SI Units

Learning Outcome
When you complete this chapter you will be able to…

Perform simple calculations involving SI units.

Learning Objectives
Here is what you will be able to do when you complete each objective.

1. List basic SI units and their symbols.

2. Identify and list symbols for unit prefixes.
3. Perform unit analyses in simple problems.
4. List derived SI units and their symbols.
5. Perform conversions between SI and Imperial units.

Introduction
Various systems of measurement have been used in different parts of the world for
centuries. However, because each system was designed with its own base units,
conversions from one system to another presented many problems. It became obvious
that a standard system would have to be developed. This system would have to be
precise, to allow for accurate measurement, yet simple enough to allow for conversions
from one unit to another within the system.

Such a system was developed in France in the seventeenth century, and was gradually
adopted by other countries. This system was called the Metric System. In 1960, the latest
version of the Metric System was developed, and named Le Systeme International
d’unites (the International System of Units), more commonly called SI.

Objective One
When you complete this objective you will be able to…

List basic SI units and their symbols.

Learning Material
There are seven base units in SI, as shown in Table 1:

Table 1. SI Base Units

Note: The base unit kilogram is the only base unit with a prefix. The
kilogram was selected as a base unit since the gram was considered
to be too small to be functional.

Several SI base units may be familiar to you, and others may not. In any case, you must
know this chart thoroughly before proceeding with this chapter.

Objective Two
When you complete this objective you will be able to…

Identify and list symbols for unit prefixes.

Learning Material
Multiples and Submultiples of Base Units

One area in which SI is simple to work with, compared to other systems, is that of
converting small units to large, and vice versa.

For example, suppose we wish to convert a distance, given in Imperial units, to a value
with smaller units. Let’s do a conversion from miles to inches. First, the distance in miles
would be converted to yards, or feet, using 1 mile = 1760 yards, or 1 mile = 5280 feet.
Then, using 1 foot = 12 inches, or possibly 1 yard = 3 feet, we could arrive at the correct
value and units. However, the conversion factors have to be exact, and an error could
occur simply because the conversion may require several steps to complete.

In SI, conversion factors are not required. Changing from a larger unit to a smaller one,
or vice versa, requires only that you multiply or divide the unit by 10 or a multiple of 10
(i.e., 100, 1000, etc.) This can be done simply by moving a decimal point, in most cases.

A specific set of prefixes is used to denote the resulting units after a decimal point has
been moved. Table 2 indicates the various prefixes, and the asterisks indicate those most
commonly used.

Table 2. Metric Prefixes

To illustrate the use of prefixes, let’s consider the unit of length in SI, the metre, with
some prefixes.

Table 3. Metric Prefixes

Although any multiple or submultiple of a unit may be used, it is recommended that

prefixes representing 10 raised to the power of a multiple of 3 (i.e. 10-3, 103, 10-6, 106, 109,
etc.) are selected. For example, kilometre (km = 103 x m) is preferred to hectometre (102 x
m).

The following are examples of conversions from one prefix to another:

Example 1:

Convert 0.723 km to metres.

Solution:

1 km = 1000 m, or there are one thousand metres per kilometre, written as 1000 m/km.

For calculation purposes, we could write 1000 m/km as .

(The reason for this is explained shortly.)

Example 2:

Convert 0.045 m to millimetres.

Solution:

Example 3:

Convert 109 mm to centimetres.

Solution:

Objective Three
When you complete this objective you will be able to…

Perform unit analyses in simple problems.

Learning Material
Unit Analysis

In previous SI examples, the units are included in the solutions. Units should be included
in all calculations if possible. If you conduct a "unit analysis" for a solution, you will find
that when the units for the final solution are proven to be correct, then the numeric result
is usually correct. This is assuming, of course, that you have not made any math errors.
For example, a unit analysis for Example 3 would be:

The millimetres cancel out, leaving only cm in the final answer.

If you had solved the problem this way:

A unit analysis would reveal your error:

For simple problems, such as Example 3, do a unit analysis at the same time as you solve
the problem:

For more advanced calculations, you may find it easier to perform a separate unit
analysis. The important thing to remember is: Always do a unit analysis.

Example 4:

Find the area of a rectangle which is 1.5 m long, and 93 cm wide. Use the formula A = L
x W.

In cases like this, where we are going to multiply units together, we will have to change
one, so that both units are the same. In this example, the final unit was not specified, so
there are various ways of solving the problem.

Solution 1:

Change both dimensions to centimetres.

