These are the conventions used in this book.
symbol | quantity | symbol | SI unit |
---|---|---|---|
r,r | position, separation, radius, radius of curvature | m | meter |
s,s | displacement, distance | m | meter |
θ,φ, | angle, angular displacement, angular separation, rotation angle | rad | radian |
x,y,z | cartesian coordinates | m | meter |
î,ĵ,k̂ | cartesian unit vectors | unitless | |
r, θ, φ | spherical coordinates | m, | meter, radian |
r̂, θ̂, φ̂ | spherical unit vectors | unitless | |
ρ, φ,z | cylindrical coordinates | m, | meter, radian |
ρ̂, φ̂, ẑ | cylindrical unit vectors | unitless | |
n̂ | normal unit vector | unitless | |
t̂ | tangential unit vector | unitless | |
h | height, depth | m | meter |
ℓ,L | length | m | meter |
d | distance, separation, thickness | m | meter |
t | thickness | m | meter |
D | diameter | m | meter |
C | circumference | m | meter |
A,A | area, cross-sectional area, projected area, surface area | m2 | square meter |
V | volume | m3 | cubic meter |
t | time, duration | s | second |
T | period, periodic time | s | second |
τ | time constant | s | second |
f | frequency | Hz | hertz |
ω | angular frequency | rad/s | radian per second |
symbol | quantity | symbol | SI unit |
---|---|---|---|
v,v | velocity, speed | m/s | meter per second |
a,a | acceleration | m/s2 | meter per second squared |
ac,ac | centripetal acceleration, centrifugal acceleration | m/s2 | meter per second squared |
g,g | gravitational field, acceleration due to gravity | m/s2 | meter per second squared |
m | mass | kg | kilogram |
F,F | force | N | newton |
Fg, | force of gravity, weight | N | newton |
Fn, | normal force, normal | N | newton |
Ff, | force of friction (static, kinetic) | N | newton |
μs, μk | coefficient of friction (static, kinetic) | unitless | |
p,p | momentum | kg m/s | kilogram meter per second |
J,J | impulse | N s | newton second |
W | work | J | joule |
E | energy, total energy | J | joule |
K, | kinetic energy (translational, rotational) | J | joule |
U, | potential energy (gravitational, spring) | J | joule |
Vg | gravitational potential | J/kg | joule per kilogram |
η | efficiency | unitless | |
P | power | W | watt |
ω, ω | rotational velocity, rotational speed | rad/s | radian per second |
α, α | rotational acceleration | rad/s2 | radian per second squared |
τ, τ | torque | N m | newton meter |
I | moment of inertia | kg m2 | kilogram meter squared |
L,L | angular momentum | kg m2/s | kilogram meter squared per second |
H,H | angular impulse | N m s | newton meter second |
k | spring constant | N/m | newton per meter |
P | pressure | Pa | pascal |
σ | normal stress | Pa | pascal |
τ | shear stress | Pa | pascal |
ρ | density, volume mass density | kg/m3 | kilogram per cubic meter |
σ | area mass density, superficial mass density | kg/m2 | kilogram per square meter |
λ | linear mass density | kg/m | kilogram per meter |
FB, | buoyancy, buoyant force | N | newton |
qm | mass flow rate | kg/s | kilogram per second |
qV | volume flow rate | m3/s | cubic meter per second |
FD, | drag, aerodynamic drag, air resistance | N | newton |
C,CD | drag coefficient, coefficient of drag | unitless | |
η | viscosity, dynamic viscosity | Pa s | pascal second |
ν | kinematic viscosity | m2/s | square meter per second |
Ma | mach number | unitless | |
Re | reynolds number | unitless | |
Fr | froude number | unitless | |
E | young's modulus, modulus of elasticity | Pa | pascal |
G | shear modulus, modulus of rigidity | Pa | pascal |
K | bulk modulus, modulus of compression | Pa | pascal |
ε | linear strain | unitless | |
γ | shear strain | unitless | |
θ | volume strain | unitless | |
γ | surface tension | N/m | newton per meter |
symbol | quantity | symbol | SI unit |
---|---|---|---|
T | temperature | K | kelvin |
α | linear expansivity, coefficient of linear thermal expansion | K−1 | inverse kelvin |
β | volume expansivity, coefficient of volume thermal expansion | K−1 | inverse kelvin |
Q | heat | J | joule |
c | specific heat, specific heat capacity | J/kg K | joule per kilogram kelvin |
L | latent heat, specific latent heat | J/kg | joule per kilogram |
n | amount of substance | mole | |
N | number of particles | unitless | |
P | heat flow rate | W | watt |
k | thermal conductivity | W/m K | watt per meter kelvin |
ε | emissivity | unitless | |
U | internal energy | J | joule |
S | entropy | J/K | joule per kelvin |
w | ways, number of identical microstates | unitless | |
COP | coefficient of performance | unitless |
symbol | quantity | symbol | SI unit |
---|---|---|---|
λ | wavelength | m | meter |
v,c | wave speed | m/s | meter per second |
