Space & Time

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

r, r position, m meter

separation,

radius, radius

of curvature

s, s displacement, m meter

distance

θ, φ, θ, angle, angular rad radian

φ displacement,

angular

separation,

rotation angle

x, y, z cartesian m meter

coordinates

î, ĵ, k̂ cartesian unit unitless

vectors

r, θ, φ spherical m, rad meter, radian

 Space & Time

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

coordinates

r̂ , θ̂, φ̂ spherical unit unitless

vectors

ρ, φ, z cylindrical m, rad meter, radian

coordinates

ρ̂, φ̂, ẑ cylindrical unit unitless

vectors

n̂ normal unit unitless

vector

t̂ tangential unit unitless

vector

h height, depth m meter

ℓ, L length m meter

d distance, m meter

separation,
 Space & Time

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

thickness

t thickness m meter

D diameter m meter

C circumference m meter

A, A area, cross- m2 square meter

sectional area,

projected area,

surface area

V volume m3 cubic meter

t time, duration s second

T period, s second

periodic time

τ time constant s second

f frequency Hz hertz
 Space & Time

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quantity SI unit
l l

ω angular rad/s radian per second

frequency

Mechanics

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

v, v velocity, speed m/s meter per second

a, a acceleration m/s2 meter per second

squared

ac, ac centripetal m/s2 meter per second

acceleration, squared

centrifugal

acceleration

g, g gravitational m/s2 meter per second

field, squared

acceleration

due to gravity
 Mechanics

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

m mass kg kilogram

F, F force N newton

Fg, W, W force of N newton

gravity, weight

Fn, N, N normal force, N newton

normal

Ff, fs, fk force of N newton

friction (static,

kinetic)

μs, μk coefficient of unitless

friction (static,

kinetic)

p, p momentum kg m/s kilogram meter per

second

J, J impulse Ns newton second

 Mechanics

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

W work J joule

E energy, total J joule

energy

K, Kt, Kr kinetic energy J joule

(translational,

rotational)

U, Ug, Us potential J joule

energy

(gravitational,

spring)

