CGS

Units & Measurements abbreviation · Metric and SI Unit

CGS
Stands forCentimeter-gram-second system
CategoriesUnits & Measurements

CGS stands for Centimeter-gram-second system, a metric and SI unit abbreviation.

An older metric system built on the centimeter, gram and second, standard in physics before SI. Its units include the dyne for force, the erg for energy, the gauss for magnetic flux density and the poise for viscosity.

Example: Astrophysics papers still quote stellar luminosities in CGS units, typically erg per second.

Usage notes

Formalized in 1874 by the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Several electromagnetic variants (Gaussian, electrostatic and electromagnetic) make Maxwell's equations look different from their SI forms, a lasting source of confusion in textbooks. Conversions are simple powers of ten for mechanics: 1 dyne is 10^-5 newton and 1 erg is 10^-7 joule.

More metric and SI unit abbreviations

  • AU – Astronomical unit
  • Bq – Becquerel
  • c – Centi- (hundredth)
  • CBM – Cubic meter (freight)
  • cc – Cubic centimeter
  • cd – Candela
  • cL – Centiliter
  • cm – Centimeter
  • ct – Carat
  • d – Deci- (tenth)
  • Da – Dalton
  • dL – Deciliter

See all 64 metric and SI unit abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.