UNITS AND DIMENSIONS

The S.I. Units contains three classes viz.

(a) Fundamental Units

(b) Supplementary Units
(c) Derived Units
(a) Fundamental Units are seven in number namely :

Name of the Physical Quantity Unit

Length Metre (m)

Mass Kilogram (kg)

Time Second (Sec. or s)

Electric Current Ampere (A)

Thermodynamic temperature Kelvin (K)

Luminous Intensity Candela (cd)

Amount of Substance Mole (mol)

(b) Supplementary Units are mainly radian (rd) for plane angles and steradian (Sr)
for solid angles.
(c) Derived Units are such units which depend on the powers of one or more of the
fundamental units.

The Dimensions of a physical quantity are the powers to which fundamental quantity is
raised.

A Dimensional formula is an expression which shows how and which of the fundamental
units enter into the unit of a physical quantity.

Physical Quantity Dimensional Formulae

Angle No Dimension

Angular acceleration T-2

Area L2

Angular impulse M1M2T-2

Angular velocity T-1

Capacitance M-1L-2T2I2

Coefficient of viscosity M1L-1T-1

Couple (Torque) M1L2T-1

Density M1L-3

Energy (work) ML1T-2

Entropy ML2T-2K-1

Elastic modulus ML-1T-2

Electric Potential ML2T2I-1

Electric field MLT-3I-1

Force MLT-2

Frequency T-1

Gravitation constant M-1L3T-2

Gravitational Potential L2T-2

Gravitational Intensity L1T-2

Heat Energy ML2T-2

Impulse M1L1T-1

Inductance ML2T-2I-2

Latent heat L2T2

Magnetic flux ML2T-2I-2

Magnetic field M0L-1T0I

Magnetic Induction T-2I-1

Moment of interia ML2

Moment of momentrum M1L2T-1

Or Angular momentrum

Power ML2T-2
Pressure M1L-1T-2

Planck’s Constant M1L2T-2

Permeability MLT-2I-2

Permittivity M-1L-2T4I2

Resistance ML2T-1I-2

Specific heat capacity L2T-2K-1

Surface tension M1T-2

Surface Energy M1T-2

Stress ML-1T-2

Strain No dimensions

Specific gravity No dimensions

Thermal conductivity MLT-2K-1

Temperature K

Volume L3

Velocity LT1

Acceleration LT-2

Momentum MLT-1

Electric current I

Electric potential ML2T-3I-1

Magnetic flux ML2T-2I-2

Magnetic field L-1I

Magnetic intuition MT-2I-1

Permeability MLT-3I-2

Permittivity M-1L-2T4I3
The sum or difference of two numbers has significant digits only in those places where
there are significant digits in the original numbers.

The product or quotient of two numbers can have no more significant digits than are
present in the least precise of numbers from which it was calculated.

The order of magnitude, x, of a given number N is defined by

0.5 , 5

If xi | (i = 1, 2, ….,n) are magnitudes of the absolute errors in the n measurements of

physical quantity x, the mean absolute error is defined by

x=

The relative error xr is defined by

xr = ( x¯) / (x)

The percentage error xp is defined by

xp = ( x¯) / 100%

When quantities are added or subtracted, the possible error of the result is always the
sum of the errors associated with the measurements of each quantity.

When two quantities are multiplied (or divided) the relative error in product or (quotient)
is always the sum of the relative errors of the two quantities.

When the quantity has to be raised to the power n, in a calculation, the relative error in
its nth power is n times the relative error in the quantity itself.