The symbol SI in physics stands for the International System of Units, derived from the French Système International d'unités.
The International System of Units (SI) is the modern form of the metric system and is the most widely used system of measurement. It serves as a standard for measurements across nearly all nations. It is crucial for scientific and technological research and development because it provides a consistent and universally understood set of units.
The SI is based on seven base units:
- Meter (m): unit of length
- Kilogram (kg): unit of mass
- Second (s): unit of time
- Ampere (A): unit of electric current
- Kelvin (K): unit of thermodynamic temperature
- Mole (mol): unit of amount of substance
- Candela (cd): unit of luminous intensity
These base units are then used to derive other units for various physical quantities (derived units). There are 22 derived units with special names and symbols, such as the newton (N) for force, the joule (J) for energy, and the watt (W) for power. Using SI units ensures consistency and facilitates communication in scientific and technical fields.
