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

electromagnetic conversiton factors is the (exact) pure number 2.997 924 5810

-1

= 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

Symbol

length, l
metre (SI unit)
centimetre (cgs unit)
ngstrm
micron
millimicron
x unit
fermi

m
cm

m
X
f, fm

inch
foot
yard
mile
nautical mile
astronomical unit
parsec

in
ft
yd
mi

light year
light second

l.y.

area, A
square metre (SI unit)
barn
acre
are
hectare
volume, V
cubic metre (SI unit)
litre
lambda
barrel (US)
gallon (US)
gallon (UK)

AU
pc

m2

Relation to SI

-2

= 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

-28

= 10 m
2
4046.856 m
2
= 100 m

ha

= 10 m

m
l, L

gal (US)
gal (UK)

-3

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

Chapter 1 2

Name

Symbol

mass, m
kilogram (SI unit)
gram (cgs unit)
electron mass (au)

kg
g
me

= 10 kg
-31
9.109 3910 kg

unified atomic mass

unit, daltonS
gamma

u, Da

= ma( C)/12 1.660 54010

tonne
pound (avoirdupois)
ounce (avoirdupois)
ounce (troy)
grain

t
lb
oz
oz (trou)
gr

= g
3
= Mg = 10 kg
= 0.453 592 37 kg
28.3495 g
31.1035 g
= 64.798 91 mg

s
h/Eh
min
h
d
a

2.418 8810 s
= 60 s
= 3600 s
= 86 400 s
31 556 952 s

Sv

= 10

time, t
second (SI, cgs unit)
au of time
minute
hour
1
day
2
year
svedberg

Relation to SI

-3

12

-27

kg

-17

-13

(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.

(2)

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.
Chapter 1 3

Name

Symbol

acceleration, a
SI unit
standard acceleration of
free fall

ms
gn

Relation to SI

-2

= 9.806 65 m s
-2

-2

-2

Gal

= 10 m s

force, F
3
newton (SI unit)
dyne (cgs unit)

N
dyn

= kg m s
-2
-5
= g cm s = 10 N

au of force
kilogram-force

Eh/a0
kgf

8.238 7310 N
= 9.806 65 N

J
erg
Ry

= kg m s
2 -2
-7
= g cm s = 10 J
-18
= Eh/2 2.179 8710 J

eV
calth
calIT
cal15
l atm
Btu

= eV 1.602 1810
= 4.184 J
= 4.1868 J
4.1855 J
= 101.325 J
= 1055.06 J

Pa
atm

= N m = kg m s
= 101 325 Pa

bar
torr

bar
Torr

= 10 Pa
= (101 325/760) Pa 133.322 Pa

millimetre of mercury
(conventional)

mmHg

= 13.5951980.66510 Pa 133.322 Pa

pounds per squere inch

psi

6.894 75710 Pa

W
hp

= kg m s
= 745.7 W

gal, galileo

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

power, P
watt (SI unit)
horse power
(3)

-2

-8

2 -2

-19

-2

-1 -2

-2

2 -3

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

Chapter 1 4

Name

Symbol

Relation to SI

action, L, J (angular momentum)

SI unit
cgs unit

JS
erg s

= kg m s
-7
= 10 J s

h h / 2

1.054 5710

Pa s

= kg m s

P
cP

= 10 Pa s
= mPa s

au of action
dynamic viscosity,
SI unit
poise
centipoise
kinematic viscosity, v
SI unit

-1

-4

2 -1

= 10 m s

K
R

entropy, S
heat capacity, C
SI unit

= (5/9) K

J K-1

clausius

= calth/K = 4.184 J K

Cl

molar entropy, Sm
molar heat capacity, Cm
SI unit

(4)

Js

-1 -1

St

thermodynamic temperature, T
kelvin (SI unit)

entropy unit

-34

m2 s-1

stokes

degree Rankine

2 -1

-1

-1

-1

J K mol
e.u.

-1

-1

-1

-1

= calth K mol = 4.184 J K mol

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

Symbol

molar volume, Vm
SI unit
amagat

m mol
amagat

Relation to SI
-1

= Vm of real gas at 1 atm and 273.15 K

-3

22.410 m mol

-1

plane angle,
radian (SI unit)
degree
minute
second
grade

rad

grad

= rad2/360 (1/57.295 78) rad

= degree/60
= degree/3600
= rad2/400 (1/63.661 98) rad

radioactivity, A
becquerel (SI unit)

Bq

=s

Ci

= 3.710

Gy
rad

= J kg
= 0.01 Gy

Sv
rem

= J kg
0.01 Sv

curie
absorbed dose of radiation
gray (SI unit)
rad
dose equialent
sievert (SI unit)
rem

(5)

-1
10

Bq

5
-1

-1

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 Symbol Relation to SI

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

11=
-10

3.335 6410
1=
10 A

2=

As

3=

(10/)C

-10

3.335

6410

12= 2.997
6
924 5810 V
-2
m

3.335 6410

12
C
Cm
4=
10 C
-18
= 10 Fr cm
-19
1.602 1810 C
3.335 6410
-10
4.803 2110 Fr 30
Cm

esu, Gau
electrical potential, V,
volt (SI unit)

7 -1

-3

-1

-1

1=
10 C m
-4
3.335 6410 C
esu, Gau
-3
mean international volt m
US international volt

2=
JC =JA
electric resistance, R
-1
ohm (SI unit)
s
-1
mean international ohm 3=
Fr cm /40
= 299.792 458 V
US international ohm
4=
1.00034 V
5=
1.000 330 V
electric field, E
SI unit
esu, Gau

-1

JC m

6=

-1

V A
-3

= m

-2

electric field gradient, E, q kg s A

SI unit
7=
1.000 49
8=
1.000 495
esu, Gau
electric dipol moment, p,
-1 -1
9=
JC m
SI unit
10= 2.997 924
esu, Gau
4
-1
5810 V m
debye
Chapter 1 - 7

Name

Symbol

Relation to SI

electric quadrupole moment,

Q, , eQ
2
Cm
SI unit
-14

-2

Fr cm

3.335 6410

magnetic flux density, B

(magnetic field)
tesla (SI unit)

= J A m = V s m = Wb m

gauss (emu, Gau)

= 10 T

Wb

=JA =Vs

Mx

= G cm = 10 Wb

esu, Gau

magnetic flux,
weber (SI unit)
maxwell (emu, Gau)

-1

-2

Cm

-2

-2

-4

-1

-2

-8

magnetic field, H
(volume) magnetization, M
-1
-1 -1
Am
=Cs m
SI unit
3
-1
= 10 A m
oersted (emu, Gau)
Oe
(ir)
[But note: in practice the oersted, Oe, is only used as a unit for H = 4H; thus when
H

(ir)

-1

= 1 Oe, H = (10 /4) A m .]

magnetic dipole moment, m,

2
Am
SI unit
-1
erg G
emu, Gau
6
Bohr magneton
B
nuclear magneton

-1

=JT
2
-3
-1
= 10 A cm =10 J T
-24
-1
= eh/2me 9.274 0210 J T
-27

= (me/mp)B 5.050 7910

-1

JT

magnetizability,
SI unit

(6)

-2

JT

-1

= C m kg

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
always values for

(ir)

= /4; thus when

molar magnetic susceptibility, m

3
-1
m mol
SI unit
3
-1
cm mol
emu, Gau

(ir)

-6

-6

= 10 m mol
3

-6

= 10 , = 410 .]

-1

-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