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Edexcel ·Physics·Cambridge IGCSE Physics

Physical Quantities, Measurement & Units

12 min read

SI base units and prefixes, measuring length, volume and time, scalars and vectors, and combining vectors.

SI units and prefixes

Every physical quantity is a number multiplied by a unit. Physics uses the SI system of base units:

QuantitySI unitSymbol
lengthmetrem
masskilogramkg
timeseconds
electric currentampereA
temperaturekelvinK

Other units are derived from these (e.g. speed in m/s\text{m/s}m/s, force in N=kg⋅m/s2\text{N} = \text{kg·m/s}^2N=kg⋅m/s2). Common prefixes scale a unit:

PrefixSymbolMultiplier
nanon10−910^{-9}10−9
microµ10−610^{-6}10−6
millim10−310^{-3}10−3

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kilok10310^{3}103
megaM10610^{6}106
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