CGSjärjestelmän

The CGS system, or Centimeter-Gram-Second system, is a system of units that predates the International System of Units (SI) and is still occasionally used in scientific and engineering contexts. It is a coherent system of units derived from three fundamental mechanical units: the centimeter for length, the gram for mass, and the second for time. From these three base units, all other mechanical units within the CGS system can be derived. For instance, velocity is measured in centimeters per second (cm/s), and force is measured in dynes (g⋅cm/s²).

While the SI system is now the standard for most scientific and commercial applications due to its greater convenience and inclusion of base units for electricity and magnetism, the CGS system remains relevant in certain fields. For example, in some areas of electromagnetism and astrophysics, CGS units can simplify equations and offer a more intuitive understanding of certain phenomena. The electrostatic unit of charge, the statcoulomb, and the electromagnetic unit of charge, the abcoulomb, are both part of the CGS system. The CGS system is also sometimes referred to as the Gaussian system when it includes specific units for electromagnetic quantities. Despite the dominance of SI, understanding CGS is still beneficial for interpreting older scientific literature and for specific specialized applications.