Basic S.I.

Units
(Systeme International d’Unites)

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A Brief Explanation of the System International d’Unites

(SI)

The metric system of units, adopted by Great Britain in the Systeme International d’Unites
(International System of Units), which is referred to in Britain by its accepted abbreviation SI.

Basic Units

The basic SI units commonly used in power stations are:

Length Metre M
Area Square Metre M²
Volume Cubic Metre M³

Capacity Litre L
Weight Kilogram Kg

Temp Degrees Celcius ˚C

Thermo Dynamic Temp Kelvin K

Force Newton N
Pressure Bar Bar

Work Joule J
Energy Joule J
Heat Joule J

Power Watt W
Time Second S
Frequency Hertz Hz

*It is recommended that no abbreviations be used for litre and tonne since “1” can be
mistaken for 1 (especially when typewritten) and “t” can be confused with the imperial ton.

The complete SI family tree showing the seven base units can be seen in Fig.1 overleaf.

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 NAMES OF UNITS
A Ampere kg Kilogram S Siemens
C Coulomb lm Lumen sr Steradian
cd Candela lx Lux T Tesla
F Farad m Metre V Volt
Hz Hertz N Newton Wb Weber
J Joule rad Radian Ω Ohm
K Kelvin S Second

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Length

The basic unit for length is the Metre (m).

For long distances, the metre is too small and, therefore, (remembering the 1 000 rule), we
use the KILOMETRE.

For small lengths, we need to go down to 1/1 000 of a metre, one millimetre (mm).

For very small lengths, we go down to 1/1 000 of a millimetre, the micrometer (um) symbol.

Area

Since the metre is the basic unit of length, it follows that the square metre (m²) should be the
basic unit of area.

For larger areas, we stray from the thousand rule and we go up to an area of 100 metres by
100 metres.

10 000 square metres = one HECTARE.

One hectare being about the size of a large, top class, soccer pitch.

Volume or Capacity

Sticking to the metre as a base, it follows that the basic unit for volume is the cubic metre
(m³).

Large volumes are measured in cubic metres.

If our cubic metre is subdivided 10 x 10 x 10, this means that we have a smaller cube each
side of which is one decimetre long.

We have a cubic decimetre dm³.

Another name for the cubic decimetre is the LITRE, therefore, one LITRE = one CUBIC
DECIMETRE.

One LITRE or ONE CUBIC DECIMETRE = 1/1000 part of a cubic metre.

For very small volumes, we need to subdivide this litre yet again 10 x 10 x 10, into 1 000
parts, and since a thousandth is a milli, we have a MILLILITRE (ml).

The ml is a cubic measurement and is equal to one cubic centimetre (cm³).

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Weight

The basic unit for weight is the KILOGRAM (kg) note, kilogram, not gram.

The reason for this, is that the gram itself was too small: 1 gram = 1_ kilogram
1000

For heavy weights a larger unit is used, equal to 1 000 kilograms, and this is called the
tonne, (pronounced tunny).

1 000 kilograms = 1 tonne = 2 205lbs NB. Our imperial ton = 2 240lbs.

For smaller weights than the kilogram, we would obviously subdivide down to the GRAM (g).

NB. One millilitre (ml) of water weighs 1 gram

One litre of water weighs 1 kilogram
One cubic metre (M³) of water weighs 1 tonne

Temperature

The Celcius scale is used for practical use with the abbreviation ˚C.

˚C = The freezing point of water

100˚C = The boiling point of water (at atmospheric pressure)

The basic SI unit of thermodynamic temperature is the KELVIN.

With the abbreviation K (note: NOT ˚K)

The units of Celcius and KELVIN temperature interval are identical.

K = ˚C + 273.15

0 K is the extrapolated point at which all molecular activity ceases (Absolute zero).
Therefore, the boiling point of water on the KELVIN scale = 373K.

Force

Sir Isaac Newtons 2nd Law of Motion can be shown as:

Force = Mass x Acceleration

In SI terms it is expressed as:

kg x m/s²
1 kg x m/s² = 1 newton

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Pressure

1 Newton spread out over one M² is about the weight a beer mat would exert.
100,000 Newtons/M² = 1 bar

(in P.S.I. terms it equals 0.000145 P.S.I.

100,000 Newtons = 14.5 P.S.I.)

Pressures measured above atmosphere pressure are known as GAUGE PRESSURES.

Those pressures measured from a vacuum are known as absolute pressures.

For pressures less than ONE BAR, the unit is the MILLIBAR 1/1 000 of a bar (mbar),
therefore, 1 000 (mbr) millibar = 1 bar = 14.5 p.s.i.

Vacuum is measured in millibar, but, because this is a pressure below atmospheric, it is

shown as a negative number, e.g. (-900 mbar), will indicate 900 mbar below atmospheric
pressure, or 900 millibar of vacuum.

MILLIBAR (There is no such thing as MILLIBARS)

Millibar is used for small pressures above and below atmospheric pressure.

Energy

With the imperial units each form of energy was measured in different units heat was
measured in BthU’s. ELECTRICITY was measured in kilowatt/hours, MECHANICAL
ENERGY was measured in foot/lbs, or horse power/hours. (33 000 ft lb/hr = 1 h.p.).

To compare one form of energy with another required conversion factors.

In SI the basic unit for all kinds of energy is the JOULE (J).

The joule is used without distinction for all forms of energy (mechanical work, electrical
energy, heat etc).

1 joule = The amount of heat required to raise 1 gram of air through 1˚C
1 Calorie = The amount of heat required to raise 1 gram of water through 1˚C

4.2 Joules = 1 calorie

1 kilo joule (1Kj) = 1000J

Power

Defined as the rate of doing work:

1 Joule/sec = 1 Watt
1 kJ = 1 kiloWatt per second (kW/s)
x 3600 sec in 1 hour

360kJ = 1 kiloWatt hr. (kW/HR)

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Time

The standard unit of time is the second.

60 sec = 1 min, 60 min = 1 hr

60x60 = 3600 sec = 1 hr

Frequency

The SI unit of periodic frequency is the HERTZ (Hz).

This unit is the frequency x time and replaces the old imperial cycles per second.
Rotational frequency is measured as revolutions per minutes.

Useful Formulae

1cc (cubic centimetre) of water weighs 1 gm.

1000 cc is 1 litre.
Therefore, 1 litre of water weighs 1 kg (1000gms).
1000 litres of water is 1 cubic metre.
Therefore, 1 cubic metre of water weighs 1 tonne.

1 calorie raises 1 gm of WATER through 1 ˚C.

1 kilo-calorie raises kg of water through 1 ˚C.
1 Joule raises 1 gm of AIR through 1˚C.
1 Calorie = 4.2 Joules
Therefore, 4.2 Joules are required to raise 1 kg of WATER through 1˚C.

Force is the effort required to move something or change its direction.

Force is measured in NEWTONS.
A Newton is the force which will accelerate 1kg at 1 metre/s².

Potential energy is due to an objects weight and height and the force of gravity and is
represented by the formula:

mass (kg) x gravity x Height (metres)

or mgh

Kinetic energy is due to an objects mass and it’s velocity and is represented by the formula:

½ mass (kg) x velocity (metres/second)²

Work done is force x distance or Newton x metres.

Electrical energy is measured in Watts or Joules.

Electrical Power is measured in kilowatt hours.

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