Physical Quantities, Symbols and Units

February 2004 page 1 of 10

Table 1 below indicates the physical quantities required for numerical calculations that are included in
the Access 3 Physics units and the Intermediate 1 Physics units and course together with the SI unit of
the quantity.

Table 1

Physical Quantity Unit

distance metre
time second
speed, average speed metre per second
mass kilogram
weight newton
current ampere
voltage volt
resistance ohm
power watt
input voltage volt
output voltage volt
voltage gain -



Physical Quantities, Symbols and Units

February 2004 page 2 of 10
Table 2 below indicates the physical quantities required for numerical calculations that are included in
the Standard Grade Physics course together with:
the symbol used by SQA
the SI unit of the quantity (and alternative units included in the course)
the abbreviation for the unit used in Credit level examinations.
In General level examinations full words are used for the units of all physical quantities.

Table 2

Physical Quantity Symbol Unit

Unit
Abbreviation

distance d or s metre
light year
m
height h metre m
wavelength metre m
amplitude metre m
time t second s
speed, final speed v metre per second m/s
initial speed u metre per second m/s
change of speed v metre per second m/s
average speed
v
metre per second m/s
frequency f hertz Hz
acceleration a metre per second per second m/s
2
acceleration due to gravity g metre per second per second m/s
2

gravitational field strength g newton per kilogram N/kg
mass m kilogram kg
weight W newton N
force, thrust F newton N
energy E joule
kilowatt-hour
J
kW h
kinetic energy E
k
joule J
potential energy E
p
joule J
heat energy E
h
joule J
input energy E
i
joule J
output energy E
o
joule J
work done W or E
W
joule J
power P watt W

Physical Quantities, Symbols and Units

February 2004 page 3 of 10
Table 2 (cont)

Physical Quantity Symbol Unit

Unit
Abbreviation

output power P
o
watt W
input power P
i
watt W
focal length of a lens f metre m
power of a lens P dioptre D
electric charge Q coulomb C
electric current I ampere A
voltage V volt V
resistance R ohm
input voltage V
i
volt V
output voltage V
o
volt V
voltage gain A
o
or V
gain
- -
power gain P
gain
- -
primary voltage V
p
volt V
secondary voltage V
s
volt V
primary current I
p
ampere A
secondary current I
s
ampere A
number of turns on primary
coil
n
p
- -
number of turns on secondary
coil
n
s
- -
efficiency () - -
temperature T degree Celsius C
specific heat capacity c joule per kilogram per
degree Celsius
J/kg C

specific latent heat l joule per kilogram J/kg
activity A becquerel Bq
count rate - counts per second
(counts per minute)
-
equivalent dose H sievert Sv
half-life t

second
(minute, hour, day, year)
s


Physical Quantities, Symbols and Units

February 2004 page 4 of 10
Table 3 below indicates the physical quantities required for numerical calculations that are included in
the Intermediate 2 Physics course together with:
the symbol used by SQA
the SI unit of the quantity (and alternative units included in the course)
the abbreviation for the unit used in Intermediate 2 examinations.

Table 3

Physical Quantity Symbol Unit

Unit
Abbreviation
distance s or d metre m
displacement s metre m
speed, velocity v metre per second m/s
time t second s
change of velocity v metre per second m/s
average velocity
v
metre per second m/s
initial velocity u metre per second m/s
final velocity v metre per second m/s

acceleration a metre per second per second m/s
2

mass m kilogram kg
weight W newton N
force F newton N
acceleration due to gravity g metre per second per second m/s
2

gravitational field strength g newton per kilogram N/kg

momentum p kilogram metre per second kg m/s
energy E joule J
work done W or E
W
joule J
potential energy E
p
joule J
height h metre m
kinetic energy E
k
joule J
power P watt W
efficiency () - -
temperature T degree Celsius C
specific heat capacity c joule per kilogram per degree
Celcius
J/kg C
specific latent heat l joule per kilogram J/kg
heat energy E
h
joule J

Physical Quantities, Symbols and Units

February 2004 page 5 of 10
Table 3 (cont)

Physical Quantity Symbol Unit

Unit
Abbreviation
electric charge Q coulomb C
electric current I ampere A
voltage, potential difference V volt V
supply voltage V
s
volt V
resistance R ohm
total resistance R
T
ohm
number of turns on primary
coil
n
p
- -
number of turns on secondary
coil
n
s
- -
primary voltage V
p
volt V
secondary voltage V
s
volt V
primary current I
p
ampere A
secondary current I
s
ampere A
input voltage V
i
volt V
output voltage V
o
volt V
voltage gain A
o
or

V
gain
- -
wavelength metre m
frequency f hertz Hz
period T second s
amplitude A metre m
angle degree
critical angle
c
degree
power (of a lens) P dioptre D
focal length f metre m
activity A becquerel Bq
count rate - counts per second
(counts per minute)
-
absorbed dose D gray Gy
radiation weighting factor w
R
- -
equivalent dose H sievert Sv
half-life t

second
(minute, hour, day, year)
s

Physical Quantities, Symbols and Units

February 2004 page 6 of 10
Table 4 below indicates the physical quantities required for numerical calculations that are included in
the Higher Physics course together with:
the symbol used by SQA
the SI unit of the quantity (and alternative units included in the course)
the abbreviation for the unit used in Higher examinations.

