ANSI/IEEE Std 280-1985(R2003)

(Revision of IEEE Std 280-1968

and ANSI Y10.5-1968)

An American National Standard

IEEE Standard Letter Symbols for

Quantities Used in Electrical Science and
Electrical Engineering

Sponsor
IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 14, Graphic Symbols and Designations

Approved September 23, 1982

Reaffirmed March 20, 2003
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IEEE Standards Board

Approved May 15, 1984

Reaffirmed August 20, 1997
American National Standards Institute

Abstract: This standard provides letter symbols to represent various quantities (but not units) used in
electrical science and technology. The standard is compatible with IEC Publication 27, Letter Symbols to be
Used in Electrical Technology.

© Copyright 1984 by
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc
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 Designation (Variable) HeaderTitleLeft (Variable)

ACCEPTANCE NOTICE

The above Non-Government standardization document was adopted 12 December 1984 and is approved for use by the
DoD. The indicated industry group has furnished the clearances required by existing regulations. Copies of the
document are stocked by DoD Single Stock Point, Naval Publications and Forms Center, Philadelphia. PA, 19:120 for
issue to DoD activities only. Contractors and industry groups may obtain copies directly from The Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc, 345 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017.

Title of Document: IEEE Standard Letter Symbols for Quantities Used in Electrical Science and Electrical
Engineering

Document No: ANSI/IEEE Std 280-1985

Date of SpeciÞc Issue Adopted: 12 December 1984

Releasing Industry Group: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Incorporated

NOTICE: When reafÞrmation, amendment, revision, or cancellation of this standard is initially proposed, the industry
group responsible for this standard shall inform the military coordinating activity of the proposed change and request
participation.

Custodians: Military Coordinating Activity:

Army Ñ AR Army Ñ AR
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Navy Ñ SH
Air Force Ñ 11

User Activities: Project Number DRPR-0254

Army Ñ ME, MI, AT

Navy Ñ OS, MC, AS, YD

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Abstract

This standard provides letter symbols to represent various quantities (but not like) used in electrical science and
technology. The standard is compatible with IEC Publication 27, Letter Symbols to be Used in Electrical Technology.

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 Foreword

(This Foreword is not a part of ANSI/IEEE Std 280-1985, IEEE Standard Letter Symbols for Quantities Used in Electrical Science
and Electrical Engineering.)

This standard was developed from three separate standards, ASA Z10.5-1949, Letter Symbols for Electrical
Quantities, ASA Y10.9-1953, Letter Symbols for Radio, and 57IRE21S1, Letter Symbols and Mathematical Signs.
The Þrst edition of this standard was issued as USAS Y10.5-1968 IEEE Std 280-1968, Standard Letter Symbols for
Quantities Used in Electrical Science and Electrical Engineering. In the development of this standard the International
Electrotechnical Commission Publication 27, Letter Symbols to be Used in Electrical Technology, has been followed
closely.

In this revision the following changes and additions have been made:
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1) A new section, Scope, has been added.

2) A new section, References has been added.
3) Section 3.2 on typography has been expanded and clariÞed.
4) Text concerning unit symbols has been expanded and text on the SI system of units added; these now parallel
the statements in ANSI/IEEE 268-1982 , American National Standard Metric Practice. All units (for example,
temperature, pressure, conductance) have been revised to agree with current SI practice.
Celsius temperature replaces the former terms temperature and customary temperature
Reciprocal degree Celsius replaces reciprocal kelvin
References to cycle per second have been deleted
In Table 6, 6.59, Subscripts, Semiconductor Devices, the terms drain terminal and source terminal were added.
In Table 8 the values of the physical constants have been revised to agree with current information.
Attention is called to the following related standards:
ANSI Y10.20-1975, Mathematical Signs and Symbols for Use in Physical Science and Technology.
ANSI/IEEE Std 260-1978, IEEE Standard Letter Symbols for Units of Measurement (SI Units, Customary Inch-
Pound Units, and Certain Other Units).
ANSI/IEEE Std 268-1982, American National Standard Metric Practice.

When this standard was approved the IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee on Quantities and Units,
Subcommittee SCC14.3 on Letter Symbols had the following membership:

Sidney V. Soanes, Chair

Bruce B. Barrow Chester H. Page Conrad R. Muller

The IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee on Quantities and Units, SCC14 had the following membership:

Bruce B. Barrow, Chair

Conrad R. Muller, Secretary

Louis E. Barbrow Elwood K. Gannett William R. Kruesi

Robert C. Benoit, Jr Truman S. Gray Jack M. Loudon
Andrew F. Dunn Harry Hesse Chester H. Page

Deceased

iv
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 When the IEEE Standards Board approved this standard on September 23, 1982, it had the following membership:

Irvin N. Howell, Jr, Chair

Edward Chelotti, Vice Chair
Sava I. Sherr, Secretary

G. Y. R. Allen Donald C. Fleckenstein A. R. Parsons

J. J. Archambault Jay Forster John P. Riganati
James H. Beall Kurt Greene Frank L. Rose
John T. Boettger Joseph L. Koepfinger Robert W. Seelbach
J. V. Bonucchi Irving Kolodny Jay A. Stewart
Edward J. Cohen John E. May Clifford O. Swanson
Len S. Corey Donald T. Michael* Robert E. Weiler

* Member emeritus

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 CLAUSE PAGE

1. Scope ...................................................................................................................................................................1

2. References ...........................................................................................................................................................1

3. General Principles of Letter Symbol Standardization.........................................................................................1

3.1 Letter Symbols ........................................................................................................................................... 1

3.2 Alphabets and Typography ........................................................................................................................ 2
3.3 Quantity Symbols....................................................................................................................................... 3
3.4 Unit Symbols.............................................................................................................................................. 3
3.5 The International System of Units (SI) ...................................................................................................... 4

4. Special Principles for Quantity Symbols in Electrical Science and Electrical Engineering...............................6

4.1 Phasor Quantities ....................................................................................................................................... 6

4.2 Conventions ............................................................................................................................................... 6

5. Introduction to the Tables ...................................................................................................................................8

6. Symbols for Quantities........................................................................................................................................9

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 An American National Standard

IEEE Standard Letter Symbols for

Quantities Used in Electrical Science and
Electrical Engineering

1. Scope

This standard covers letter symbols used to represent physical quantities in the Þeld of electrical science and electrical
engineering. These symbols are independent of the units (see ANSI/IEEE Std 260-1978 [2]1) employed or special
values assigned. Also included are selected symbols for mathematics and for physical constants.

