Explain what derived units are. Give an example of one.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Derived units are units of measure that are based on, or derived from, the seven base units in the International System of Units. An example is the Newton, a unit of force, which is represented as kg * m / s^2.

Step by step solution

01

Introduction to Derived Units

Derived units are formed by combining the seven base units from the International System of Units (SI) using multiplying or dividing. These base units are: metre (m) for distance, kilogram (kg) for mass, second (s) for time, ampere (A) for electric current, kelvin (K) for temperature, mole (mol) for amount of substance, and candela (cd) for luminous intensity.
02

Explain Derived Units

Derived units are generally expressing more complex physical quantities. Each of these derived units can be expressed in terms of base units. This means they are a 'derived' from a mathematical combination of the seven base units.
03

Provide an example

An example of a derived unit is the Newton (N). In physics, the Newton is the unit of force. A single Newton is defined as \( kg \times m/s^2 \), meaning that it's a derived unit composed from the base units of kilograms, meter, and seconds: it represents the force required to accelerate a one-kilogram mass by one meter per second squared.

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