Abbreviations, Constants, and Conversion Factors

Section 2 combines the former separate section on Mathematics with the material involving General Information and Conversion Tables. The fundamental physical constants reflect values recommended in 1986. Physical and chemical symbols and definitions have undergone extensive revision and expansion. Presented in 14 categories, the entries follow recommendations published in 1988 by the lUPAC. The table of abbreviations and standard letter symbols provides, in a sense, an alphabetical index to the foregoing tables. The table of conversion factors has been modified in view of recent data and inclusion of SI units cross-entries for archaic or unusual entries have been curtailed. 

Later chapters are concerned with recommended mathematical notation (chapter 4), the present best estimates of physical constants (chapters 5 and 6), conversion factors between SI and non-SI units with examples of their use (chapter 7) and abbreviations and acronyms (chapter 8). References (on p. 133) are indicated in the text by numbers (and letters) in square brackets. 

Table 1.2 lists the basic quantities as expressed in SI together with the unit abbreviations, Table 1,3 lists the unit prefixes needed for this book, and Table 1.4 lists some of the constants needed in several systems. Finally, Table 1.5 lists the conversion factors into SI for all quantities needed for this book. The boldface letters for each quantity represent the fundamental dimensions F = force, L = length, M = mass, mole = mole, T = temperature, 0 = time. The list of notation at the end of each chapter gives the symbols used, their meaning, and dimensions. 

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