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2. References

When the following American National Standards referred to in this standard are superseded by a revision approved by
the American National Standards Institute, the latest vision shall be used.

[1] ANSI Y10.17-1961 (R1973), American National Standard Guide for Selecting Greek Letters Used as Letter
Symbols for Engineering Mathematics.

[2] ANSI/IEEE Std 260-1978, IEEE Standard Letter Symbols for Units of Measurement.

[3] ANSI/IEEE Std 268-1982, American National Standard Metric Practice.

3. General Principles of Letter Symbol Standardization

3.1 Letter Symbols

Letter symbols2 include symbols for physical quantities (quantity symbols) and symbols for the units in which these
quantities are measured (unit symbols).

A quantity symbol is, in general, a single letter3 (for example, I for electric current) speciÞed as to general form of
type, and modiÞed when appropriate by one or more subscripts or superscripts. In a given work the same letter symbol

1The numbers in brackets correspond to those of the references in Section 2..

2Letter symbol as a technical term does not have the same meaning as either name or abbreviation. An abbreviation is a letter or a combination of
letters (plus sometimes an apostrophe or a full stop) which by convention represents a word or a name in a particular language; hence an
abbreviation may be different in a different language. A symbol represents a quantity or a unit and is, therefore, independent of language.
EXAMPLE: For electromotive force, the symbol is E, whereas the abbreviation is emf in English, fern in French, and EMK in German. The word
ampere is sometimes abbreviated amp; the symbol for this unit is A.
3Symbols comprising two letters are sometimes used for numerical transport parameters such as Reynolds number Re.

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

should appear throughout for the same physical quantity, regardless of the units employed or of special values
assigned.

A unit symbol4 is a letter or group of letters (for example, mm for millimeter), or in a few cases a special sign, that may
be used in place of the name of a unit.

3.2 Alphabets and Typography

Letter symbols are mainly restricted to the English and Greek alphabets.5 The type families that are used for text in
modern book and journal publishing all include italic (sloping) type faces and related roman (upright) type faces. The
former are used for quantity symbols, and the latter, for unit symbolsÑthe distinctions are discussed more fully in the
following paragraphs. (In the context of this standard, the term roman is used simply to mean upright in contrast with
sloping and carries no connotation regarding serifs, line widths, or the like.) In situations where roman and italic are
not both available, care shall be taken to avoid confusion between quantities and units. For example, an underline is
frequently used to indicate italic type, and where an underline can be provided, as in manual typewriting, this practice
is often helpful.

Unconventional type faces should generally not be used for letter symbols. Script and Old English faces, for example,
are not appropriate for unit symbols. Such special faces have seen limited use for quantity symbols, but good modern
practice avoids them (see 3.3, last paragraph).

Symbols for physical quantities, mathematical variables, indices, and general functions6 are printed in italic (sloping)
type. For example,

A, A area
e charge of an electron
x, y, z Cartesian coordinates
i, j, k, n indices
f(x) function of x

Symbols for physical units, mathematical constants, speciÞc mathematical functions, operators, and numbers used as
indices are printed in roman type. For example,

cm centimeter
e base of natural logarithms
sin x sine of x
J2(z), Jn(z) Bessel functions

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dx differential of x

Subscripts and superscripts are governed by the above principles. Those that are letter symbols for quantities or for
indices are printed in italic type, while all others are printed in roman type, for example,

Cp heat capacity at constant pressure p

aij, a45 matrix elements
Ii, Io input current, output current
xav average value of x

For indicating the vector character of a quantity, boldface italic type is used. For example,

4Formerly it was common to treat unit symbols in the same manner as general abbreviations, but the current recommendations of the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO), and of many other international and national bodies concerned with standardization, emphasize the
symbolic character of these designations and rigidly prescribe the manner in which they shall be treated. The concept of the unit symbol is therefore
adopted in this standard.
5Greek letters that are easily confused with English letters are avoided. See ANSI Y10.17-1961 (1973), [1].
6The term general functions is used here to contrast with specific mathematical functions, for which roman type is to be used.

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 IN ELECTRICAL SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IEEE Std 280-1985

F force
H magnetic Þeld strength

Ordinary italic type is used to represent the magnitude of a vector quantity. It is also commonly used for a vector
quantity when there is no need to draw attention to the vector character of the quantity.

When tensor quantities of second or higher order are to be represented by a single letter, sans-serif type should be used
(for example, A, B).

3.3 Quantity Symbols

Quantity symbols may be used in mathematical expressions in any way consistent with good mathematical usage. The
product of two quantities a, b, is indicated by writing ab. The quotient may be indicated by writing.

a
---, a ¤ b, or ab Ð1
b

If more than one solidus (/) is used in any algebraic term, parentheses shall be inserted to remove any ambiguity. Thus
one may write (a/b)/c, or a/(b/c), but not a/b/c.

Subscripts and superscripts are widely used with quantity symbols. Several subscripts or superscripts, sometimes
separated by commas, may be attached to a single letter. But, so far as logical clarity permits, subscripts and
superscripts should not be attached to other subscripts and superscripts. A symbol that has been modiÞed by a
superscript should be enclosed in parentheses before an exponent is attached.

Conßicts that occur because different quantities are assigned identical symbols in the same or different standard
symbol lists should be resolved in one of the following ways:

1) By use of a reserve symbol (alternative symbol) if one is listed

2) By use of a subscript or superscript selected by the author for one or more of the conßicting requirements
3) By use of uppercase letters as variants for lowercase letters and vice versa, but only if no ambiguity results.

3.4 Unit Symbols

Roman type, in general lowercase, is used for unit symbols, except for a very few that use special signs (such as ° for
degree). If, however, the symbol is for a unit whose name is derived from a proper name, uppercase roman type is used
for the Þrst letter.7 As a further exception to the general rule, the symbol L is used for liter to avoid confusion between
the lowercase letter 1 and the numeral 1. Some additional exceptions arise in the special cases where symbols are
joined, as in eV, the symbol for electronvolt, and in mmHg, the symbol for conventional millimeter of mercury, a unit
of pressure. The distinction between upper- and lowercase letters should be followed, even if the symbol appears in
applications where the other lettering is in uppercase style. The form of unit symbols is the same for singular and
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plural, and they are not followed by a period except at the end of a sentence.

