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The International System of Units

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Table of Contents

  Cover
Forward
The BIPM and the Meter Convention
Preface to the 8th Edition
1   Introduction
1.1   Quantities and units
1.2 The International System of Units (SI) and the corresponding system of quantities
1.3 Dimensions of quantities
1.4 Coherent units, derived units with special names, and the SI prefixes
1.5 SI units in the framework of general relativity
1.6 Units for quantities that describe biological effects
1.7 Legislation on units
1.8 Historical note
2 SI units
2.1   SI base units
2.1.1   Definitions
2.1.1.1   Unit of length (meter)
2.1.1.2 Unit of mass (kilogram)
2.1.1.3 Unit of time (second)
2.1.1.4 Unit of electric current (ampere)
2.1.1.5 Unit of thermodynamic temperature (kelvin)
2.1.1.6 Unit of amount of substance (mole)
2.1.1.7 Unit of luminous intensity (candela)
2.1.2 Symbols for base units
2.2 SI derived units
2.2.1   Derived Units expressed in terms of base units
2.2.2 Units with special names and symbols;
units which incorporate units with special names and symbols
2.2.3 Units for dimensionless quantities, quantities of dimension one
3 Decimal multiples and submultiples of SI units
3.1   SI prefixes
3.2 The kilogram
4 Units outside the SI
4.1   Non-SI units accepted for use with the SI, and units based on fundamental constants
4.2 Other non-SI units not recommended for use
4.3 The curie, roentgen, rad, and rem
5 Writing unit symbols and names, and expressing the values of quantities
5.1   Unit symbols
5.2 Unit names
5.3 Rules and style conventions for expressing values of quantities
5.3.1 Value and numerical value of a quantity, and the use of quantity calculus
5.3.2 Quantity symbols and unit symbols
5.3.3 Formatting the value of a quantity
5.3.4 Formatting numbers, and the decimal marker
5.3.5 Expressing the measurement uncertainty in the value of a quantity
5.3.6 Multiplying or dividing quantity symbols, the values of quantities, or numbers
5.3.7 Stating values of dimensionless quantities, or quantities of dimension one

Appendix 1   -   Decisions of the CGPM and the CIPM
Appendix 2   -   Practical realization of the definitions of some important units
Appendix 3   -   Units for photochemical and photobiological quantities

List of acronyms
Index


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Online: October 1996   -   Last update: April 2008