Understandings: Fundamental and derived SI units
Applications and skill: Using SI units in the correct format for all required measurements, final answer to calculations and presentations of raw and processed data
Guidance: SI unit usage and information can be found at the website of Bureau International des Poids et Mesures; students will not need to know the definition of SI units except where explicitly stated in the relevant topics; candela is not a required SI unit for this course;
Data booklet: None
Scientists, including physicists, deal with measurable, physical quantities. These are often related to each other (with the relationship expressed as equations) and, apart from ratios of the same quantity, always have units used to describe their value.
Format: to save space and time, physical quantities and their units are often written using symbols. Ideally, especially when printed or on-screen (such as in lab reports) quantities are described using an italic font, while units are written using an upright font. (The actual font used will depend on availability, but a good serif font, such as Times New Roman, is preferred.) An example of this use is m as a symbol for mass, but m as a symbol for the metre.
To assist with communication between scientists, removing confusion and aiding in understanding, the International System of Units (known as SI from the French Système International) was established in 1960 and periodically updated ever since. Based on the metrihe system has been almost universally adopted, and has official status in most countries, even ones (such as the USA) that use alternative systems in everyday use.
Since the 2019 revision, the magnitude of all SI base units have been derived from seven defining constants of the universe.