In the complete expression for a quantity, a space should be allowed between the numerical value and the unit symbol.
For example, write 35 ram, not 35mm, and 2.371 m, not 2.371m. When the quantity is used in an adjectival sense, a
hyphen is often used instead of a space between the number and the unit name or between the number and the symbol
(except when the Þrst character of the symbol is not a letter, as in °C).

7Prefixes are considered separately.

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

EXAMPLES

A 3-meter pole The length is 3 meters.

A 35-mm film The width is 35 min.

EXCEPTION: No space is left between the numerical value and the symbols for degree, minute, and second of plane
angle.

When a compound unit is formed by multiplication of two or more other units, its symbol consists of the symbols for
the separate units joined by a raised dot (for example, Nám for newton meter). The dot may be omitted in the case of
familiar compounds such as watthour (symbol Wh) if no confusion would result.8 Hyphens should not be used in
symbols for compound units. Positive and negative exponents may be used with the symbols for units.

When a compound unit is formed by division of one unit by another, its symbol is constructed in one of the following
forms:

m
m ¤ s or m × s Ð1 or ----
s

In simple cases use of the solidus (slash) is preferred, but in no case should more than one solidus, or a solidus
followed by a product, be used in the same expression unless parentheses are inserted to avoid ambiguity. For example,
write:

J / (moláK) or Jámol-1áK-1 or (J / mol) / K

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but not J / mol / K or J / moláK.

In complicated cases negative powers should be used.9

Letter symbols and mathematical notation should not be mixed with unit names in the same expression. For example,
write joules per kilogram or J / kg. Do not write joules / kilogram or joules / kg, or J / kilogram.

3.5 The International System of Units (SI)

In this standard some units are identiÞed as SI units. These units belong to the International System of Units (Syst•me
International d'Unit•s), which is the name given in 1960 by the General Conference on Weights and Measures
(Conf•rence G•n•rale des Poids et Measures) to the coherent system of units based on the following base units and
quantities:

Unit Quantity
meter length
kilogram mass
second time
ampere electric current
kelvin thermodynamic temperature
mole amount of substance
candela luminous intensity

8It may also be omitted where symbols are separated by an exponent as in Nám2kg-2
9The notation for products and quotients of unit symbols is intentionally made more explicit than that given in 3.3 for quantity symbols because
some unit symbols consist of more than one letter.
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 IN ELECTRICAL SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IEEE Std 280-1985

SI includes as subsystems the MKS system of units, which covers mechanics, and the MKSA system, which covers
mechanics and electricity.

The spellings meter and liter are recommended. This is in accordance with guidance given by the Department of
Commerce, which is given the responsibility of interpreting SI for the United States under the Metric Conversion Act
of 1975. The variant spellings metre and litre are also used, especially in British English.

The following preÞxes are used to indicate decimal multiples or submultiples of SI units:10

Multiple SI Prefix Symbol

1018 exa E
1015 peta P
1012 tera T
109 giga G
106 mega M
103 kilo k
102 hecto h
10 deka da
10-1 deci d
10-2 centi c
10-3 milli m
10-6 micro m
10-9 nano n
10-12 pico p
10-15 femto f
10-18 atto a

Compound preÞxes, formed by the juxtaposition of two or more SI preÞxes, are not to be used. For example, use

1 cm not 1 mmm
1 pF, not mmF

If values are required outside the range covered by the preÞxes, they should be expressed using powers of ten applied
to the base unit.

An exponent attached to a symbol containing a preÞx indicates that the multiple or submultiple of the unit (the unit
with its preÞx) is raised to the power expressed by the exponent. For example:

1 cm3 = (10-2 m)3 = 10-6 m3

1 ns-1 = (10-9 s)-1 = 109 s-9

1 mm2/s = (10-3 m)2/s = 10-6m2/s

For further information concerning metric practice and the SI, refer to ANSI/IEEE Std 268-1982 [3].

10The use of SI prefixes with US customary units is not recommended, except in the case of the microinch and kilopound-force.

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

4. Special Principles for Quantity Symbols in Electrical Science and Electrical

Engineering

4.1 Phasor Quantities

Phasor quantifies, represented by complex numbers or complex time-varying functions, are extensively used in certain
branches of electrical engineering. The following notation and typography are to be used:

Notation* Remarks

Complex quantity Z Z = |Z| ejφ

Z = Re Z + j Im Z

Real part Re Z, Z′

Imaginary part Im Z, Z″

Conjugate complex
quantity Z* Z* = Re Z − j Im Z

Modulus of Z |Z|

Phase of Z,
Argument of Z arg Z arg Z = φ
*The following alternative notation
v
has been used in electrical power
engineering: Complex quantity, Z ; Conjugate complex quantity, Ẑ;
Modulus of complex quantity, Z. Further use of this notation for this
purpose is not recommended.

4.2 Conventions

4.2.1 Time Varying Quantities

When upper and lowercase type faces are available to resent a time-varying quantity, the lowercase letter may be used
for the instantaneous value of the quantity and the uppercase letter may be used as convenient for one of the
characterizing values associated with the quantity. For example, V, I, and Q are conventionally used to denote the root-
mean-square values of voltage, current, and charge, while ν, i, and q denote the instantaneous values. For time-varying
power, P is used to denote the average value, and p, the instantaneous power.

When, as an alternative to the above, subscripts are used to denote various values associated with a quantity, the
subscripts (for the values indicated) shall conform with the following list:

Preferred Reserve
Instantaneous value i I
Average value av AV
Root-mean-square
value* rms RMS
Maximum (peak) value max, m MAX, M
Minimum (valley, nadir)
value min, n MIN, N
*The subscript “f” has been adopted by the IEC but is not
recommended in this standard.

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 IN ELECTRICAL SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IEEE Std 280-1985

4.2.2 Internal and External Resistances, etc

When nonideal voltage and current sources are considered with electrical circuits, uppercase symbols (R, C, etc) may
be assigned to external circuit elements, and lowercase symbols (r, c, etc) may be assigned to the elements describing
the source.

EXAMPLES:

RL load resistance
ra anode resistance

4.2.3 Quantities Per Unit Volume, Area, or Length

It is recommended that quantities per unit volume, area, or length be represented where practicable by lowercase
letters corresponding to the uppercase letters that represent the total quantities, or by the uppercase letter with the
subscript v, a, or l, except for those quantities for which this standard gives a speciÞc symbol for the quantity per unit
volume, area, or length.

