The International System of Units (SI), 2019 Edition
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NIST Special Publication 330 SP 330 The International System of Units (SI) 2019 David B. Newell and Eite Tiesinga, Editors EDITION This publication is available free of charge https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.330-2019 This publication is available fr ee of charge from: https://doi. INSIDE FRONT COVER - BLANK org/10.6028/NIST.SP.330-2019 org/10.6028/NIST.SP.330-2019 NIST Special Publication 330 2019 EDITION The International System of Units (SI) United States version of the English text of the ninth edition (2019) of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures publication Le Système International d’ Unités (SI) (Supersedes NIST Special Publication 330, 2008 Edition) Editors: David B. Newell Eite Tiesinga Physical Measurement Laboratory National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD 20899 This publication is available free of charge from: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.330-2019 August 2019 U.S. Department of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., Secretary National Institute of Standards and Technology Walter Copan, NIST Director and Undersecretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology Certain commercial entities, equipment, or materials may be identified in this document in order to describe an experimental procedure or concept adequately. Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the entities, materials, or equipment are necessarily the best available for the purpose. This publication is available free of charge from: National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 330 Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. Spec. Publ. 330, 122 pages (August 2019) CODEN: NSPUE2 This publication is available free of charge from: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.330-2019 https://doi.org /10.6028/NIST.SP .330 - 2019 Foreword The International System of Units, universally abbreviated SI (from the French Le Système International d’Unités), is the modern metric system of measurement. The SI is the dominant measurement system used in science and international commerce. In recognition of this fact, Congress has designated the metric system of measurement as the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce. This publication is available free of charge from: The definitive international reference on the SI is a booklet published by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM, Bureau International des Poids et Mesures) and often referred to as the BIPM SI Brochure. Entitled Le Système International d' Unités (SI), the booklet is in French followed by a text in English. This 2019 edition of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 330 is the United States version of the English text of the ninth edition of the Brochure (the most current) published in 2019. The 2019 edition of NIST SP 330 replaces its immediate predecessor, the 2008 edition, which was based on the eighth edition of the BIPM SI Brochure published in 2006, updated in 2014. The Secretary of Commerce acting through the Director of the NIST is authorized by statute (§15 U.S.C. 272) under subsection (2) “to develop, maintain, and retain custody of the national standards of measurement, and provide the means and methods for making measurements consistent with those standards” and under subsection (9) “to assure the compatibility of United States national measurement standards with those of other nations.” Under this authority, the SI is interpreted or modified by the Director of NIST https://doi.org for use in the United States. The Secretary of Commerce acting through the NIST Director is designated to direct and coordinate efforts by Federal departments and agencies to implement Government metric usage in accordance the Metric Conversion Act (15 U.S.C. 205b), as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of /10.6028/NIST.SP. 1988. Like its 2008 predecessor, the 2019 edition of NIST SP 330 conforms with the English text in the BIPM SI Brochure but contains a few minor differences to reflect the most recent interpretation of the SI for the United States by the Secretary of Commerce, as published in the Federal Register. These differences include the following: 330 • The spelling of English words is in accordance with the United States - Government Printing Office Style Manual, which follows Webster's Third New 2019 International Dictionary rather than the Oxford Dictionary. Thus the spellings “meter,” “liter,” “deka,” and “cesium” are used rather than “metre,” “litre,” “deca,” and “caesium” as in the original BIPM English text. • The name of the unit with symbol t and defined according to 1 t = 103 kg is called “metric ton” rather than “tonne.” • Since the preferred unit symbol for the liter in the United States is L, only L is given as the symbol for the liter. • A number of “Editors’ notes” are added in order to indicate such differences where significant (except spelling differences) and to clarify the text; and iii • A few very minor editorial changes are made in order to “Americanize” some phrases. Because of the importance of the SI to science, technology, and commerce, and because NIST (i) coordinates the Federal Government policy on the conversion to the SI by Federal agencies and on the use of the SI by U.S. industry, (ii) provides official U.S. representation in the various international bodies established by the Meter Convention (see p. 1), and (iii) is responsible for interpreting and modifying the SI for use in the This publication is available free of charge from: United States, NIST provides a number of other sources of information on the SI in addition to NIST SP 330. This includes NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), by David B. Newell and Eite Tiesinga. NIST SP 330, NIST SP 811, the aforementioned Federal Register notice are the essential elements of the U.S. interpretation of the SI. Users of this NIST publication are encouraged to take advantage of the resources, useful links, and other information available on the BIPM (www.bipm.org) and NIST Metric Program (www.nist.gov/metric) websites. August 2019 David B. Newell https://doi.org Eite Tiesinga Note from the BIPM on copyright and the use of the English text: /10.6028/NIST.SP. “All BIPM’s works are internationally protected by copyright. This document has been drafted with permission obtained from the BIPM. The only official text is the French text of the original document created by the BIPM.” To make its work more widely accessible, the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) has decided to publish an English version of its reports. Readers should 330 note that the official record is always that of the French text. This must be used when an - authoritative reference is required or when there is doubt about the interpretation of the 2019 text. iv The BIPM and the Meter Convention The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) was set up by As of 20 May 2019 there the Meter Convention signed in Paris on 20 May 1875 by seventeen States were fifty nine Member during the final session of the diplomatic Conference of the Meter. This States: Argentina, Australia, Convention was amended in 1921. Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, The BIPM has its headquarters near Paris, in the grounds (43 520 m2) of the China, Colombia, Croatia, This publication is available free of charge from: Pavillon de Breteuil (Parc de Saint-Cloud) placed at its disposal by the Czech Republic, Denmark, French Government; its upkeep is financed jointly by the Member States of Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Meter Convention. India, Indonesia, Iran The task of the BIPM is to ensure worldwide unification of measurements; (Islamic Rep. of), Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, its objectives are to: Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea (Republic of), Lithuania, • represent the world-wide measurement community, aiming to Malaysia, Mexico, maximize its uptake and impact, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, • be a center for scientific and technical collaboration between Member Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, States, providing capabilities for international measurement Romania, Russian comparisons on a shared-cost basis, Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, • be the coordinator of the world-wide measurement system, ensuring it Slovenia, South Africa, gives comparable and internationally accepted measurement results. Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, https://doi.org The BIPM operates under the exclusive supervision of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) which itself comes under the United States of America and authority of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) and Uruguay reports to it on the work accomplished by the BIPM. Forty-two States and Economies were Associates /10.6028/NIST.SP. Delegates from all Member States attend the General Conference, which of the General Conference: normally meets every four years. The function of these meetings is to: Albania, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, • discuss and initiate the arrangements required to ensure the Bosnia and Herzegovina, propagation and improvement of the International System of Units Botswana, CARICOM, Chinese Taipei, Costa Rica, (SI), which is the modern form of the metric system; Cuba, Ecuador, Estonia, • confirm the results