ANSI( (BSI) (SII) associations

American Institute of
American
Society for Electrical and
Society for Other member
Testing and Electronic
Quality societies
Materials Engineers
)ASQ(
)ASTM( )IEEE(
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Illustration: A primary standard of mass (the kilogram)

Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, www.sp.se

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Example: Preservation of the standard

Swedish national testing and research institute

looks after its weight well!

At the latest major international calibration of national

kilogram prototypes, in 1991, the mass of the Swedish
prototype was determined to 0.999 999 965 kg, with an
uncertainty of measurement of ± 2.3 μg.

It was found that, after more than a century, the mass of

our national kilogram had changed by only 2 μg
compared to that of the international prototype. No other
national standard anywhere in the world has been better
kept.

Swedish National Testing and Research Institute. www.sp.se

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Primary temperature standard

The standard reference temperature is

defined by the triple point of water, at
which the pressure and temperature is
adjusted so that ice, water, and water
vapor exist simultaneously in a closed
vessel. The triple point of pure water
occurs at 0.0098C and 4.58 mmHg
pressure.

The kelvin is defined as 273.16 of the

triple point temperature.

Measurement uncertainty: ±2.5104 (± 250 ppm).

Swedish National Testing and Research Institute. www.sp.se Reference: [4]

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Concluding Table: measurement uncertainties

QUANTITY UNIT APPROXIMATE UNCERTAINTY

Frequency hertz 7
ppm 10

Length meter 310 5 ppm

Voltage volt 4
ppm 10

Mass kilogram 510 3 ppm

Resistance ohm ppm 0.05

Electric current ampere ppm 0.1

Capacitance farad ppm 1

Inductance henry ppm 2

Temperature kelvin ppm 250

Luminosity candela % 1.5

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