4.2.4 Sequence for Double Subscripts to Multiplying Operators

The sequence of the double subscripts to the multiplying coefÞcients (mutual impedances, resistances,
transconductances, etc) that occur in systems of equations is to be determined as follows. The Þrst subscript in the
symbol shall agree with the subscript of the quantity resulting from the multiplication, and the second subscript shall
agree with that of the multiplicand.

EXAMPLE: V1 = Z11I1 + Z12I2 + Z13I3

4.2.5 Notation for Symmetrical Components

The symmetrical components of current and voltage in unbalanced polyphase systems are preferably designated by
double subscripts. In the standard notation for the symmetrical components of line-to-neutral quantities:

1) The Þrst subscript designates the phase to which the component belongs, and is usually a lowercase letter
such as a, b, or c

2) The second subscript is a number that designates the sequence to which the component belongs, the
positive-, negative-, and zero-sequence components of a three-phase system designated by 1, 2, and 0,
respectively.

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Illustration of notation

Ia = Ia1 + Ia2 + Ia0

Ib = Ib1 + Ib2 + Ib0
Ic = Ic1 + Ic2 + Ic0

If symmetrical components of line-to-line quantities are to be represented, two subscripts to designate the phases
concerned are preferred, followed by a number to designate the sequence, as for example, Ebc1. Use of a single capital-
letter subscript to designate the phases is deprecated.

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

5. Introduction to the Tables

Tables 1 through 7 list quantities grouped in several categories, and give quantity symbols, units based on the
International System,11 and unit symbols. Table 8 lists physical constants, and Table 9 gives some mathematical
symbols that are particularly relevant to electrical engineering and science. The quantity symbols in Table 10 are then
presented in alphabetical order, so that cross-referencing is easy. The index of this standard includes names that are no
longer recommended for quantities, referring the reader to the current names.

Those quantity symbols that are separated by a comma are alternatives on equal standing. Where two symbols for a
quantity are separated by three dots (É), the second is a reserve symbol, which is to be used only where there is
speciÞc need to avoid a conßict. As a rule the tables do not indicate the vectorial or tensorial character that some of the
quantities may have.

11The name of the unit is given as a further guide to the definition of the symbol. A quantity shall be represented by the standard letter symbol
appearing in the table regardless of the system of units in which the quantity is expressed.

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 IN ELECTRICAL SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IEEE Std 280-1985

6. Symbols for Quantities

Table 1ÑSpace and Time

Quantity Unit Based on Unit
Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

1.1 angle, plane a, b, g, q, f, y radian rad Other Greek letters are permitted where no
conflict results.

1.2 angle, solid W, w steradian sr

1.3 length l meter m

1.4 breadth, width b meter m

1.5 height h meter m

1.6 thickness d, d meter m

1.7 radius r meter m

1.8 diameter d meter m

1.9 length of path s meter m

line segment

1.10 wavelength l meter m

1.11 wave number sÉ n÷ reciprocal meter m-1 s = 1/l

The symbol n÷ is used in spectroscopy.

1.12 circular wave number k radian per meter rad/m k = 2 p/l

angular wave number

1.13 area AÉS square meter m2

1.14 volume V, u cubic meter m3

1.15 time t second s

1.16 period T second s

time of one cycle

1.17 time constant tÉT second s

1.18 frequency ÄÉn hertz Hz The name cycle per second is also used for
this unit. The symbol for the unit cycle per
second is c/s; the use of cps as a symbol is
deprecated.

The symbol Ä used in circuit theory, sound,

and mechanics; n is used in optics and
quantum theory.

1.19 speed of rotation n revolution per second r/s

rotation frequency

1.20 angular frequency w radian per second rad/s w=2pÄ

1.21 angular velocity w radian per second rad/s

1.22 complex (angular) frequency pÉs reciprocal second s-1 p = -d + j w

oscillation constant

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

Quantity Unit Based on Unit

Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

1.23 angular acceleration a radian per second squared rad/s2

1.24 velocity n meter per second m/s

1.25 speed of propagation of c meter per second m/s In vacuum, c0; see 8.1.
electromagnetic waves

1.26 acceleration (linear) a meter per second squared m/s2

1.27 acceleration of free fall g meter per second squared m/s2 Standard value, gn; see 8.10.
gravitational acceleration

1.28 damping coefficient d neper per second Np/s If F is a function of time given by
F = Ae-dt sin (2 p t/T), then d is the
damping coefficient.

1.29 logarithmic decrement L (numeric) L = Td, where T and d are as given in the
equation of 1.28.

1.30 attenuation coefficient a neper per meter Np/m

1.31 phase coefficient b radian per meter rad/m

1.32 propagation coefficient g reciprocal meter m-1 g = a + jb

*Commas separate symbols on equal standing. Where two symbols are separated by three dots the second is a reserve symbol and is to be used only when there is specific need to
avoid a conflict. See Section 5., Introduction to the Tables.

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

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Table 2ÑMechanics
Quantity Unit Based on Unit
Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

2.1 mass m kilogram kg

2.2 (mass) density r kilogram per cubic meter kg/m3 Mass divided by volume

2.3 momentum p kilogram meter per second kgám/s

2.4 moment of inertia I, J kilogram meter squared kgám2

2.5 second (axial) moment of I, Ia meter to the fourth power m4 Quantities 2.5 and 2.6 should be
area distinguished from 2.4. They have often
been given the name Òmoment of inertia.Ó

2.6 second (polar) moment of J, Ip meter to the fourth power m4

area

2.7 force F newton N

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

2.8 moment of force M newton meter Nám

2.9 torque TÉM newton meter Nám

2.10 pressure p pascal Pa 1 Pa = 1 N/m2

2.11 normal stress s pascal Pa

2.12 shear stress t pascal Pa

2.13 stress tensor s pascal Pa

2.14 linear strain Î (numeric)

2.15 shear strain g (numeric)

2.16 strain tensor Î (numeric)

2.17 volume strain q (numeric)

2.18 Poisson's ratio m, n (numeric) Lateral contraction divided by elongation

2.19 Young's modulus E pascal Pa E = s/Î

modulus of elasticity

2.20 shear modulus G pascal Pa G = t/g

modulus of rigidity

2.21 bulk modulus K pascal Pa K = -p/q

2.22 work W joule J

2.23 energy E, W joule J U is recommended in thermodynamics for

internal energy and for blackbody
radiation.

