CGS System of Units Converter
Convert between SI (MKS) units and CGS units for mechanics and electromagnetism
CGS Unit Converter
Conversion Result
0.000000e+0 Gal
0 m/s² = 0.000000e+0 Gal
Conversion Factor: 1 m/s² = 100 Gal
Category: Mechanical units
Common Examples
1 N = 10⁵ dyn
Force unit conversion
Force unit conversion
1 J = 10⁷ erg
Energy unit conversion
Energy unit conversion
1 Pa = 10 Ba
Pressure unit conversion
Pressure unit conversion
1 m/s² = 100 Gal
Acceleration unit conversion
Acceleration unit conversion
Unit Systems
SI System (MKS)
- • Meter (m) - Length
- • Kilogram (kg) - Mass
- • Second (s) - Time
- • Ampere (A) - Current
CGS System
- • Centimeter (cm) - Length
- • Gram (g) - Mass
- • Second (s) - Time
- • Various EM units
CGS Special Units
Mechanics:
- • Dyne (dyn) - Force
- • Erg - Energy
- • Poise (P) - Viscosity
- • Gal - Acceleration
Electromagnetism:
- • Franklin (Fr) - Charge
- • Gauss (G) - B field
- • Oersted (Oe) - H field
- • Statvolt - Voltage
Understanding the CGS System
What is the CGS System?
The CGS system (centimeter-gram-second) is a metric system of units based on centimeters, grams, and seconds as base units. It was historically important in physics and is still used in some specialized fields today.
Why Use CGS Units?
- •Simplifies some electromagnetic equations
- •Used in theoretical physics and astronomy
- •Common in older scientific literature
- •Gaussian units for electromagnetism
Key Differences
Base Units
SI: meter, kilogram, second
CGS: centimeter, gram, second
Electromagnetic Units
CGS has different subsystems (ESU, EMU, Gaussian) with different approaches to electromagnetic quantities.
Conversion Reference Tables
Mechanical Units
| Quantity | SI Unit | CGS Unit | Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Force | N | dyn | 10⁵ |
| Energy | J | erg | 10⁷ |
| Pressure | Pa | Ba | 10 |
| Power | W | erg/s | 10⁷ |
| Acceleration | m/s² | Gal | 100 |
Electromagnetic Units
| Quantity | SI Unit | CGS Unit | Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charge | C | Fr | 3.0×10⁹ |
| B Field | T | G | 10⁴ |
| H Field | A/m | Oe | 79.6 |
| Voltage | V | statV | 1/300 |