Cgssystemof Units Converter
Convert cgssystemof units between units instantly. Includes conversion tables, common equivalents, and calculation formulas.
Calculator
Adjust values & calculateAll Force Conversions
Formula
Each unit is expressed as a factor relative to the CGS base unit for its quantity type. For force, the base is the dyne (1 N = 100,000 dyn). For energy, the base is the erg (1 J = 10^7 ergs). For pressure, the base is the barye (1 Pa = 10 Ba). Convert by multiplying input by its CGS factor, then dividing by the target factor.
Last reviewed: December 2025
Worked Examples
Example 1: Converting Newtons to Dynes
Example 2: Converting Joules to Ergs
Background & Theory
The Cgssystemof Units Converter applies the following established principles and formulas. Unit conversion is the process of expressing a quantity in a different unit of measurement while preserving its physical meaning. At the foundation of modern measurement lies the International System of Units (SI), which defines seven base units: the meter for length, kilogram for mass, second for time, ampere for electric current, kelvin for thermodynamic temperature, mole for amount of substance, and candela for luminous intensity. All other units, called derived units, are defined as algebraic combinations of these seven. Dimensional analysis is the principal method for performing unit conversions. By treating units as algebraic quantities that can be multiplied, divided, and cancelled, a conversion factor chain allows a value expressed in one unit to be rewritten in another without altering its physical magnitude. For example, to convert 60 miles per hour to meters per second, one multiplies by a chain of conversion factors each equal to one: (1609.34 m / 1 mile) × (1 hour / 3600 s). Metric prefixes enable compact expression of quantities across extreme ranges of magnitude. Standard prefixes span from nano (10^-9) through micro (10^-6) and milli (10^-3) up through kilo (10^3), mega (10^6), and giga (10^9), and beyond in both directions. These prefixes are strictly multiplicative and apply consistently to any SI base or derived unit. Temperature conversions require affine transformations rather than simple scaling. To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit the formula is °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32, while the conversion to the absolute Kelvin scale is K = °C + 273.15. These formulas reflect the different zero points and degree-size conventions of each scale. Significant figures govern how precision is preserved through calculations. A result should not express more precision than the least precise input value permits. In digital storage, IEEE and IEC standards distinguish between decimal prefixes (kilobyte = 1000 bytes) and binary prefixes (kibibyte = 1024 bytes), a distinction that has practical consequences for how storage capacity is reported by manufacturers versus operating systems. Unit coherence — ensuring that all quantities in an equation share a consistent unit system — is essential for obtaining correct results.
History
The history behind the Cgssystemof Units Converter traces back through the following developments. Human beings have been measuring and comparing quantities since before recorded history. The earliest known measurement units were body-based: the cubit (the distance from elbow to fingertip), the foot, the hand, and the digit. The furlong originated as the length of a furrow a team of oxen could plow without resting. These anthropomorphic standards were practical for local use but differed between regions and kingdoms, creating persistent difficulties in trade and construction. The ancient Egyptians standardized the royal cubit at approximately 52.4 centimeters and distributed calibrated granite rods to ensure consistency across building projects, including the pyramids. Roman engineers used the mile (mille passuum, one thousand double paces) and spread these standards throughout their empire via road networks. Despite these efforts, measurement diversity persisted across medieval Europe, hampering commerce. The French Revolution created political will for radical standardization. In 1795 France officially adopted the metric system, defining the meter as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along the Paris meridian. This gave the world its first fully decimal, rationally constructed measurement system. The Metre Convention of 1875 established the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) in Sevres, France, creating a permanent international body to maintain physical artifact standards and coordinate global metrology. For over a century, the kilogram was defined by a platinum-iridium cylinder locked in a vault near Paris. In 1999, a stark demonstration of what unit inconsistency costs occurred when NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter was lost because one engineering team used pound-force seconds while another used newton seconds. The spacecraft entered the Martian atmosphere at the wrong angle and was destroyed, at a cost of 327 million dollars. In 2019 the SI underwent its most significant revision, redefining all seven base units in terms of fixed numerical values of fundamental physical constants such as the speed of light, Planck's constant, and the elementary charge. This eliminated any reliance on physical artifacts and made the measurement system permanently stable and universally reproducible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Formula
Converted = Value x (From Factor in CGS base) / (To Factor in CGS base)
Each unit is expressed as a factor relative to the CGS base unit for its quantity type. For force, the base is the dyne (1 N = 100,000 dyn). For energy, the base is the erg (1 J = 10^7 ergs). For pressure, the base is the barye (1 Pa = 10 Ba). Convert by multiplying input by its CGS factor, then dividing by the target factor.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Converting Newtons to Dynes
Problem: A force of 5 Newtons. How many dynes is that?
