Physics Symbols

a acceleration (m/s2)

A Amplitude (m), Ampere (fundamental unit of current)

b y-intercept

B magnetic field strength (T = 104 G), Bulk Modulus (N/m2)

c speed of light (3 x 108 m/s), specific heat (J/(kg•K))

C Coulomb (unit of charge = A•s), center of curvature (m), Celcius (unit of Temperature), Capacitance (F)

cal calories (unit of heat energy = 4.186 J)

d distance (m), deci (prefix = 10-1)

dB decibels (unit of sound intensity)

e symbol for charge of an electron (1.6 x 10-19), efficiency (dimensionless)

eV electron-Volt (unit of energy = 1.6 x10-19 J)

E energy (J), electric field intensity (N/C)

f frequency (Hz = s-1), femta (prefix = 10-15), force of friction, focal length (m), final value (subscript)

F force (N), farad (unit of capacitance = A2•s4/(kg•m2), Farenheit (unit of Temperature)

g acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2), gram (unit of mass)

G giga (prefix = 109) Universal Gravitational Constant (6.67 x 10-11 m3/(kg•s2)

h Planck’s constant (6.626 x 10-34 J•s), height (m)

H Henry (unit of inductance)

Hz Hertz (unit of frequency)

i current (A), initial value (subscript)

I moment of inertia (kg•m2), Luminous Intensity (W/m2)

J Joule (unit of energy / work), impulse (N•s)

k kilo (prefix = 103)spring constant (N/m = kg/s2), thermal conductivity (W/(m•K)), Boltzman constant (J/K)

kg kilogram (fundamental unit of mass)

K Kelvin (fundamental unit of temperature), kinetic energy (J)

l length (m)

L liter (unit of volume), latent heat (J/kg), angular momentum (J•s), inductance (H), latent heat (J/kg)

m mass (kg), meter (fundamental unit of distance), slope, milli (prefix = 10-3)

M mega (prefix = 106)

n nano (prefix = 10-9), index of refraction (dimensionless), number of moles

N Newton (unit of force), Normal Force (N), number of particles

NA Avogadro’s number (6.022 x 1023 particles / mole)

o subscript - initial

p momentum (N•s), pico (prefix = 10-12), proton

P power (W), pressure (N/m2, atm, mmHg, psi, Pa)

Pa Pascals (unit of pressure = N/m2)

q charge (C)

Q charge (C), Heat (J)

r radius (m)

R ideal gas constant (8.31 J/mol K), resistance (Ω)

rms root – mean – square

s seconds (fundamental unit of time)

S entropy (J/K)

t time (s)

T temperature (°C, K), period (s), tension (F), Tesla (unit of magnetic field)

u atomic mass unit (also amu, 1.6 x10-27 kg)

U potential energy (J)

v velocity or speed (m/s)

V Volt (unit of potential difference), Voltage or Potential Difference, volume (L or m3)

w weight (N)

W work (J), Watt (unit of power)

x distance – usually horizontal

X reactance – capacitive or inductive (Ω)

y distance – usually vertical

Y Young’s Modulus (N/m2)

z distance – usually 3rd dimension

Z impedance (Ω)

Greek Letters

α (alpha) - angular velocity (rad/s2), proportional symbol, temperature coefficient of linear expansion (K-1)

α – type of radiation

β (beta) – temperature of area expansion (K-1), type of radiation, electron

γ (gamma) – relativistic gamma factor (dimensionless), type of radiation

δ (delta)– instantaneous change

∆ (capital delta) – finite change

ε (epsilon) – electrical permittivity

θ (theta) – angle (rad or °)

κ (kappa) – dielectric constant (dimensionless)

λ (lambda) – wavelength (m), ), linear charge density (C/m)

µ (mu) – coefficient of friction (dimensionless), micro (prefix = 10-6), magnetic permeability

ν (nu) – frequency (Hz, s-1)

π (pi) – ratio of circumference to diameter (3.1416..)

ρ (rho) – density (kg /m3), resistivity (Ω•m)

σ (sigma) – surface charge density (C/m2), Stefan Boltzmann constant (5.6704 × 10-8 kg s-3 K-4)

∑ (capital sigma) – summation or sum of

τ (tau) – torque (N•m), time constant (s)

φ (phi) – angle (rad)

Φ (capital phi) – flux – either magnetic or electric

Ψ (psi) – wave function (dimensionless)

ω (omega) – angular velocity (rad/s)

Ω (capital omega) – Ohms (unit of resistance = V/A)