2.24 energy (volume) density w joule per cubic meter J/m3

2.25 power P watt W Rate of energy transfer

W = 1 J/s

2.26 efficiency h (numeric)

*Commas separate symbols on equal standing. Where two symbols are separated by three dots the second is a reserve symbol and is to be used only when there is specific need to avoid
a conflict. See Section 5., Introduction to the Tables.

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

Table 3ÑHeat
Quantity Unit Based on Unit
Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

3.1 absolute temperature TÉQ kelvin K In 1967 the CGPM voted to give the name
thermodynamic temperature kelvin to the SI unit of temperature, which
was formerly called degree Kelvin, and to
assign it the symbol K (without the
symbol °).

3.2 Celsius temperature tÉq degree Celsius °C The symbol °C is printed without space
between ° and the letter that follows.

The word centigrade has been abandoned as

the name of a temperature scale.

The units of temperature interval or

difference are identical on the Kelvin and
Celsius scales.

3.3 heat Q joule J

3.4 internal energy U joule J

3.5 heat flow rate FÉq watt W Heat crossing a surface divided by time.

3.6 temperature coefficient a reciprocal degree Celsius °C-1 A temperature coefficient is not completely
defined unless the quantity that changes is
specified (for example, resistance, length,
pressure). The pressure (temperature)
coefficient is designated by b; the cubic
expansion (temperature) coefficient, by a,
b or g.
3.7 thermal diffusivity a square meter per second m2/s

3.8 thermal conductivity lÉk watt per meter degree Celsius W/(m á °C)

3.9 thermal conductance Gq watt per degree Celsius W/°C

3.10 thermal resistivity rq meter degree Celsius per watt m á °C/W

3.11 thermal resistance Rq degree Celsius per watt °C/W

3.12 thermal capacitance Cq joule per degree Celsius J/°C

heat capacity

3.13 thermal impedance Zq degree Celsius per watt °C/W

3.14 specific heat capacity c joule per degree Celsius kilogram J/(°Cákg) Heat capacity divided by mass

3.15 entropy S joule per kelvin J/K

3.16 specific entropy s joule per kelvin kilogram J/(Kákg) Entropy divided by mass

3.17 enthalpy H joule J

Commas separate symbols on equal standing. Where two symbols are separated by three dots the second is a reserve symbol and is to be used only when there is specific need to avoid
onflict. See Section 5., Introduction to the Tables.

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Table 4ÑRadiation and Light

Quantity Unit Based on Unit
Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

4.1 radiant intensity I É Ie watt per steradian W/sr

4.2 radiant power P, F É Fe watt W

radiant flux

4.3 radiant energy W, Q É Qe joule J The symbol U is used for the special case of
blackbody radiant energy.

4.4 radiance L É Le watt per steradian square meter W/(srám2)

4.5 radiant exitance M É Me watt per square meter W/m2

4.6 irradiance E É Ee watt per square meter W/m2

4.7 luminous intensity I É Iv candela cd

4.8 luminous flux F É Fv lumen lm

4.9 quantity of light Q É Qv lumen second lmás

4.10 luminance L É Lv candela per square meter cd/m2 The name nit is sometimes used for this unit.

4.11 luminous exitance M É Mv lumen per square meter lm/m2

4.12 illuminance E É Ev lux lx 1 lx = 1 lm/m2

illumination

4.13 spectral luminous efficacy K (l) lumen per watt lm/W

4.14 total luminous efficacy K, Kt lumen per watt lm/W K = Fv/P

4.15 refractive index n (numeric)

index of refraction

4.16 spectral emissivity Î (l) (numeric)

4.17 total emissivity Î, Ît (numeric)

4.18 spectral absorptance a (l) (numeric)

4.19 spectral transmittance t (l) (numeric)

4.20 spectral reflectance r (l) (numeric)

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

Commas separate symbols on equal standing. Where two symbols are separated by three dots the second is a reserve symbol and is to be used only when there is specific need to avoid
onflict. See Section 5., Introduction to the Tables.

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

Table 5ÑFields and Circuits

Quantity Unit Based on Unit
Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

5.1 electric charge Q coulomb C

quantity of electricity

5.2 linear density of charge l coulomb per meter C/m

5.3 surface density of charge s coulomb per square meter C/m2

5.4 volume density of charge r coulomb per cubic meter C/m3

5.5 electric field strength EÉK volt per meter V/m

5.6 electrostatic potential VÉf volt V

potential difference

5.7 retarded scalar potential Vr volt V

5.8 voltage V, E É U volt V

electromotive force

5.9 electric flux Y coulomb C

5.10 electric flux density D coulomb per square meter C/m2

(electric) displacement

5.11 capacitivity Î farad per meter F/m Of vacuum, Îv

permittivity
--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

absolute permittivity

5.12 relative capacitivity Îr, k (numeric)

relative permittivity
dielectric constant

5.13 complex relative Îr*, k* (numeric) Îr* = Îr¢ - jÎr²

capacitivity

complex relative Îr² is positive for lossy materials.

permittivity

complex dielectric constant The complex absolute permittivity

Î* is defined in analogous fashion.
5.14 electric susceptibility ce É Îi (numeric) ce = Îr - 1
5.15 electrization Ei É Ki volt per meter V/m Ei = (D/Ge) - E

5.16 electric polarization P coulomb per square meter C/m2 P = D - GeE

5.17 electric dipole moment p coulomb meter Cám

5.18 (electric) current I ampere A

5.19 current density JÉS ampere per square meter A/m2

5.20 linear current density AÉa ampere per meter A/m Current divided by the breadth of the
conducting sheet

5.21 magnetic field strength H ampere per meter A/m

5.22 magnetic (scalar) potential U, Um ampere A

magnetic potential
difference

5.23 magnetomotive force F, Fm É F ampere A

5.24 magnetic flux F weber Wb

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Quantity Unit Based on Unit

Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

5.25 magnetic flux density B tesla T T = Wb/m2

magnetic induction

5.26 magnetic flux linkage L weber Wb

5.27 (magnetic) vector potential A weber per meter Wb/m

5.28 retarded (magnetic) vector Ar weber per meter Wb/m

potential

5.29 (magnetic) permeability m henry per meter H/m Of vacuum, mv

absolute permeability

5.30 relative(magnetic) mr (numeric)

permeability

5.31 initial (relative) mo (numeric)

permeability

5.32 complex relative mr* (numeric) mr* = mr¢ - jmr²

permeability mr² is positive for lossy materials.
The complex absolute permeability m* is
defined in analogus fashion.

