Dimension

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Dimension

Description

Dimensions are defined in the SI {Quote}: Physical quantities can be organized in a system of dimensions, where the system used is decided by convention. Each of the seven base quantities used in the SI is regarded as having its own dimension. .. All other quantities, with the exception of counts, are derived quantities, which may be written in terms of base quantities according to the equations of physics. The dimensions of the derived quantities are written as products of powers of the dimensions of the base quantities using the equations that relate the derived quantities to the base quantities.

There are quantities Q for which the defining equation is such that all of the dimensional exponents in the equation for the dimension of Q are zero. This is true in particular for any quantity that is defined as the ratio of two quantities of the same kind. .. There are also some quantities that cannot be described in terms of the seven base quantities of the SI, but have the nature of a count. Examples are a number of molecules, a number of cellular or biomolecular entities (for example copies of a particular nucleic acid sequence), or degeneracy in quantum mechanics. Counting quantities are also quantities with the associated unit one. {end of Quote: p 136, Bureau International des Poids et Mesures 2019 The International System of Units (SI)}

Reference: Bureau International des Poids et Mesures 2019 The International System of Units (SI), Gnaiger MitoFit Preprints 2020.4

Quantity	Symbol for quantity Q	Symbol for dimension	Name of abstract unit u_Q	Symbol for unit u_Q [*]
elementary entity ^*,$	U_X	U	elementary unit	x
count ^*,$	N_X = N·U_X	X	elementary unit	x
amount of substance ^*,§	n_X = N_X·N_A^-1	N	mole	mol
charge ^*,€	Q_el = z_X·e·N_X	I·T	coulomb	C = A·s

length	l	L	meter	m
mass	m	M	kilogram	kg
time	t	T	second	s
electric current	I	I	ampere	A
thermodynamic temperature	T	Θ	kelvin	K
luminous intensity	I_v	J	candela	cd

[*] SI units, except for the canonical 'elementary unit' [x]. The following footnotes are canonical comments, related to iconic symbols.

^* For the elementary quantities N_X, n_X, and Q_el, the entity-type X of the elementary entity U_X has to be specified in the text and indicated by a subscript: n_O₂; N_ce; Q_el.

^$ Count N_X equals the number of elementary entities U_X. In the SI, the quantity 'count' is explicitly considered as an exception: "Each of the seven base quantities used in the SI is regarded as having its own dimension. .. All other quantities, with the exception of counts, are derived quantities" (Bureau International des Poids et Mesures 2019 The International System of Units (SI)). An elementary entity U_X is a material unit, it is not a count (U_X is not a number of U_X). N_X has the dimension X of a count and U_X has the dimension U of an elementary entity; both quantities have the same abstract unit, the 'elementary unit' [x].

^§ Amount n_X is an elementary quantity, converting the elementary unit [x] into the SI base unit mole [mol] using the Avogadro constant N_A.

^€ Charge is a derived SI quantity. Charge is an elementary quantity, converting the elementary unit [x] into coulombs [C] using the elementary charge e, or converting moles [mol] into coulombs [C] using the Faraday constant F. z_X is the charge number per elementary entity U_X, which is a constant for any defined elementary entity U_X. Q_el = z_X·F·n_X

References

Bioblast link	Reference	Year
Brown 2018 Metrologia	Brown RJC (2018) The evolution of chemical metrology: distinguishing between amount of substance and counting quantities, now and in the future. Metrologia 55:L25. https://doi.org/10.1088/1681-7575/aaace8	2018
Brown 2021 Metrologia	Brown RJC (2021) A metrological approach to quantities that are counted and the unit one. Metrologia 58:035014. https://doi.org/10.1088/1681-7575/abf7a4	2021
Bureau International des Poids et Mesures 2019 The International System of Units (SI)	Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (2019) The International System of Units (SI). 9th edition:117-216. ISBN 978-92-822-2272-0	2019
Cooper 2012 Synthese	Cooper G, Humphry SM (2012) The ontological distinction between units and entities. Synthese 187:393–401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-010-9832-1	2012
Gnaiger 2020 BEC MitoPathways	Gnaiger E (2020) Mitochondrial pathways and respiratory control. An introduction to OXPHOS analysis. 5^th ed. Bioenerg Commun 2020.2. https://doi.org/10.26124/bec:2020-0002	2020
Gnaiger 2020 MitoFit x	Gnaiger E (2021) The elementary unit — canonical reviewer's comments on: Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (2019) The International System of Units (SI) 9th ed. MitoFit Preprints 2020.04.v2. https://doi.org/10.26124/mitofit:200004.v2	2021
BEC 2020.1 doi10.26124bec2020-0001.v1	Gnaiger E et al ― MitoEAGLE Task Group (2020) Mitochondrial physiology. Bioenerg Commun 2020.1. https://doi.org/10.26124/bec:2020-0001.v1	2020

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Entity, count, and number, and SI base quantities / SI base units

Quantity name	Symbol	Unit name	Symbol	Comment
elementary	U_X	elementary unit	[x]	U_X, U_B; [x] not in SI
count	N_X	elementary unit	[x]	N_X, N_B; [x] not in SI
number	N	-	dimensionless	= N_X·U_X^-1
amount of substance	n_B	mole	[mol]	n_X, n_B
electric current	I	ampere	[A]	A = C·s^-1
time	t	second	[s]
length	l	meter	[m]	SI: metre
mass	m	kilogram	[kg]
thermodynamic temperature	T	kelvin	[K]
luminous intensity	I_V	candela	[cd]