International System of Units

International System of Units (SI)

The International System of Units (SI, from the French Système international) is the modern form of the metric system. It is the only system of measurement with an official status in nearly every country in the world.

Pronunciation

English: /ˌɪntərˈnæʃənəl ˈsɪstəm əv ˈjuːnɪts/
French: /sistɛm ɛ̃tɛʁnasjɔnal/

Etymology

The term "International System of Units" is a translation of the French Système international d'unités, the name given to the system by the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) in 1960. The abbreviation "SI" is derived from the French name.

Related Terms

Description

The International System of Units consists of a set of base units, derived units, and decimal-based multipliers that are used to express larger or smaller quantities. The system is based on seven base units: the meter (m), kilogram (kg), second (s), ampere (A), kelvin (K), mole (mol), and candela (cd).

History

The International System of Units was established by the 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) in 1960. It is the successor to the metric system, which was first introduced in France in 1795. The SI has been adopted worldwide, with the notable exception of the United States, where the United States customary units are still widely used.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on International System of Units
Wikipedia's article - International System of Units

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International System of Units