1. Units and Dimensions
Completion requirements
Primary Dimension and Units
Primary (sometimes called basic) dimensions are defined as independent or fundamental dimensions, from which other dimensions can be obtained.
The primary dimensions are: mass, length, time, temperature, amount of matter, electric current, and amount of light. For our chemical engineering analyses, only the first five of these are required.
| Primary Dimension | Symbol | SI Unit | English Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mass | \(m\) (sometimes M) | kg (kilogram) | lb (pound) |
| Length | L | m (meter) | ft (foot) |
| Time | \(t\) | s (second) | s |
| Temperature | \(T\) (sometimes \(\theta\)) | K (Kelvin) | R (Rankine) |
| Amount of matter | \(n\) | mol (mole) | mol |