Physical Quantities


Like your height and weight, all physical quantity must have a numerical magnitude and a unit.

Base Quantity

In total, there are SEVEN basic physical quantities, or base quantities.

Base Quantity		 SI unit
Name Symbol
Length meter m
Mass kilogram Kg
Time second S
Electric current ampere A
Temperature kelvin K
Luminous intensity candela Cd
Amount of substance mole mol

Derived Quantity

Derived quantities are those derived from these seven base quantities. For example,
Physical quantity Symbol for unit How it is derived
speed m/s or ms-1 speed = distance / time
volume m3 volume = length * width * height
Excel@Physics