Table 4

Physical Quantity Symbol Unit

Unit
Abbreviation
distance s or d metre m
displacement s metre m
speed, velocity v metre per second m s
-1

time t second s
change of velocity v metre per second m s
-1

average velocity
v
metre per second m s
-1

final velocity v metre per second m s
-1
initial velocity u metre per second m s
-1

acceleration a metre per second per second m s
-2

mass m kilogram kg
weight W newton N
acceleration due to gravity g metre per second per second m s
-2

gravitational field strength g newton per kilogram N kg
-1
force, tension, upthrust F newton N
momentum p kilogram metre per second kg m s
-1

impulse (p) newton second
kilogram metre per second
N s
kg m s
-1

energy E joule J
work done W or E
W
joule J
potential energy E
p
joule J
height, depth h metre m
kinetic energy E
k
joule J
power P watt W
volume V cubic metre m
3

density kilogram per cubic metre kg m
-3

area A square metre m
2
pressure P or p pascal Pa
temperature T
kelvin
degree Celsius
K
C

Physical Quantities, Symbols and Units

February 2004 page 7 of 10
Table 4 (cont)

Physical Quantity Symbol Unit

Unit
Abbreviation
electric charge Q coulomb C
electric current I ampere A
voltage, potential difference V volt V
electromotive force (e.m.f) E or volt V
internal resistance r ohm
resistance R ohm
peak voltage
V
peak

volt V
root mean square voltage
V
rms

volt V
peak current
I
peak

ampere A
root mean square current
I
rms

ampere A
capacitance C farad F
input voltage V
1
or V
2
volt V
output voltage V
o
volt V
feedback resistance R
f
ohm
voltage gain A
o
or

V
gain
- -
period T second s
frequency f hertz Hz
wavelength metre m
angle

degree
critical angle

c
degree
refractive index
n
- -
irradiance I watt per square metre W m
-2
Plancks constant h joule second J s
number of photons per second N - -
threshold frequency f
o
hertz Hz
energy level W
1
, W
2
, joule J
speed of light in a vacuum c metre per second m s
-1

activity A becquerel Bq
count rate - counts per second
(counts per minute)
-
number of nuclei decaying in
time t
N - -
absorbed dose D gray Gy

Physical Quantities, Symbols and Units

February 2004 page 8 of 10
Table 4 (cont)

Physical Quantity Symbol Unit

Unit
Abbreviation
absorbed dose rate
D
&

gray per second
gray per hour
gray per year
Gy s
-1

Gy h
-1

Gy y
-1

radiation weighting factor w
R
- -
equivalent dose H sievert Sv
equivalent dose rate
H
&

sievert per second
sievert per hour
sievert per year
Sv s
-1

Sv h
-1

Sv y
-1

effective dose H sievert Sv
half-life
t

second
(minute, hour, day, year)
s
half-value thickness
T

metre m



Physical Quantities, Symbols and Units

February 2004 page 9 of 10
Table 5 below indicates the physical quantities required for numerical calculations that are included in
the Advanced Higher Physics course together with:
the symbol used by SQA
the SI unit of the quantity (and alternative units included in the course)
the abbreviation for the unit used in Advanced Higher examinations.

Table 5

Physical Quantity Symbol Unit

Unit
Abbreviation
distance, depth, height d or h metre m
displacement s or x or y metre m
length l metre m
radius r metre m
time t second s
initial velocity u metre per second m s
-1

speed, velocity, final velocity v metre per second m s
-1
acceleration a metre per second per second m s
-2

mass m kilogram kg
rest mass m
o
kilogram kg
energy E joule J
speed of light in a vacuum c metre per second m s
-1

angular displacement radian rad
initial angular velocity
o
radian per second rad s
-1

angular velocity,
final angular velocity
radian per second rad s
-1
angular acceleration radian per second per second rad s
-2

tangential acceleration a
t
metre per second per second m s
-2

radial acceleration a
r
metre per second per second m s
-2

force F newton N
torque

newton metre N m
moment of inertia I kilogram metre squared kg m
2

angular momentum L kilogram metre squared per
second
kg m
2
s
-1

rotational kinetic energy E
rot
joule J
gravitational field strength g newton per kilogram N kg
-1
gravitational potential U or V joule per kilogram J kg
-1

gravitational potential energy E
p
joule J
amplitude metre m
angular frequency (radian per second) (rad s
-1
)

Physical Quantities, Symbols and Units

February 2004 page 10 of 10
Table 5 (cont)

Physical Quantity Symbol Unit

Unit
Abbreviation
wavelength metre m
momentum p kilogram metre per second kg m s
-1

electric charge Q or q coulomb C
electric field strength E newton per coulomb N C
-1
electrical potential V volt V
potential difference V volt V
electric current I ampere A
magnetic induction B tesla T
angle degree
radian

rad
induced e.m.f. E or volt V
self-inductance L henry H
frequency f hertz Hz
period T second s
velocity of source v
s
metre per second m s
-1
velocity of observer v
o
metre per second m s
-1
frequency of source f
s
hertz Hz
phase angle

radian rad
refractive index
n
- -
fringe separation
x
metre m
slit separation
d
metre m
grating to screen distance
D
metre m
polarising angle
(Brewsters angle)
i
p
degree