Intermolecular and Surface Forces, 3rd Edition

Units, Symbols, Useful Quantities and Relations

Much of the published literature and equations on intermolecular and surface forces are based on the CGS system of units. In this book the Système International (SI) is used. In this system the basic units are the kilogram (kg) for mass, the meter (m) for length, the second (s) for time, the kelvin (K) for temperature, the ampére (A) for electrical quantities, and the mole (mol) for quantity of mass. Some old units such as gramme (1 gm = 1 g = 10⁻³ kg), centimeter (1 cm = 10⁻² m), ångstrom (1 Å = 10⁻¹⁰ m) and degree centigrade (°C) are still commonly used, although they are not part of the SI system. The SI system has many advantages over the CGS, not least when it comes to forces. For example, ...