Dynes

The dyne is the unit of force in the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system. It is defined as the force that causes a mass of 1 gram to accelerate at 1 centimeter per second squared, i.e., 1 g·cm/s^2. The name derives from the Greek word dynamis, meaning force or power.

In SI terms, a single dyne equals 1 × 10^-5 newtons, and conversely, 1 newton equals 100,000 dynes. The CGS unit is also used in expressions for pressure, with 1 dyne per square centimeter equal to 0.1 pascal (1 dyn/cm^2 = 0.1 Pa).

The dyne is part of the CGS system, which also includes related units such as the erg for energy (1 erg = 1 dyne·centimeter). In some branches of physics, notably certain formulations of electromagnetism in CGS units (such as CGS-ESU and CGS-EMU), dynes appear alongside other CGS quantities. However, in modern practice, the SI unit newton is the standard unit of force, and the CGS system is largely of historical or niche use.

Summary: the dyne is a CGS unit of force defined by m a with mass in grams and acceleration in cm/s^2, equal to 10^-5 newtons, and related to other CGS concepts like the erg.