si units
The number in the measurement can be represented in different ways, including decimal form and scientific notation. Scientific notation is also known as exponential notation; a review of this topic can be found in Appendix B. For example, the maximum takeoff weight of a Boeing 777-200ER airliner is 298,000 kilograms, which can also be written as 2.98 105 kg. The mass of the average mosquito is about 0.0000025 kilograms, which can be written as 2.5 106 kg. Units, such as liters, pounds, and centimeters, are standards of comparison for measurements. When we buy a 2-liter bottle of a soft drink, we expect that the volume of the drink was measured, so it is two times larger than the volume that everyone agrees to be 1 liter. The meat used to prepare a 0.25-pound hamburger is measured so it weighs onefourth as much as 1 pound. Without units, a number can be meaningless, confusing, or possibly life threatening. Suppose a doctor prescribes phenobarbital to control a patients seizures and states a dosage of 100 without specifying units. Not only will this be confusing to the medical professional giving the dose, but the consequences can be dire: 100 mg given three times per day can be effective as an anticonvulsant, but a single dose of 100 g is more than 10 times the lethal amount. We usually report the results of scientific measurements in SI units, an updated version of the metric system, using the units listed in Table 1.2. Other units can be derived from these base units. The standards for these units are fixed by international agreement, and they are called the International System of Units or SI Units from the French, Le Systme International dUnités . SI units have been used by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST since 1964. Base Units of the SI System Property Measured.