List of common physics notations

Table columns:
Symbol
Meaning
SI unit of measure

Table rows:
cells: A  {\displaystyle A}
area
meter squared (m2)
cells: magnetic vector potential
cells: amplitude
meter
cells: a  {\displaystyle \mathbf {a} }
acceleration
meters per second squared (m/s2)
cells: B  {\displaystyle \mathbf {B} }
magnetic flux density also called the magnetic field density or magnetic induction
tesla (T), or equivalently, weber per square meter (Wb/m2)
cells: C  {\displaystyle C}
capacitance
farad (F)
cells: heat capacity
joule per kelvin (J K−1), or equivalently, joule per degree Celsius (J °C−1)
cells: constant of integration
varied depending on context
cells: c  {\displaystyle c}
speed of light (in vacuum)
299,792,458 meter per second (m/s)
cells: speed of sound
340.29 meter per second (m/s)
cells: specific heat capacity
joule per kilogram per kelvin (J kg−1 K−1), or equivalently, joule per kilogram per degree Celsius (J kg−1 °C−1)
cells: viscous damping coefficient
kilogram per second (kg/s)
cells: D  {\displaystyle \mathbf {D} }
electric displacement field also called the electric flux density
coulomb per square meter (C/m2)
cells: D  {\displaystyle D}
density
kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3)
cells: d  {\displaystyle d}
distance
meter (m)
cells: direction
unitless
cells: impact parameter
meter (m)
cells: diameter
meter (m)
cells: differential (e.g. d  x  {\displaystyle dx}  )
cells: d  A  {\displaystyle d\mathbf {A} }
differential vector element of surface area A, with infinitesimally small magnitude and direction normal to surface S
square meter (m2)
cells: d  V  {\displaystyle dV}
differential element of volume V enclosed by surface S
cubic meter (m3)
cells: E  {\displaystyle \mathbf {E} }
electric field
newton per coulomb (N C−1), or equivalently, volt per meter (V m−1)
cells: E  {\displaystyle E}
energy
joule (J)
cells: Young's Modulus
Pascal (Pa) or Newton per square meter (N/m2) or kilogram per meter per second squared (kg·m−1·s−2)
cells: e  {\displaystyle e}
eccentricity
unitless
cells: 2.71828... (base of the natural logarithm), electron, elementary charge
cells: F  {\displaystyle \mathbf {F} }
force
newton (N)
cells: f  {\displaystyle f}
frequency
hertz (Hz)
cells: function
cells: friction
newton (N)
cells: G  {\displaystyle G}
the gravitational constant
newton meter squared per kilogram squared (N m2/kg2)
cells: g  {\displaystyle g}
acceleration due to gravity
meter per second squared (m/s2), or equivalently, newton per kilogramme (N/kg)
cells: H  {\displaystyle \mathbf {H} }
magnetic field strength also called just magnetic field
ampere per meter (A/m)
cells: H  {\displaystyle H}
Hamiltonian
joule (J)
cells: h  {\displaystyle h}
height
meter (m)
cells: Planck's constant
joule second (J s)
cells: ℏ  {\displaystyle \hbar }
reduced Planck's constant (  h  2  π  )  {\displaystyle \textstyle \left({\frac {h}{2\pi }}\right)}
joule second (J s)
cells: I  {\displaystyle I}
action
joule second (J s)
cells: intensity
watt per square meter (W/m2)
cells: sound intensity
watt per square meter (W/m2)
cells: electric current
ampere (A)
cells: moment of inertia
kilogram meter squared (kg m2)
cells: i  {\displaystyle i}
intensity
watt per square meter (W/m2)
cells: imaginary unit
cells: i  ^  {\displaystyle \mathbf {\hat {i}} }
Cartesian x-axis basis unit vector
unitless
cells: J  {\displaystyle \mathbf {J} }
free current density, not including polarization or magnetization currents bound in a material
ampere per square meter (A/m2)
cells: impulse
kilogram meter per second (kg m/s)
cells: j  ^  {\displaystyle \mathbf {\hat {j}} }
Cartesian y-axis basis unit vector
unitless
cells: K  {\displaystyle K}
kinetic energy 2π/λ
joule (J)
cells: k  {\displaystyle k}
Boltzmann constant
joule per kelvin (J/K)
cells: wavenumber
radians per meter (m−1)
cells: k  ^  {\displaystyle \mathbf {\hat {k}} }
Cartesian z-axis basis unit vector
unitless
cells: L  {\displaystyle L}
inductance
henry (H)
cells: luminosity
watt (W)
cells: angular momentum
newton meter second (N m s or kg m2 s−1)
cells: Lagrangian
joule (J)
cells: l  {\displaystyle l}
length
meter (m)
cells: M  {\displaystyle M}
magnetization
ampere per meter (A/m)
cells: moment of force often simply called moment or torque
newton meter (N m)
cells: m  {\displaystyle m}
mass
kilogram (kg)
cells: N  {\displaystyle N}
normal vector
unit varies depending on context
cells: atomic number
unitless
cells: n  {\displaystyle n}
refractive index
unitless
cells: principal quantum number
unitless
cells: P  {\displaystyle P}
power
watt (W)
cells: p  {\displaystyle \mathbf {p} }
momentum
kilogram meter per second (kg m/s)
cells: pressure
pascal (Pa)
cells: Q  {\displaystyle Q}
electric charge
coulomb (C)
cells: Heat
joule (J)
cells: q  {\displaystyle q}
electric charge
coulomb (C)
cells: R  {\displaystyle R}
electrical resistance
ohm (Ω)
cells: Ricci tensor
unitless
cells: radiancy
cells: gas constant
joule per kilogramme kelvin (J/kgK)
cells: r  {\displaystyle \mathbf {r} }
radius vector (position)
meter (m)
cells: r  {\displaystyle r}
radius of rotation or distance between two things such as the masses in Newton's law of universal gravitation
meter (m)
cells: S  {\displaystyle S}
surface area
m2
cells: entropy
joule per kelvin (J/K)
cells: action
cells: s  {\displaystyle s}
arc length
meter (m)
cells: displacement
cells: T  {\displaystyle T}
period
second (s)
cells: thermodynamic temperature also called absolute temperature
kelvin (K)
cells: t  {\displaystyle t}
time
second (s)
cells: U  {\displaystyle \mathbf {U} }
four-velocity
meter per second (m/s)
cells: U  {\displaystyle U}
potential energy
joule (J)
cells: internal energy
joule (J)
cells: u  {\displaystyle u}
relativistic mass
kilogram (kg)
cells: energy density
joule per cubic meter (J/m3) or joule per kilogram (J/kg) depending on the context
cells: V  {\displaystyle V}
voltage also called electric potential difference
volt (V)
cells: volume
cubic meter (m3)
cells: shear force
cells: v  {\displaystyle \mathbf {v} }
velocity
meter per second (m/s)
cells: W  {\displaystyle W}
mechanical work
joule (J)
cells: w  {\displaystyle w}
width
meter (m)
cells: x  {\displaystyle x}
a generic unknown
varied depending on context
cells: displacement
meter (m)
cells: Z  {\displaystyle Z}
electrical impedance
ohm (Ω)

Questions about this table:
originalText: what does capital n stand for in physics
answer: answerTexts: newton