5.33 magnetic susceptibility cm É mi (numeric) cm = mr - 1

5.34 reluctivity n meter per henry m/H n = 1/m
5.35 magnetization Hi, M ampere per meter A/m Hi = (B/Gm) - H

5.36 magnetic polarization J, Bi tesla T J = B - GmH

intrinsic magnetic flux
density

5.37 magnetic (area) moment m ampere meter squared Aám2 The vector product m ´ B is equal to the
torque.

5.38 capacitance C farad F

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
5.39 elastance S reciprocal farad F-1 S = 1/C

5.40 (self) inductance L henry H

5.41 reciprocal inductance G reciprocal henry H-1

5.42 mutual inductance Lij, Mij henry H If only a single mutual inductance is
involved, M may be used without
subscripts.

5.43 coupling coefficient kÉk (numeric) k = Lij(Li Lj)1/2

5.44 leakage coefficient s (numeric) s = 1 - k2

5.45 number of turns (in a N, n (numeric)
winding)

5.46 number of phases m (numeric)

5.47 turns ratio n É n* (numeric)

5.48 transformer ratio a (numeric) Square root of the ratio of secondary to

primary self inductance. Where the
coefficient of coupling is high, a » n*.

5.49 resistance R ohm W

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Quantity Unit Based on Unit

Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

5.50 resistivity r ohm meter Wám

volume resistivity

5.51 conductance G siemens S G = Re Y

5.52 conductivity g, s siemens per meter S/m g = 1/r

In field theory g is used for the propagation
coefficient necessitating the use of s for
conductivity in this application.

5.53 reluctance R, Rm É reciprocal henry H-1 Magnetic potential difference divided by

magnetic flux.

5.54 permeance P, Pm É henry H Pm = 1/Rm

5.55 impedance Z ohm W Z = R + jX

5.56 reactance X ohm W

5.57 capacitive reactance XC ohm W For a pure capacitance,

XC = - 1/w C

5.58 inductive reactance XL ohm W For a pure inductance

XL = w L
2p ( peak energy stored )
5.59 quality factor Q (numeric) Q = ----------------------------------------------------------------------
( energy dissipated per cycle )
For a simple reactor, Q=|X|/R

5.60 admittance Y siemens S Y = 1/Z = G + jB

5.61 susceptance B siemens S B = Im Y

5.62 loss angle d radian rad d = arctan (R/|X|)

5.63 active power P watt W

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
5.64 reactive power Q É Pq var var

5.65 apparent power S É Ps voltampere VA

5.66 power factor cos f É Fp (numeric)

5.67 reactive factor sin f É Fq (numeric)

5.68 input power Pi watt W

5.69 output power Po watt W

5.70 Poynting vector S watt per square meter W/m2

5.71 characteristic impedance Zo ohm W

surge impedance

5.72 intrinsic impedance of a h ohm W

medium

5.73 voltage standing-wave ratio S (numeric)

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Quantity Unit Based on Unit

Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

5.74 resonance frequency Är hertz Hz

5.75 critical frequency Äc hertz Hz

cutoff frequency

5.76 resonance angular frequency wr radian per second rad/s

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

5.77 critical angular frequency wc radian per second rad/s

cutoff angular frequency

5.78 resonance wavelength lr meter m

5.79 critical wavelength lc meter m

cutoff wavelength

5.80 wavelength in a guide lg meter m

5.81 hysteresis coefficient kh (numeric)

5.82 eddy-current coefficient ke (numeric)

5.83 phase angle f, q radian rad

phase difference
Commas separate symbols on equal standing. Where two symbols are separated by three dots the second is a reserve symbol and is to be used only when there is specific need to avoid
onflict. See Section 3., Introduction to the Tables.

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

Table 6ÑElectronics and Telecommunication

Quantity Unit Based on Unit
Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

6.1 carrier frequency Äc hertz Hz

6.2 instantaneous frequency Ä, Äi hertz Hz

6.3 intermediate frequency Äi, Äif hertz Hz

6.4 modulation frequency Äm hertz Hz

6.5 pulse repetition frequency Äp hertz Hz

6.6 frequency deviation Äd hertz Hz

6.7 Doppler frequency shift ÄD hertz Hz

6.8 pulse duration tp second s

6.9 rise time (of a pulse) tr second s

6.10 fall time (of a pulse) tf second s

decay time (of a pulse)

6.11 duty factor D (numeric) D = tp Äp

pulse duty factor

6.12 phase propagation time tf second s

6.13 group propagation time tg second s

6.14 duration of a signal element t second s

6.15 signaling speed 1/t baud Bd

6.16 cathode-heating time tk second s

6.17 deionization time td second s

6.18 ionization time ti second s

6.19 form factor kf (numeric)

6.20 peak factor kpk (numeric)

6.21 distortion factor d (numeric)

6.22 modulation factor (AM) m (numeric)

6.23 modulation index (FM) h (numeric)

6.24 signal power Ps, S watt W

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

6.25 noise power Pn, N watt W

6.26 noise-power density N0 watt per hertz W/Hz

6.27 energy of a signal element E joule J

6.28 signal-to-noise power ratio R, S/N (numeric) R = Ps/Pn

6.29 elementary signal-to-noise R, Re (numeric) Re = E/N0

ratioà

6.30 gain (power)à G (numeric)

6.31 amplification (current or A (numeric)

voltage)à

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Quantity Unit Based on Unit

Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

6.32 noise factorà F (numeric)

noise figure

6.33 bandwidth B hertz Hz

6.34 feedback transfer ratio b (numeric)

6.35 critical frequency of an Äc hertz Hz

ionized layer

6.36 plasma frequency Än hertz Hz

6.37 ion (number) density n+; n- ion per cubic meter m-3

6.38 mobility (of a charge carrier m square meter per volt second m2/(V á s)
in a medium)

6.39 rate of production of q electron per cubic meter second m-3 s-1
electrons per unit volume

6.40 recombination coefficient a cubic meter per second m3/s

6.41 effective attachment b reciprocal second s-1

coefficient

6.42 m-factor mij (numeric) mij = |¶ui/¶uj| where ui and uj are the
voltages of the ith and jth electrodes,
and the current to the ith electrode and
all electrode voltages other than ui and
uj are held constant.
6.43 amplification factor m (numeric) The amplification factor is the m-factor for
the anode and control-grid electrodes.