Vg gravitational J/kg joule per kilogram

potential

η efficiency unitless

P power W watt

ω, ω rotational rad/s radian per second

 Mechanics

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

velocity,

rotational

speed

α, α rotational rad/s2 radian per second

acceleration squared

τ, τ torque Nm newton meter

I moment of kg m2 kilogram meter

inertia squared

L, L angular kg m2/s kilogram meter

momentum squared per second

H, H angular N m s newton meter

impulse second

k spring N/m newton per meter

constant

P pressure Pa pascal
 Mechanics

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

σ normal stress Pa pascal

τ shear stress Pa pascal

ρ density, kg/m3 kilogram per cubic

volume mass meter

density

σ area mass kg/m2 kilogram per square

density, meter

superficial

mass density

λ linear mass kg/m kilogram per meter

density

FB, B, B buoyancy, N newton

buoyant force

qm mass flow rate kg/s kilogram per second

qV volume flow m3/s cubic meter per

 Mechanics

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quantity SI unit
l l

rate second

FD, R, R drag, N newton

aerodynamic

drag, air

resistance

C, CD drag unitless

coefficient,

coefficient of

drag

η viscosity, Pa s pascal second

dynamic

viscosity

ν kinematic m2/s square meter per

viscosity second

Ma mach number unitless

Re reynolds unitless
 Mechanics

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quantity SI unit
l l

number

Fr froude number unitless

E young's Pa pascal

modulus,

modulus of

elasticity

G shear modulus, Pa pascal

modulus of

rigidity

K bulk modulus, Pa pascal

modulus of

compression

ε linear strain unitless

γ shear strain unitless

θ volume strain unitless

 Mechanics

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quantity SI unit
l l

γ surface N/m newton per meter

tension

Thermal Physics

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

T temperature K kelvin

α linear K−1 inverse kelvin

expansivity,

coefficient of

linear thermal

expansion

β volume K−1 inverse kelvin

expansivity,

coefficient of

volume

thermal
 Thermal Physics

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

expansion

Q heat J joule

c specific heat, J/kg K joule per kilogram

specific heat kelvin

capacity

L latent heat, J/kg joule per kilogram

specific latent

heat

n amount of mole

substance

N number of unitless

particles

P heat flow rate W watt

k thermal W/m K watt per meter

conductivity kelvin
 Thermal Physics

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

ε emissivity unitless

U internal energy J joule

S entropy J/K joule per kelvin

w ways, number unitless

of identical

microstates

COP coefficient of unitless

performance

Waves & Optics

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

λ wavelength m meter

v, c wave speed m/s meter per second

I intensity W/m2 watt per square

meter
 Waves & Optics

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

L level dB, dN decibel, decineper

n index of unitless

refraction,

absolute index

of refraction

f focal length m meter

M magnification unitless

Electricity & Magnetism

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

q, Q charge, C coulomb

electric charge

ρ charge density, C/m3 coulomb per cubic

volume charge meter

 Electricity & Magnetism

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

density

σ area charge C/m2 coulomb per square

density, meter

superficial

charge density

λ linear charge C/m coulomb per meter

density

FE, FE electric force, N newton

electrostatic

force

E, E electric field N/C, newton per coulomb,

V/m volt per meter

ΦE electric flux N m2/ newton meter

C, V m squared per

coulomb, volt meter

U, UE potential J joule
 Electricity & Magnetism

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

energy,

electric

potential

energy

V, VE voltage, V volt

potential,

electric

potential

ℰ electromotive V volt

force, emf

C capacitance F farad

κ dielectric unitless

constant

I current, A ampère

electric

current
 Electricity & Magnetism

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

R, r resistance, Ω ohm

electrical

resistance,

internal

resistance

ρ resistivity Ω m ohm meter

G conductance S siemens

σ conductivity S/m siemens per meter

FB, FB magnetic force N newton

B, B magnetic field T tesla

ΦB magnetic flux Wb weber

N number of unitless

turns

n turns per unit m−1 inverse meter

length, turns
 Electricity & Magnetism

symbo symbo
quantity SI unit
l l

density

η energy density J/m3 joule per cubic

meter

S, S poynting W/m2 watt per square

vector, meter

intensity

Modern Physics

symbo
symbol quantity SI unit
l

γ lorentz unitless

factor,

lorentz

gamma

φ work J joule

function
 Modern Physics

symbo
symbol quantity SI unit
l

ψ(r,t), ψ(r)φ(t wave unitless

) function

T½ half life s second

D dose, Gy gray

absorbed

dose

H effective Sv sievert

dose

miscellaneous symbols

Mathematical symbols and notation

symbo
description
l

+ plus, add, sum, positive

− minus, subtract, difference, negative

 Mathematical symbols and notation

symbo
description
l

± uncertainty, error, plus-minus

· multiply, dot, dot product, scalar product

× multiply, cross, cross product, vector

product

÷, / divide

x2 square

x3 cube

√ square root, root, radical

∛ cube root

1x, x−1 invert, reciprocal

= equal to, equality

≈ approximately equal to

∝ proportional to

≠ not equal to, inequality

 Mathematical symbols and notation

symbo
description
l

~ on the order of

< less than

> greater than

≤ less than or equal to

≥ greater than or equal to

≪ much less than

≫ much greater than

⇒, ⇐ logical implication

⇔ logical equivalence

→ approaches

… and so on

∴ therefore

f(x) function
 Mathematical symbols and notation

symbo
description
l

sin sine

cos cosine

tan tangent

sinh hyperbolic sine

cosh hyperbolic cosine

tanh hyperbolic tangent

x̂ unit vector, x hat

∥ parallel

⟂ perpendicular

x mean, average, antiparticle, x bar

x̃ median, supersymetric particle, x tilde

⟨⟩ time average, ensemble average, bracket

p(x) probability distribution, probability density

function
 Mathematical symbols and notation

symbo
description
l

∆ increment, change, delta

d differential, d

∂ partial differential, d partial, del

ẋ time rate of change, first derivative with

respect to time, x dot

ẍ second derivative with respect to time,

x double dot

x⃛ third derivative with respect to time, x triple

dot

∇ gradient, grad, del, nabla

∇· divergence, div, del dot

∇× curl, del cross

∇2 laplacian, del squared

∑ summation, sigma
 Mathematical symbols and notation

symbo
description
l

∫ integral

∬ double integral

∭ triple integral

∮ contour integral

∯ surface integral

∰ volume integral

∞ infinity

ℵ0 transfinite number, aleph null

Greek alphabet (with variants)

English na English na
letter letter
me me

Α, α alpha Ν, ν nu

Β, β, ϐ beta Ξ, ξ xi

Γ, γ gamma Ο, ο omicron
 Greek alphabet (with variants)

English na English na
letter letter
me me

Δ, ∆, δ delta Π, ∏, π, pi

Ε, ε, ϵ epsilon Ρ, ρ, ϱ rho

Ζ, ζ zeta Σ, ∑, σ, ς sigma

Η, η eta Τ, τ tau

Θ, ϴ, θ, ϑ theta Υ, υ upsilon

Ι, ι iota Φ, φ, ϕ phi

Κ, κ, ϰ kappa Χ, χ chi

Λ, λ lambda Ψ, ψ psi

Μ, μ, µ mu Ω, Ω, ω omega

Astronomical symbols

symbo celestial b symbo constellat

l ody l ion

☉ Sun ♈ Aries
 Astronomical symbols

symbo celestial b symbo constellat

l ody l ion

☿ Mercury ♉ Taurus

♀ Venus ♊ Gemini

♁ Earth ♋ Cancer

☽, ☾ Moon ♌ Leo

♂ Mars ♍ Virgo

♃ Jupiter ♎ Libra

♄ Saturn ♏ Scorpius

♅, ⛢ Uranus ♐ Sagittariu

♆ Neptune ♑ Capricorn

♇, ⯓ Pluto ♒ Aquarius

⚳ Ceres ♓ Pisces
 Musical symbols

symbo
name
l

♭ flat, semitone lower

♮ natural, no semitone

adjustment

♯ sharp, semitone higher