NSCI-6100 PHYSICS FOR

ENGINEERS 1

2 – SI UNITS

Presented By:
Engr. Emmanuel A. Camba
Instructor-AMACC Batangas

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SI

The International System of Units

(abbreviated SI from the French language
name Systéme International d’Unités) is the
modern, revised form of the metric system. It
is the world’s most widely used system of
units, both in everyday commerce and in
science.

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 The SI was developed in 1960 from the
metre-kilogram-second (CGS)system,
which, in turn, had many variants. At its
development the SI also introduced several
newly named units that were previously not
a part of the metric system.

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 The SI units for the four basic physical
quantities: length, time, mass, and
temperature are:

1.Metre (m) :SI unit of length

2.second (s) :SI unit of time
3.kilogram (kg) :SI unit of mass
4.kelvin (K) :SI unit of temperature

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 There are two types of SI units, based
and derived units. Base units are the simple
measurements for time, length, mass,
temperature, amount of substance,
electricity current and light intensity. Derived
units are made up of base units, for
example, density is kg/m3.

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LENGHT
The standard unit of length is the metric
system is the meter. Other units of length
and their equivalents in meter are as follows:

1 millimeter= 0.001 meter

1 centimeter=0.01 meter
1 decimeter=0.1 meter
1 kilometer=1000 meter

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We symbolize the length as follows:

1 millimeter= 1 mm
1 centimeter=1 cm
1 meter=1 m
1 decimeter=1 dm
1 kilometer=1 km

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 For reference, 1 meter is a little longer
than 1 yard or 3 feet. It is about half the
weight of a very tall adult. A centimeter is
nearly the diameter of a dime, a little less
than half an inch. A millimeters is about the
thickness of a dime.

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VOLUME
The standard unit of volume in the
metric system is the liter. One litter is equal
to 1000 cubic centimeters in volume. Other
units of volume and their equivalents in liters
are as follows:
1 milliliter= 0.001 liter
1 centiliter=0.01 liter
1 deciliter=0.1 liter
1 kiloliter=1000 liter

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 From these units, we see that 1000
milliliters equal 1 liter; so 1 milliliter equals 1
cubic centimeter in volume. We symbolize these
volumes as follows:
1 milliliter= 1 ml
1 centiliter=1 cl
1 deciliter=1 dl
1 liter= 1 l
1 kiloliter=1 kl

For reference, 1 liter is a little more than 1 quart.

One teaspoon equals about 5 milliliters.

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MASS
The standard unit of mass in the metric
system is the gram. Other units of mass and
their equivalents in grams are as follows:
1 milligram= 0.001 gram 1 milligram= 1 mg
1 centigram=0.01 gram 1 centigram=1 cg
1 decigram=0.1 gram 1 decigram=1 dg
1 kilogram=1000 gram 1 kilogram=1 kg
1 liter= 1 g

For reference, 1 gram is about the mass

of a paper clip. One kilogram is about the mass
of a liter of water.
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TIME
The following conversions are useful
when working with time:

1 minute = 60 seconds
1 hour =60 minutes = 3600 seconds
1 day = 24 hours
1 week = 7 days
1 year = 365 ¼ days (for the Earth to travel
around the sun)
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 In practice, every three calendar years
will have 365 days, and every fourth year is
a “leap year”, which has 366 days, to make
up for the extra quarter day over four years.
The years 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 are
all leap years. This gives us a total of 52
complete 7 day weeks in each calendar
year, with 1 day left over (or 2 in a leap
year).

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 The year is divided into 12 months,
each of which has 30 or 31 days, except for
February, which has 28 days (or 29 days in
a leap year).

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TEMPERATURE

Temperature is expressed in degrees

Celsius in the metric system. The boiling
point of water (at sea level) is 100°Celsius
or 100°C. The freezing point of water is 0°
Celsius. A hot day is about 30° Celsius.

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LENGTH CONVERSION

Metric length units include the meter,

the kilometer (1000 meters), the decimeter
(0.1 meters), the centimeters (0.01 meters),
the millimeter (0.001 meters), the micron
(0.000001 meters), the nanometer
(0.000000001 or le-9 meters), and the
angstrom (0.0000000001 or le-10 meters).

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 British and American length units
include the foot, the yard (3 feet), the furlong
(660 feet), the mile (5,280 feet), the league
(15,840 feet), and the inch (1/12th foot).

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AMACC-BATANGAS/Physics for Engineers 1
VOLUME CONVERSION

Metric volume units include the liter, the

dekaliter (10 liters), the hectoliter (100 liters),
the deciliter (0.1 liters), the centiliter (0.01
liters), the milliliter (0.001 liter), and the
microliter (0.000001 liters. A liter is
equivalent to 1 cubic deciliter).

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 Liquid measure units commonly used in
the USA include the fluid ounce, the pint (16
fluid ounces), the quart (32 fluid ounces), the
gallon (128 fluid ounces), and the petroleum
barrel (5,376 fluid ounces). A gallon is
equivalent to 231 cubic inches.

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AMACC-BATANGAS/Physics for Engineers 1
 Dry measure units commonly used in
the USA include the bushel, the peck (0.25
bushels), the gallon (0.125 bushels), the
quart (0.03125 bushels), the pint (0.01562
bushels), and the gill (0.003906 bushels). A
bushel is equivalent to 2150 cubic inches.

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AMACC-BATANGAS/Physics for Engineers 1
WEIGHT CONVERSION
Metric weight units include the gram,
the kilogram (1000 grams), the tonne
(1,000,000 grams), the carat (0.2 grams),
the centigram (0.01 grams), the milligram
(0.001 grams), and the microgram
(0.000001 grams).

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 Avoirdupois weight units commonly
used in the USA include the pound, the
stone (14 pounds), the short hundredweight
(100 pounds), the short ton (2000 pounds),
the ounce (1 1/16th pound), the dram
(1/256th pound), and the grain (1/7000th
pound).

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