Symbols and Abbreviations

Units are denoted by an asterisk. Units of quantities and values of constants are in parentheses.

See also the NIST pages on constants, units and uncertainty.

• a, A

  acceleration (m / s²),
  atomic mass

• A

  Amperes* (C / s),
  amplitude,
  Angstroms* (10^-10 m)

• b

  intercept of a linear graph

• B

  magnetic field (T)

• c

  concentration (1 / m³),
  specific heat (J / kg K),
  speed of light (2.998 * 10⁸ m / s),
  speed of sound (343 m / s at room temperature)

• cc

  cubic centimeter (10^-6 m³)

• C

  capacitance (F),
  Celsius* (K - 273.15),
  concentration (1 / m³),
  Coulombs*,
  heat capacity (J / K)

• d

  distance (m)

• D

  diffusion constant (m² / s)

• e

  charge of an electron (1.602 * 10^-19 C),
  electron

• eV

  electron Volts* (1.602 * 10^-19 J)

• E

  electric field (N / C),
  energy (J)

• f

  frequency (Hz)

• f, F

  force (N)

• F

  Farads* (C / V),
  flow (m³ / s)

• g

  acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m / s²),
  grams*

• G

  free energy (J / mol),
  Newton's constant (6.673 * 10^-11 N m ²/ kg²)

• h

  height (m),
  Planck's constant (6.626 * 10^-34 J s)

• hr

  hours* (3600 s)

• Hz

  Hertz (1 / s)

• I

  current (A),
  rotational inertia (kg m²)

• J

  Joules* (N m)

• k

  Boltzmann constant (1.381 * 10^-23 J / K),
  thermal conductivity (W / m K),
  wave number (1 / m)

• K

  Kelvin* (Celsius + 273.15),
  kinetic energy (J)

• l

  angular momentum quantum number (dimensionless),
  length (m),
  liters* (1000 cc),
  mean free path (m)

• lb

  pounds* (1 kg weighs 2.2 lb)

• L

  angular momentum (J s or kg m² / s),
  latent heat (J / kg)

• m

  magnetic moment (A m²),
  magnetic quantum number (dimensionless),
  mass (kg),
  meters*,
  slope of a linear graph

• m_e

  mass of electron (9.109 * 10^-31 kg)

• m_n

  mass of neutron (1.675 * 10^-27 kg)

• m_p

  mass of proton (1.673 * 10^-27 kg)

• mi

  miles* (1.61 km)

• min

  minutes* (60 s)

• n

  energy level (dimensionless),
  index of refraction (dimensionless),
  neutron,
  numbers of particles (dimensionless)

• N

  neutron number (dimensionless),
  Newtons* (kg m / s²),
  number of particles (dimensionless)

• N _A

  Avogadro's number (dimensionless number of objects in a mol = 6.022 * 10²³)

• p

  proton

• P

  momentum (kg m / s),
  Poise* (g / cm s),
  power (W),
  pressure (Pa)

• Pa

  Pascals* (N / m²)

• q, Q

  charge (C)

• Q

  heat (J)

• r

  distance (m),
  radius (m),
  rate (m / s)

• R

  resistance (Ω)

• Re

  Reynolds number (dimensionless)

• s

  seconds*,
  spin quantum number (dimensionless)

• S

  entropy (J / K)

• t

  time (s)

• T

  temperature (C or K),
  Tesla* (N / A m)

• U

  electrical potential energy (J),
  gravitational potential energy (J)

• v

  velocity (m / s)

• V

  electric potential (V),
  velocity (m / s),
  voltage, Volts* (J / C),
  volume (m³)

• W

  Watts* (J / s),
  weight (N or lbs.)

• x, X

  horizontal position (m)

• y, Y

  vertical position or depth position in 3D problems (m)

• z, Z

  atomic number (dimensionless),
  vertical position in 3D problems (m)







• α (alpha)

  angular acceleration (1 / s²),
  Helium nucleus

• β (beta)

  electron

• Δ (delta)

  finite change

• ε (epsilon)

  efficiency (dimensionless),
  electrical permittivity (ε₀ = 8.854 * 10^-12 F / m),
  emissivity (dimensionless)

• φ (phi)

  angle

• γ (gamma)

  electromagnetic radiation, photon

• η (eta)

  viscosity (Poise)

• κ (kappa)

  dielectric constant (dimensionless)

• λ (lambda)

  wavelength (m)

• μ (mu)

  magnetic permeability (μ₀ = 4 π * 10^-7 T m / A)

• ν (nu)

  frequency or rate of revolution (Hz)

• θ (theta)

  angle, angular position

• ρ (rho)

  density (kg / m³),
  resistivity (Ω m)

• σ (sigma)

  Stefan-Boltzmann constant (5.67 * 10^-8 W / m² K ⁴)

• Σ (sigma)

  summation

• τ (tau)

  torque (N m)

• ω (omega)

  angular velocity or angular frequency (1 / s)

• Ω (omega)

  Ohms* (V / A)

• Table of Contents
• Index:
  A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

©2003, Kenneth R. Koehler. All Rights Reserved. This document may be freely reproduced provided that this copyright notice is included.

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