Gaussian System of Units

Discussion

centimeter-gram-second

quantity unit symbol
length centimeter cm
mass gram g
time second s
Base units of the Gaussian system
quantity name symbol in terms of …
other units base units
acceleration galileo Gal dyn/g cm s−2
force dyne dyn   cm g s−2
pressure, stress barye Ba dyn/cm2 cm−1g s−2
energy, work, heat erg erg dyn cm cm2g s−2
dynamic viscosity poise P Ba s cm−1g s−1
kinematic viscosity stokes St   cm2s−1
wave number kayser ?   cm−1
Derived units of the Gaussian system with special names

Electrostatic units

The statcoulomb is that charge which, if placed in two point objects placed one centimeter apart in vacuum, would produce between these objects a force equal one dyne.

quantity name symbol in terms of …
other units base units
electric charge statcoulomb*     (cm3g s−2)½
electric field     statvolt/cm  
electric potential statvolt   erg/statcoulomb  
electric current statampere   statcoulomb/s  
resistance statohm   statamp/statvolt cm−1s
conductance statmho   1/statohm cm s−1
capacitance statfarad     cm
magnetic field stattesla      
magnetic flux statweber      
inductance stathenry      
Electrostatic units of the Gaussian system
* a.k.a. electrostatic unit (esu) or franklin (Fr)

Electromagnetic units

quantity name symbol in terms of …
other units base units
magnetic field (B) gauss G    
magnetic field (H) oersted Oe    
magnetic flux maxwell Mw    
magnetomotive force gilbert Gb    
inductance abhenry      
electric charge abcoulomb      
electric current abampere      
electric potential abvolt      
resistance abohm      
conductance abmho      
capacitance abfarad      
Electromagnetic units of the Gaussian system

people

unit   scientist   quantity
franklin* Fr Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) USA electric charge
galileo Gal Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) Italy acceleration
gauss G Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855) Germany magnetic field (B)
gilbert Gb William Gilbert (1544-1603) England magnetomotive force
kayser K Heinrich Kayser (1853-1940) Germany wavenumber
maxwell Mw James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) Scotland magnetic flux
oersted Oe Hans Christian Ørsted** (1777-1851) Denmark magnetic field (H)
poise P Jean Louis Poiseuille (1799-1869) France dynamic viscosity
stokes St George Gabriel Stokes (1819-1903) Ireland kinematic viscosity
Derived units of the Gaussian system named after scientists
* a.k.a. electrostatic unit (esu) or statcoulomb ** a.k.a. Oersted
 
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