6.44 interelectrode yij siemens S

transadmittance
--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

6.45 interelectrode gij siemens S The real part of the interelectrode

transconductance transmittance.

6.46 mutual conductance gm, gag siemens S The mutual conductance is the control-
transconductance grid-to-anode conductance.

6.47 conversion gC siemens S Transconductance defined for a

transconductance heterdodyne conversion transducer.

6.48 plate resistance ra ohm W

anode resistance

6.49 anode dissipation power Pa watt W

6.50 grid dissipation power Pg watt W

6.51 saturation current of a Is ampere A

cathode

6.52 secondary-emission ratio d (numeric)

6.53 temperature of mercury THg kelvin K

condensate

6.54 radiant sensitivity of a s ampere per watt A/W

photo-tube, dynamic

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

Quantity Unit Based on Unit

Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

6.55 radiant sensitivity of a S ampere per watt A/W

photo-tube, static

6.56 luminous sensitivity of a sv ampere per lumen A/lm

photo-tube, dynamic

6.57 luminous sensitivity of a Sv ampere per lumen A/lm

photo-tube, static

6.58 Subscripts, Electronic Tubes

anode a

cathode k

grid g

heater h

filament (emitting) f

fluorescent screen or t
target

external conducting M
coating

internal conducting m
coating

deflector electrode x or y

internal shield s

wave-retardation electrode wr

beam-forming plate bp

switch, moving contact cm

switch, fixed contact cf

6.59 Subscripts, Semiconductor Devices

emitter terminal E, e

base terminal B, b

collector terminal C, c

anode A, a

cathode K, k

control terminal (gate) G, g

drain terminal D, d

junction (general) J, j

source terminal S, s
*Commas separate symbols on equal standing. Where two symbols are separated by three dots the second is a reserve symbol and is to be used only when there is specific need to avoid
a conflict. See Section 5., Introduction to the Tables.
This quantity may be expressed logarithmically in decibels (dB).

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Table 7ÑMachines and Power Engineering

Quantity Unit Based on Unit
Item Quantity Symbol* International System Symbol Remarks

7.1 synchronous speed n1 revolution per second r/s

(of rotation)

7.2 synchronous angular w1 radian per second rad/s

frequency

7.3 slip s (numeric)

7.4 number of poles p, 2p (numeric) The IEC gives p for the number of pairs of
poles, although p has been widely used in
the US for the number of poles. Where
ambiguity may occur, the intended
meaning should be indicated.

7.5 pole strength pÉm weber Wb

*Commas separate symbols on equal standing. Where two symbols are separated by three dots the second is a reserve symbol and is to be used only when there is specific need to avoid
a conflict. See Section 3., Introduction to the Tables.

Table 8ÑSymbols for Physical Constants

Item Name of Constant Symbol Value Remarks

8.1 speed of propagation of co 2.997 924 58 (1.2) á 108 m/s NOTE (1)
electro-magnetic waves in
vacuum
--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

8.2 magnetic constant Gm 4p á 10-7 H/m

8.3 electric constant Ge 8.854 187 8 (1) á 10-12 F/m Ge = 1/Gmco2

8.4 elementary charge e 1.602 189 2 (46) á 10-19 C NOTE (1)
electronic charge

8.5 Avogadro constant NA 6.022 045 (31) á 1023 mol-1 NOTE (1)

8.6 Faraday constant F 9.648 456 (27) á 104 C/mol NOTE (1)

8.7 Planck constant h 6.626 176 (36) á 10-34 Jás NOTE (1)

h 1.054 588 7 (57) á 10-34 J á s h = h/2p

8.8 Boltzmann constant k 1.380 662 (44) á 10-23 J/K NOTE (1)

8.9 gravitational constant G 6.670 0 (41) á 10-11 N á m2/kg2 NOTE (1)

8.10 standard acceleration of free gn 9.806 65 m/s2 Defined by the (CGPM) in 1901.
fall

NOTES:
1 Ñ These values are taken from the National Bureau of Standards Dimensions/NBS of January 1974. The numbers in parentheses are the one-standard-
deviation uncertainties in the last digits of the quoted value.
2 Ñ Symbols for physical quantities are set in italic type. See Section 3., General Principles of Letter Symbol Standardization.

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

Table 9ÑSelected Mathematical Symbols

Item Name Symbol Remarks

9.1 ordinary differential sign d

9.2 partial differential sign ¶

9.3 sign of variation d

9.4 increment sign D

sign of difference calculus

9.5 vector differential operator Ñ

9.6 d'Alembertian operator ❏

9.7 base of natural logarithms e, Î

9.8 imaginary unit i, j i2 = -1

90° rotative operator

9.9 120° rotative operator a a = ej2p/3

9.10 cartesian coordinates x, y, z

9.11 unit vector, x-axis i

9.12 unit vector, y-axis j

9.13 unit vector, z-axis k

9.14 cylindrical coordinates r, f, z (ds)2 = (dr)2 + (rdf)2 + (dz)2

9.15 spherical coordinates r, q, f (ds)2 = (dr)2 + (r sin qdf)2 + (rdq)2

9.16 real part of Re

9.17 imaginary part of Im

9.18 natural logarithm of ln, loge

9.19 common logarithm of log, log10

NOTE Ñ Symbols for mathematical constants and operators are set in roman (upright) type. See Section 3., General
Principles of Letter Symbol Standardization.
--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

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Table 10ÑSymbols Listed in Alphabetical Order

Symbol Item* Quantity

a 9.9 120° rotative operator

a 1.26 acceleration (linear)

5.48 transformer ratio

A 1.13 area

5.20 linear current density

5.27 (magnetic) vector potential

6.31 amplification (current or voltage)

Ar 5.28 retarded magnetic vector potential

b 1.4 breadth, width

B 5.25 magnetic flux density

magnetic induction

5.61 susceptance

6.33 bandwidth

Bi 5.36 magnetic polarization intrinsic

magnetic flux density

c 1.25 speed of propagation of electromagnetic waves

3.14 specific heat capacity

co 8.1 speed of propagation of electromagnetic waves in

vacuum

C 5.38 capacitance

Cq 3.12 thermal capacitance

heat capacity

d 9.1 ordinary differential sign

d 1.6 thickness

1.8 diameter

6.21 distortion factor

D 5.10 electric flux density

(electric displacement)