A = LxW

= (1.5 m x 100 cm/1 m) x 93 cm

 = 150 cm x 93 cm

= 13 950 cm2 (Ans.)

Solution 2:

Change both dimensions to metres.

A = LxW

= 1.5 m x (93 cm x 1 m/100 cm)

= 1.5 m x 0.93 m

= 1.395 m2 (Ans.)

Alternate Solution 2:

From Solution 1:

= 13 950 cm2
A

= 1mx1m
2
Since 1 m

= 100 cm x 100 cm

= 10 000 cm2

Then:

= 1.395 m2 x (10 000 cm2/1 m2)

2
1.395 m

= 13 950 cm2 (Ans.)

Example 5:

Convert 278 827 cg to kg.

Solution:

278 827 cg x (1 g/100 cg) x (1 kg/1000 g)

 = 2.788 27 kg (Ans.)

Example 6:

Convert 1 000 000 mm to km.

Solution:

1 000 000 mm x (1 m/1000 mm) x (1 km/1000 m)

= 1 km (Ans.)

Notice in these examples that the conversion was done in two steps. Sometimes it is
easier to convert a value to unity (1 kg, 1 m, etc.) and then to convert to the final unit.

Objective Four
When you complete this objective you will be able to…

List derived SI units and their symbols.

Learning Material
Writing SI Symbols

You should now be ready to attempt some problems using SI units and symbols.
However, before you do, learn the following basic rules for writing SI symbols and for
writing numbers with SI units. These rules must always be followed:

1. Always use the correct symbol. For example, use kg for kilogram, rather than
something like klg, which does not exist.
2. Symbols must always be written vertically. For example, use kg, not kg.
3. Symbols are lower case letters, unless they are derived from a proper name. For
example, use s (second), not S. (One exception to this rule is the liter, L )
4. Symbols are always singular. For example, 75 kg, not 75 kgs.
5. Do not use a period after a symbol, unless the symbol is at the end of a sentence.
For example, use "...27 m long.", not "...27 m. long."
6. Do not leave a space between a prefix and a unit symbol. For example, use kg, not
k g.
7. Use only the symbol with numerals. Use the full name of the unit when the
number is written out. For example: Use 5 m, not 5 metres. Use five metres, not
five m.
 8. Leave a space between a number and a symbol. For example, use 18 kg, not 18kg.
An exception to this would be when a letter does not follow a number, such as in
18°C.
9. When writing numbers, use decimals rather than fractions. For example, use 1.5
kg, not 1 1/2 kg.
10. If a number is less than one, use a zero before the decimal point. For example, use
0.8 m, not .8 m.
11. Numbers must be separated into blocks of three digits each, instead of using
commas. For example, use 78 232 456.738 92 mm, not 78,232,456.73892 mm.
However, if a number has only four digits, a space is optional. For example, use
3.1416 cm or 3.141 6 cm.
12. When multiplying, use the multiplication sign (x) instead of a dot. For example,
use 178 x 97.3 m, not 178 · 97.3 m.

Measuring Physical Quantities

The following is an introduction to several other units which are used in SI. The topics
are discussed in greater detail in other chapters.

Length

Although the SI unit of length is the metre (m), multiples or submultiples are often used
in everyday situations. Engineering drawings frequently use millimetres (mm), the textile
industry often uses centimetres (cm), and highway distances may be given in kilometres
(km). For navigational purposes, the nautical mile has been in use for a long time, and is
presently included in SI. A nautical mile is a distance of 1852 m.

Area

In SI, the product of any two quantities produces the unit of the resultant quantity. This
simply means, for example, that unit length (1 m) multiplied by unit width (1 m) equals
unit area (1 m2). Although the square metre (m2) is the unit of area, the square centimetre
(cm2) and the square millimetre (mm2) are often used.

When measuring land area, such as a farm, the hectare (ha) is often used.

= 1 hm2
1 ha

= 1 hm x 1 hm

= 100 m x 100 m

= 10 000 m2

For measuring extremely large geographical areas, the square kilometre (km2) is used.
Volume

The cubic metre (m3) is the unit of volume in SI.

= 1mx1mx1m
1 m3

The cubic centimetre (cm3) is often used for laboratory work.

= 1 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm
1 cm3

The cubic decimetre (dm3) is also used for measuring solids, liquids, or gases.

