Cgs

Centimetre-gram-second system of units (CGS) is a metric system of physical units based on centimetre as the unit of length, gram as the unit of mass, and second as the unit of time. The CGS system has been largely supplanted by the International System of Units (SI), which is based on the metre, kilogram, and second, but it remains in use in some specialized fields.

History

The CGS system was developed in the 19th century as scientists sought a simple and coherent system for physical measurements. The system was officially adopted at the first General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) in 1889. Despite its initial widespread adoption, the CGS system was gradually replaced by the SI system, which was introduced in 1960 to provide a more comprehensive framework for scientific measurements.

Units

The CGS system includes several derived units for force, energy, and electricity, among others. The most commonly used CGS units include the dyne for force, the erg for energy, and the gauss for magnetic field strength.

Base Units

• Length: Centimetre (cm)
• Mass: Gram (g)
• Time: Second (s)

Derived Units

• Force: Dyne (dyn) = cm·g/s²
• Energy: Erg = dyn·cm = g·cm²/s²
• Pressure: Barye (Ba) = dyn/cm²
• Magnetic field strength: Gauss (G) = dyn/Am

Advantages and Disadvantages

The CGS system offers simplicity for certain theoretical and experimental physics calculations, particularly in electromagnetism and fluid dynamics where the smaller units can be more convenient. However, the system's lack of coherence with the SI system, which is based on the metre, kilogram, and second, leads to complications in converting between the two systems. This has led to the CGS system's decline in favor of the SI system for most applications.

Current Use

Today, the CGS system is primarily used in the fields of astrophysics, geophysics, and some areas of chemistry and physics where its units are more convenient for specific calculations. Despite its limited use, the CGS system remains an important part of the history of scientific measurement.

See Also

• International System of Units
• Metric system
• Physical unit
• Measurement

Cgs Resources
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