Solution: 1 Newton = 100,000 dynes\nDynes = 5 x 100,000 = 500,000 dynes\n= 5 x 10^5 dyn
Result: 5 Newtons = 500,000 dynes
Example 2: Converting Joules to Ergs
Problem: An energy of 2.5 Joules expressed in ergs.
Solution: 1 Joule = 10,000,000 ergs = 10^7 ergs\nErgs = 2.5 x 10^7 = 25,000,000 ergs\n= 2.5 x 10^7 ergs
Result: 2.5 Joules = 25,000,000 ergs (2.5e7 ergs)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CGS system of units?
The CGS (centimeter-gram-second) system is a metric system of units based on three fundamental quantities: the centimeter for length, the gram for mass, and the second for time. Developed in the 19th century by Carl Friedrich Gauss and later formalized by the British Association for the Advancement of Science, it was the dominant scientific unit system before the SI (MKS) system was adopted in 1960. CGS units remain common in certain fields of physics, particularly astrophysics, electrodynamics, and some areas of condensed matter physics.
What is the difference between CGS and SI units?
The SI system uses meters, kilograms, and seconds as base units, while CGS uses centimeters, grams, and seconds. This leads to different derived units: force is measured in Newtons (SI) versus dynes (CGS), energy in Joules versus ergs, and pressure in Pascals versus baryes. The conversion factors follow from the base unit relationships: 1 Newton = 100,000 dynes, 1 Joule = 10,000,000 ergs, and 1 Pascal = 10 baryes. The SI system is now the international standard for commerce and most sciences.
Why do some scientists still use CGS units?
Several scientific fields continue using CGS units because key equations and constants take simpler forms in that system. In Gaussian CGS electrodynamics, the Coulomb constant equals 1 (dimensionless), eliminating the permittivity of free space from equations. Astrophysics uses CGS extensively because many fundamental relationships were first derived and tabulated in those units. Magnetic field measurements in Gauss (CGS) remain common alongside Tesla (SI). The inertia of published literature and familiar reference values also sustains CGS usage.
How do I convert between CGS and SI force units?
The CGS unit of force is the dyne, defined as the force needed to accelerate 1 gram by 1 cm/s2. The SI unit is the Newton, accelerating 1 kg by 1 m/s2. Since 1 kg = 1000 g and 1 m = 100 cm, one Newton equals 1000 x 100 = 100,000 dynes. For energy, 1 Joule = 1 Newton-meter = 100,000 dynes x 100 cm = 10,000,000 ergs. For pressure, 1 Pascal = 1 N/m2 = 100,000 dyn / 10,000 cm2 = 10 baryes.
When should I use metric vs imperial units?
Use metric for science, medicine, international communication, and precision work. Use imperial when required by local convention (US construction, cooking, road signs). Engineering increasingly uses metric. Always match the unit system expected by your audience or industry.
What is the origin of common measurement units?
A foot was originally based on the length of a human foot. A yard was the distance from nose to outstretched fingertip. A mile comes from the Roman mille passus (1,000 paces). The meter was defined as one ten-millionth of the distance from equator to pole.
References
Reviewed by Manoj Kumar, Mathematics Educator · Editorial policy