SI Base Units
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to identify the seven SI base units and their symbols
- Students will understand what each base unit measures
- Students will understand the definitions and history of base units
Core Concepts
- Length: meter (m)
- Mass: kilogram (kg)
- Time: second (s)
- Electric current: ampere (A)
- Temperature: kelvin (K)
- Amount of substance: mole (mol)
- Luminous intensity: candela (cd)
Units
| meter | m |
| kilogram | kg |
| second | s |
| ampere | A |
| kelvin | K |
| mole | mol |
| candela | cd |
Interesting Fact
One mole contains 6.02 × 10²³ particles (Avogadro's number)
Key Scientist
Amedeo Avogadro
Proposed Avogadro's number; foundational to the mole
Philosophy
The choice of base units reflects deep philosophical choices about what we consider fundamental in nature and how we decompose complex phenomena.
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