The Physics Alphabet

A = area

A = nucleon number (atomic mass)

a = acceleration

a = Wein constant

B = magnetic flux density

b = beta particle

B = bell (sound intensity)

Bq = becquerel (activity)

C = capacitance

c = speed of light 

c = specific heat capacity

d = diameter

d = distance

D = distance from screen to fringe pattern

D = absorbed dose

Δ = change in

δ = little change in

D = dioptre (power of a lens)

dB = decibel (sound intensity)

d = deci

da = deca (or deka)

x 10^-1

x 10¹

e = charge on an electron

E = energy

E_k = kinetic energy

E = electric field strength

E = Young's Modulus

ε = emf

ε = tensile strain

ε_o = permittivity of free space

F = force

f = frequency

f = focal length

f_e = focal length of eyepiece lens

f_o = focal length of objective lens

Φ = flux

φ = work function

g = gravitational field strength

g = acceleration due to gravity

G = gravitational constant

G = conductance

γ = gamma ray

h = height

h = Planck constant

H = dose equivalent>

H = hubble constant

Η = coefficient of viscosity

H = henry (inductance)

Hz = hertz (frequency)

I = current

I₀ = peak current

I = sound intensity

I = moment of inertia

J = current density

J = moment of inertia

Θ = angle

k = Boltzmann constant

k = spring constant

K = kelvin (absolute temperature)

kg = kilogram (mass)

l = length

l = specific latent heat

λ = wavelength

λ = decay constant

L = self inductance

L = angular momentum

ln = natural log of

log = log base 10 of

m = mass

M = magnification

μ = permeability

μ = coefficient of friction

m = metre (length)

m²= metre squared (area)

m³= metre cubed (volume)

M = mega

m = milli

μ = micro

x 10⁶

x 10^-3

x 10^-6

N = number

N_O = original number

N_A = Avogadro constant

N = number of turns of wire

n = number of moles

n= order of diffraction

n = number of charge carriers per unit volume

n = refractive index

P = power

p = pressure

p = momentum

π = 3.14

p = pico

P = peta

x 10^-12

x 10¹⁵

Q = charge

Q = heat energy

Q = quality factor

r = radius

R = resistance

R = molar gas constant

R = reacrion force

ρ = density

ρ = resistivity

rad = radian

s = displacement (vector version of distance)

s = slit width

σ = conductivity

σ = tensile stress

σ = Stefan constant

Σ = sum of

s = second (time)

Sv = sievert (dose equivalent)

S = siemens (conductance)

t = time

T = temperature

T = period of a waveform

T_1/2 = half life

T_E = effective half life

T_B = bilogical half life

T_P = physical half life

u = initial velocity

u = image distance

U = U-value

U = internal heat of a system

v = velocity

v = final velocity (when used in conjunction with 'u')

v = image distance

V = volume

V = potential difference

V₀ = peak voltage

W = work done

ω = angular velocity

w = width of a fringe

Ω = ohm (electrical resistance)

W = watt(power)

Wb =weber (magnetic flux)

x = width

X = reactance

y = height

y = yocto

Y = yotta

x 10^-24

x 10²⁴

z = depth

Z = proton number (atomic number)

z = zepto

Z = zeta

x 10^-21

x 10²¹