I | intensity | W/m2 | watt per square meter |
L | level | dB, | decibel, decineper |
n | index of refraction, absolute index of refraction | unitless | |
f | focal length | m | meter |
M | magnification | unitless |
symbol | quantity | symbol | SI unit |
---|---|---|---|
q,Q | charge, electric charge | C | coulomb |
ρ | charge density, volume charge density | C/m3 | coulomb per cubic meter |
σ | area charge density, superficial charge density | C/m2 | coulomb per square meter |
λ | linear charge density | C/m | coulomb per meter |
FE, FE | electric force, electrostatic force | N | newton |
E,E | electric field | N/C, V/m | newton per coulomb, volt per meter |
ΦE | electric flux | N m2/C, V m | newton meter squared per coulomb, volt meter |
U,UE | potential energy, electric potential energy | J | joule |
V, VE | voltage, potential, electric potential | V | volt |
ℰ | electromotive force, emf | V | volt |
C | capacitance | F | farad |
κ | dielectric constant | unitless | |
I | current, electric current | A | ampère |
R,r | resistance, electrical resistance, internal resistance | Ω | ohm |
ρ | resistivity | Ω m | ohm meter |
G | conductance | S | siemens |
σ | conductivity | S/m | siemens per meter |
FB, FB | magnetic force | N | newton |
B,B | magnetic field | T | tesla |
ΦB | magnetic flux | Wb | weber |
N | number of turns | unitless | |
n | turns per unit length, turns density | m−1 | inverse meter |
η | energy density | J/m3 | joule per cubic meter |
S,S | poynting vector, intensity | W/m2 | watt per square meter |
symbol | quantity | symbol | SI unit |
---|---|---|---|
γ | lorentz factor, lorentz gamma | unitless | |
φ | work function | J | joule |
ψ(r,t), | wave function | unitless | |
T½ | half life | s | second |
D | dose, absorbed dose | Gy | gray |
H | equivalent dose | Sv | sievert |
E | effective dose | Sv | sievert |
wR | radiation weighting factor | unitless | |
wT | tissue weighting factor | unitless |
symbol | description |
---|---|
+ | plus, add, sum, positive |
− | minus, subtract, difference, negative |
± | uncertainty, error, plus-minus |
· | multiply, dot, dot product, scalar product |
× | multiply, cross, cross product, vector product |
÷,/ | divide |
x2 | square |
x3 | cube |
√ | square root, root, radical |
∛ | cube root |
1x,x−1 | invert, reciprocal |
= | equal to, equality |
≈ | approximately equal to |
∝ | proportional to |
≠ | not equal to, inequality |
~ | on the order of |
< | less than |
> | greater than |
≤ | less than or equal to |
≥ | greater than or equal to |
≪ | much less than |
≫ | much greater than |
⇒, ⇐ | logical implication |
⇔ | logical equivalence |
→ | approaches |
… | and so on |
∴ | therefore |
f(x) | function |
sin | sine |
cos | cosine |
tan | tangent |
sinh | hyperbolic sine |
cosh | hyperbolic cosine |
tanh | hyperbolic tangent |
x̂ | unit vector, x hat |
∥ | parallel |
⟂ | perpendicular |
x | mean, average, antiparticle, x bar |
x̃ | median, supersymetric particle, x tilde |
⟨⟩ | time average, ensemble average, bracket |
p(x) | probability distribution, probability density function |
∆ | increment, change, delta |
d | differential, d |
∂ | partial differential, d partial, del |
ẋ | time rate of change, first derivative with respect to time, x dot |
ẍ | second derivative with respect to time, x double dot |
x⃛ | third derivative with respect to time, x triple dot |
∇ | gradient, grad, del, nabla |
∇ · | divergence, div, del dot |
∇ × | curl, del cross |
∇2 | laplacian, del squared |
∑ | summation, sigma |
∫ | integral |
∬ | double integral |
∭ | triple integral |
∮ | contour integral |
∯ | surface integral |
∰ | volume integral |
∞ | infinity |
ℵ0 | transfinite number, aleph null |
letter | Englishname | letter | Englishname |
---|---|---|---|
Α, α | alpha | Ν, ν | nu |
Β,β,ϐ | beta | Ξ, ξ | xi |
Γ, γ | gamma | Ο, ο | omicron |
Δ,∆, δ | delta | Π,∏,π,ϖ | pi |
Ε,ε,ϵ | epsilon | Ρ,ρ,ϱ | rho |
Ζ, ζ | zeta | Σ,∑,σ,ς | sigma |
Η, η | eta | Τ, τ | tau |
Θ,ϴ,θ,ϑ | theta | Υ, υ | upsilon |
Ι, ι | iota | Φ,φ,ϕ | phi |
Κ,κ,ϰ | kappa | Χ, χ | chi |
Λ, λ | lambda | Ψ, ψ | psi |
Μ,μ,µ | mu | Ω,Ω, ω | omega |
symbol | celestialbody | symbol | constellation |
---|---|---|---|
☉ | Sun | ♈ | Aries |
☿ | Mercury | ♉ | Taurus |
♀ | Venus | ♊ | Gemini |
♁ | Earth | ♋ | Cancer |
☽,☾ | Moon | ♌ | Leo |
♂ | Mars | ♍ | Virgo |
♃ | Jupiter | ♎ | Libra |
♄ | Saturn | ♏ | Scorpius |
♅,⛢ | Uranus | ♐ | Sagittarius |
♆ | Neptune | ♑ | Capricorn |
♇,⯓ | Pluto | ♒ | Aquarius |
⚳ | Ceres | ♓ | Pisces |
symbol | name |
---|---|
♭ | flat, semitone lower |
♮ | natural, no semitone adjustment |
♯ | sharp, semitone higher |