Gaussian units
E29370
Gaussian units are a cgs-based system of electromagnetic units widely used in theoretical physics, especially in electrodynamics, for their mathematical simplicity and symmetry.
Statements (53)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
electromagnetic unit system
→
system of units → |
| advantage |
simplified form of Maxwell equations
→
symmetry between electric and magnetic fields → |
| basedOn |
centimetre–gram–second system of units
→
|
| characteristic |
cgs-based
→
mathematical simplicity in Maxwell equations → non-rationalized → symmetrical treatment of electric and magnetic fields → |
| comparedTo |
Heaviside–Lorentz units
→
SI units → electromagnetic units (emu) → electrostatic units → |
| conversionToSI |
1 gauss = 10⁻⁴ tesla
→
1 oersted ≈ 79.57747 A/m in vacuum → 1 statcoulomb ≈ 3.33564×10⁻¹⁰ coulomb → |
| definesUnit |
dyne
→
erg → gauss → oersted → statampere → statcoulomb → statfarad → statohm → statvolt → statweber → |
| disadvantage |
dimension of charge differs from SI
→
less convenient for engineering applications → not coherent with SI units → |
| field |
electrodynamics
→
theoretical physics → |
| hasBaseUnit |
biot–like current dimension (derived)
→
centimetre → gram → second → |
| historicalUse |
20th-century theoretical physics literature
→
|
| namedAfter |
Carl Friedrich Gauss
→
|
| property |
Coulomb constant k_e equals 1 in vacuum
→
electric and magnetic fields have the same dimensions in vacuum → electric charge is not a base dimension → speed of light c appears explicitly in Maxwell equations → vacuum permeability is dimensionless and equals 1 → vacuum permittivity is dimensionless and equals 1 → |
| relatedConcept |
Coulomb law
→
Lorentz force law → Maxwell equations → |
| stillUsedBy |
astrophysicists
→
high-energy physicists → |
| usedIn |
astrophysics
→
classical electrodynamics → plasma physics → quantum field theory → relativistic electrodynamics → |
Referenced by (1)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Carl Friedrich Gauss
→
|
hasConceptNamedAfter |