= 1 dm x 1 dm x 1 dm
3
1 dm

= 0.1 m x 0.1 m x 0.1 m

= 0.001 m3

The cubic decimetre is given the name "litre". The symbol for the litre is L. (If you refer
back to the rules on writing of SI symbols, the litre (L) is the one exception referred to in
Rule 3).

Since,

= 1L
3
1 dm

and,

= 0.001 m3
1L

then,

= 1 m3
1000 L

This fact can be useful when dealing with problems, and you should become very
familiar with the litre (L).

The millilitre (mL) is often used as a unit of volume in medicine, cooking, and
laboratories.
Speed

Speed is defined as the distance a body travels in a unit of time. (Speed and velocity are
not indentical, although their units are.) The unit for distance is the metre (m), and the
unit for time is the second (s), as we already know.

In SI, the quotient of any two quantities produces the unit of the resultant quantity. In the
case of speed, a distance of one metre (1 m) divided by a time of one second (1 s) results
in a unit of speed of one metre per second (1 m/s).

The kilometre per hour (km/h) is often used to describe automobile and airplane speeds.

Ships and aircraft often use the knot (kn) as a measure of speed. One knot is a speed of
one nautical mile per hour.

= one nautical mile per hour

1 kn

= one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two metres per

hour (1852 m/h)

Since,

= 3600 s (60 s/min x 60 min/h)

1 hr

Then,

= 1852 m/h x (1 h/3600 s)

1 kn

= 0.514 m/s (approximately)

Hopefully, you paid particular attention to the manner in which the unit for speed (m/s)
was written. When two symbols are combined to form a unit, the following rules must
always be applied:

Use a slash (oblique stroke) with symbols rather than the word "per". For
example, use km/h, not km per h.

Use the word "per" when writing full names of symbols rather than a slash. For
example, use kilometres per hour, not kilometres/hour.

Acceleration

Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity. You have learned that the unit of
velocity is m/s. The word "rate" indicates a unit of time, the second (s). So acceleration
deals with change in velocity (m/s) per unit of time, the second (s), or acceleration is
metres per second, per second. The unit becomes m/s/s.

Then,

metres per second,

per second =

(multiply top and bottom by 1/s, which does

=
not change the value).

= m/s2

The unit for acceleration then is m/s2.

Mass

The mass of a body refers to the quantity of matter which it contains. (The term "weight"
is not the same as mass, and the difference between the terms is explained in another
chapter.) In everyday use, the term "weight" is frequently misused to mean "mass" when
working in SI.

The unit of mass is the kilogram (kg). Large masses may be expressed in megagrams
(Mg), which is equal to one thousand kilograms. This is also called a metric ton or tonne
(t).

= 1 kg
1000 g

= 1 Mg
1000 kg

= 1t

Density

Density refers to the mass of a unit volume of a substance. Since mass is in kilograms
(kg), and volume is in cubic metres (m3), it is obvious that the unit of density is kilograms
per cubic metre, kg/m3.
Temperature

This topic is discussed in detail in another chapter. For now, let’s just state that the degree
Celsius (°C) is the unit encountered in everyday use. For scientific work, the unit of
temperature is the kelvin (K). The terms "Celsius degree", "degree Kelvin", "°K", and
"deg" are all incorrect, and must not be used when expressing a temperature.

Force

Force is covered in detail in another chapter, so the definition will not be given here.
However, part of the definition of force involves the idea of imparting acceleration (m/s 2)
to a mass (kg). The force required is calculated using the following formula:

= mass x acceleration
Force

= kg x m/s2

= kgm/s2

The unit kgm/s2 is called a newton (N). This unit is very important, because it is used to
form several other units as well.

Work

Work is done when a force causes a body to move through a distance. The following
formula can be used:

= force x distance
Work

= Nxm

= Nm (newton metre)

The newton metre (Nm) is called a Joule (J).

Energy

The term energy means the ability to do work. In other words, energy can be converted to
work. Since the unit of work is the joule (J), then energy must also be expressed in joules,
or a multiple of joules.
There are many forms of energy, and you will discover that various formulae are used to
calculate various forms of energy. As you encounter each form of energy, do a unit
analysis for each formula, to prove that the units are in joules or a multiple of joules.

Power

Power is defined as the rate of doing work. As was mentioned earlier, the word "rate"
indicates a unit of time, the second (s). Power, then, is a measure of work, in joules (J),
over a given time period in seconds(s).

= work/time
Power

= J/s

When one joule of work is done per second, we say the power developed is one watt (W).

