| a, A |
Acceleration (length / time2), atomic mass (total number of protons and neutrons in an atom) |
| A |
Amperes* (electric current = C / s), Angstroms* (length = 10 - 10 m), amplitude (length) |
| b |
Intercept of a linear graph, drag coefficient (mass / time) |
| B |
Magnetic field (force / current) |
| c |
Speed of light (2.998 x 108 m/s), specific heat (energy / mass x temperature), concentration (number / volume), speed of sound |
| cal |
Calories* (energy = 4.186 J) |
| cc |
Cubic centimeter |
| c g |
Group velocity |
| c p |
Phase velocity |
| C |
Celsius* (temperature), Coulombs* (electric charge), capacitance (charge / electric potential), heat capacity (energy / temperature), concentration |
| Cal |
Kilocalories* (energy) |
| Ci |
Curie* (unit of radiation, equivalent to 3.7 x 1010 decays/s) |
| d |
Distance |
| D |
Diffusion constant (area / time) |
| db |
Decibels (relative intensity) |
| e |
Electron, charge of an electron (1.602 x 10-19C) |
| eV |
Electron Volts* (energy = 1.602 x 10-19J) |
| E |
Energy (force x length, mass x velocity 2), electric field (force / charge) |
| f |
Frequency (1 / time), focal length |
| f, F |
Force (mass x acceleration) |
| F |
Flow (volume / time), Farads* (capacitance = C / V), Fermi* (length = 10-15m) |
| g |
Grams* (mass), acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s2); sometimes centrifugal acceleration |
| G |
Newton's constant (6.673 x 10-11 Nm2 / kg2), Gauss* (magnetic field =10-4T), free energy |
| h |
Height, Planck's constant (angular momentum = 6.626 x 10-34Js), latent heat (energy / mass) |
| hr |
Hours* (time = 3600 s) |
| H |
Enthalpy (energy) |
| Hz |
Hertz (1 / s) |
| I |
Moment of inertia (mass x length2), current (charge / time), intensity (power / area), image distance |
| J |
Joules* (energy = N m), flux (number / area time) |
| k |
Boltzmann constant (1.381 x 10-23 J/K), spring constant (force / length), thermal conductivity (power / length temperature), wave number (1 / length) |
| K |
Kinetic energy, Kelvin* (temperature = C + 273.15) |
| l |
Length, liters* (volume = 1000 cc), orbital quantum number (dimensionless, denotes angular momentum), mean free path (length) |
| lb |
Pounds* (weight; 1 kg weighs 2.2 lb) |
| L |
Angular momentum (momentum x length, moment of inertia x angular velocity) |
| m |
Mass, meters* (length), slope of a linear graph, magnetic moment (current x area), magnetic quantum number (dimensionless, denotes orientation of angular momentum) |
| me |
Mass of electron (9.109 x 10-31kg) |
| mn |
Mass of neutron (1.675 x 10-27kg) |
| mp |
Mass of proton (1.673 x 10-27kg) |
| mi |
Miles* (length = 1.61 km) |
| min |
Minutes* (time = 60s) |
| mmHg |
Millimeters of mercury (pressure = 1333 dynes / cm2) |
| M |
Molecular weight (mass / mol), magnification (dimensionless) |
| n |
Numbers of mols (dimensionless), number of loops (dimensionless), neutron, principle quantum number (dimensionless, denotes energy level), index of refraction (dimensionless) |
| N |
Newtons* (force = kg m / s2), number of particles, neutron number (number of neutrons in an atom) |
| N A |
Avogadro's number (dimensionless number of objects in a mol = 6.022 x 1023) |
| O |
Object distance |
| p |
Proton |
| P |
Momentum (mass x velocity), pressure (force / area), power (energy / time) |
| Pa |
Pascals* (pressure = N / m2) |
| q, Q |
Charge |
| Q |
Heat (energy) |
| r |
Radius (length), distance, rate (velocity) |
| R |
Resistance (potential / current), gas constant (8.31 J / mol K) |
| Re |
Reynolds number (dimensionless) |
| s |
Seconds*, sedimentation coefficient (time), spin quantum number (dimensionless), lens strength (1 / length) |
| S |
Entropy (energy / temperature) |
| t |
Time |
| T |
Tesla* (magnetic field = N / A m), temperature |
| U |
Potential energy (mechanical, elastic, electrical), internal energy |
| v |
Velocity (length / time), specific volume (volume / mass) |
| V |
Velocity, volume (length3), electric potential (electric field x length), voltage, Volts* (N m / C) |
| W |
Watts* (power = J / s), weight (force), work (energy) |
| x, X |
Horizontal position |
| y, Y |
Vertical position or depth position in 3D problems |
| z, Z |
Vertical position in 3D problems, atomic number (number of protons in an atom), valence |
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Scientific Symbols