Abstract
WHILE the use of the metre–kilogram–second–coulomb system of units is rapidly becoming more widespread, that of the E.M.U. system is almost nonexistent, except in elementary courses and old–fashioned text–books. In purely electrostatic problems, on the other hand, the general use of the E.S.U. system is likely to continue. The lack of distinctive names for the units in this system is a drawback hi several respects, of which I will only mention the difficulty of checking dimensions. To remedy this defect a practice has arisen of using names such as ‘statcoulombs’, ‘statvolts’ and other equally cacophonous terms. This nomenclature has already been criticized in a recent review of a text–book (Proc. Phys. Soc., 53, 624; 1941), but no alternative has been proposed. I therefore wish to propose a terminology which should be acceptable to all English–speaking people.
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GUGGENHEIM, E. Names of Electrical Units. Nature 148, 751 (1941). https://doi.org/10.1038/148751a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/148751a0
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