= W
J/s

The kilowatt (kW) and megawatt (MW) are usually used to indicate larger values of
power.

Pressure

Pressure is defined as the force exerted over a unit area of a surface.

= force/area
Pressure

= N/m2

A force of 1 N acting on an area of 1 m2 is called a pascal (Pa)

Most equipment such as boilers, pumps, and compressors develop pressures which are
expressed in kilopascals (kPa) or megapascals (MPa), because the pascal (Pa) is a
relatively low pressure.

A unit of pressure sometimes associated with SI is the bar.

= 100 kPa
1 bar
However, the bar is not a recognized unit in SI.

A millibar (mbar) is equal to a pressure of one hundred pascals (100 Pa). It may be used,
but only when performing international meteorological work.

Note: You probably have noticed that some of the units introduced in the
last few topics have been given a symbol beginning with a capital
letter. These symbols are derived from a proper name. Some
examples are newton (N), joule (J), watt (W), and pascal (Pa).
Refer to the section on "Writing SI Symbols", Rule 3.

Table 4. Derived Units

Objective Five
When you complete this objective you will be able to…

Perform conversions between SI and Imperial units.

Learning Material
Unit Conversions

There may be occasions when units from one system may have to be converted to units of
another system. The conversion chart shown below can be used to convert from SI units
to Imperial units, and vice versa.

Length 1 in = 2.54 cm
 1 cm = 0.3937 in

1 ft = 0.3048 m

1m = 3.28 ft

1 mile = 1609 m

Area 1 in2 = 6.45 cm2

1 cm2 = 0.155 in2

1 ft2 = 0.093 m2

1 m2 = 10.75 ft2

1 sq. mile = 2.59 km2

1 km2 = 0.386 sq. mile

Volume 1 in3 = 16.39 cm3

1 cm3 = 0.061 in3

1 ft3 = 0.0283 m3

1 m3 = 35.336 ft3

Capacity 1 qt = 1.136 L

1L = 0.88 qt

1 gal = 4.546 L

1L = 0.22 gal

Mass 1 lb = 0.454 kg

1 kg = 2.2 lb

Force 1 lb = 4.448 N

1N = 0.225 lb

Pressure 1 = 6.895 kPa

lb/in2(psi)

1 kPa = 0.145 lb/in2(psi)

1 bar = 100 kPa

1 bar = 14.51 psi

 1 psi = 0.069 bar

Energy 1 ft lb = 1.356 J

1J = 0.737 ft lb

1 Btu = 1.055 kg

1 kcal = 4.186 kJ

1 kJ = 0.239 kcal

1hp-hr = 2.685 MJ

1 MJ = 0.372 hp-hr

1 watt-hr = 3.6 kJ

1 kJ = 0.278 watt-hr

Power 1 hp = 0.746 kW

1 kW = 1.34 hp

Example 7:

Convert 22 miles to kilometres.

Solution:

From the chart,

= 1609 m
1mile

= 1.609 km

= 22 miles x 1.609 km/1 mile

22
miles

= 35.398 km (Ans.)

Example 8:

Convert 13 790 kPa to pounds per square inch.

Solution:
From the
chart,

= 6.895 kPa
1 psi

= 13 790 kPa x 1 psi/6.895 kPa

13 790 kPa

= 2000 psi (Ans.)

As you become familiar with SI, some of the commonly used conversions will become
familiar to you. For example, you will probably remember that 1 inch = 2.54 cm, or 25.4
mm. Another common conversion is 1 psi = 6.895 kPa.

Once you have memorized some of the common conversions, you should be able to
derive some of the others. For example, suppose a cube has sides of 3.75 feet, and you
wish to calculate the number of square metres in the cube. You could solve the problem
this way, without referring to a conversion chart, knowing from memory only that 1 inch
= 2.54 cm:

= 3.75 feet x 12 inches/1 foot

Each side length

= 45 in.

= 2.54 cm/inch x 45 inches

Side length in SI

= 114.3 cm

= 1.143 m
114.3 cm x 1m/100
cm

= (length of side)3
Volume of cube

= (1.143 m)3

(Notice that the unit, m, is also cubed.)

= 1.49 m3 (Ans.)

(Rounded off to 2 decimal places.)

A you become more proficient with conversions, you will probably do the same problem
more quickly, such as this:

= (3.75 ft x 12 in/ft) x 2.54 cm/in x 1 m/100 cm

Side length

= 1.143 m

= (1.143 m)3
Volume

= 1.49 m3 (Ans.)
.