6.11 duty factor

pulse duty factor

e 9.7 base of natural logarithms

e 8.4 elementary charge

electronic charge

E 2.19 Young's modulus

modulus of elasticity
--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

2.23 energy

4.6 irradiance

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

Symbol Item* Quantity

4.12 illuminance
illumination

5.5 electric field strength

5.8 voltage

6.27 energy of a signal element

Ee 4.6 irradiance

Ei 5.15 electrization

Ev 4.12 illuminance
illumination

Ä 1.18 frequency

6.2 instantaneous frequency

Äc 5.75 critical frequency

cutoff frequency

6.1 carrier frequency

6.35 critical frequency of an ionized layer

Äd 6.6 frequency deviation

ÄD 6.7 Doppler frequency shift

Äi 6.2 instantaneous frequency

6.3 intermediate frequency

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

Äif 6.3 intermediate frequency

Äm 6.4 modulation frequency

Än 6.36 plasma frequency

Äp 6.5 pulse repetition frequency

Är 5.74 resonance frequency

F 2.7 force

5.23 magnetomotive force

6.32 noise factor

noise figure

8.6 Faraday constant

Fm 5.23 magnetomotive force

Fp 5.66 power factor

Fq 5.67 reactive factor

F 5.23 magnetomotive force

g 1.27 acceleration of free fall

gravitational acceleration

gag 6.46 mutual conductance

transconductance

24 Copyright © 1984 IEEE All Rights Reserved

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 IN ELECTRICAL SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IEEE Std 280-1985

Symbol Item* Quantity

gC 6.47 conversation transconductance

gij 6.45 interelectrode transconductance

gm 6.46 mutual conductance

gn 8.10 standard acceleration of free fall

G 2.20 shear modulus

5.51 conductance

6.30 gain (power)

8.9 gravitational constant

Gq 3.9 thermal conductance

h 1.5 height

8.7 Planck constant

8.7 Planck constant

H 3.17 enthalpy

5.21 magnetic field strength

Hi 5.35 magnetization

i 9.8 imaginary unit

i 9.11 unit vector, x-axis

I 2.4 moment of inertia

2.5 second (axial) moment of area

4.1 radiant intensity

4.7 luminous intensity

5.18 (electric) current

Ia 2.5 second (axial) moment of area

Ie 4.1 radiant intensity

Ip 2.6 second (polar) moment of area

Is 6.51 saturation current of a cathode

Iv 4.7 luminous intensity

Im 9.17 imaginary part of

j 9.8 imaginary unit

j 9.12 unit-vector, y-axis

J 2.4 moment of inertia

2.6 second (polar) moment of area

5.19 current density

5.36 magnetic polarization

k 1.12 circular wave number

Copyright © 1984 IEEE All Rights Reserved 25

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

Symbol Item* Quantity

3.8 thermal conductivity

5.43 coupling coefficient

8.8 Boltzmann constant

ke 5.82 eddy-current coefficient

kf 6.19 form factor

kh 5.81 hysteresis coefficient

kpk 6.20 peak factor

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

k 9.13 unit vector, z-axis

K 2.21 bulk modulus

4.13 luminous efficacy

4.14 total luminous efficacy

5.5 electric field strength

Ki 5.15 electrization

Kt 4.14 total luminous efficacy

l 1.3 length

ln 9.18 natural logarithm of

log 9.19 common logarithm of

loge 9.18 natural logarithm of

log10 9.19 common logarithm of

L 4.4 radiance

4.10 luminance

5.40 (self) inductance

Le 4.4 radiance

Lij 5.42 mutual inductance

Lv 4.10 luminance

m 2.1 mass

5.37 magnetic (area) moment

5.46 number of phases

6.22 modulation factor (AM)

7.5 pole strength

M 2.8 moment of force

2.9 torque

4.5 radiant exitance

4.11 luminous exitance

5.35 magnetization

26 Copyright © 1984 IEEE All Rights Reserved

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 IN ELECTRICAL SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IEEE Std 280-1985

Symbol Item* Quantity

Me 4.5 radiant exitance

Mij 5.42 mutual inductance

Mv 4.11 luminous exitance

n 1.19 speed of rotation

4.15 refractive index

5.45 number of turns (in a winding)

5.47 turns ratio

n+ 6.37 ion (number) density

n- 6.37 ion (number) density

n1 7.1 synchronous speed (of rotation)

n* 5.47 turns ratio

N 5.45 number of turns (in a winding)

6.25 noise power

NA 8.5 Avogadro constant

No 6.26 noise-power density

1.22 complex (angular) frequency

p
2.3 momentum

2.10 pressure

5.17 electric dipole moment

7.4 number of poles

7.5 pole strength

P 2.25 power

4.2 radiant power

5.16 electric polarization

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

5.54 permeance

5.63 active power

Pa 6.49 anode dissipation power

Pg 6.50 grid dissipation power

Pi 5.68 input power

Pm 5.54 permeance

Pn 6.25 noise power

Po 5.69 output power

Pq 5.64 reactive power

Ps 5.65 apparent power

6.24 signal power

Copyright © 1984 IEEE All Rights Reserved 27

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

Symbol Item* Quantity

P 5.54 permeance

q 3.5 heat flow rate

6.39 rate of production of electrons per unit volume

Q 3.3 heat

4.3 radiant energy

4.9 quantity of light

5.1 electric charge

5.59 quality factor

5.64 reactive power

Qe 4.3 radiant energy

Qv 4.9 quantity of light

r 1.7 radius

9.15 spherical coordinate

ra 6.48 plate resistance

R 5.49 resistance

5.53 reluctance

6.28 signal-to-noise power ratio

6.29 elementary signal-to-noise ratio

Re 6.29 elementary signal-to- noise ratio

Rm 5.53 reluctance

Rq 3.11 thermal resistance

R 5.53 reluctance

Re 9.16 real part of

s 1.9 length of path

1.22 complex (angular) frequency

s 3.16 specific entropy

6.54 radiant sensitivity of a phototube, dynamic

7.3 slip

sv 6.56 luminous sensitivity of a phototube, dynamic

S 1.13 area

3.15 entropy

5.19 current density

5.39 elastance

5.65 apparent power

5.70 Poynting vector

28 --````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
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 IN ELECTRICAL SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IEEE Std 280-1985

Symbol Item* Quantity

5.73 voltage standing-wave ratio

6.24 signal power

6.55 radiant sensitivity of a phototube, static

Sv 6.57 luminous sensitivity of a phototube, static

t 1.15 time

3.2 Celcius temperature

td 6.17 deionization time

tf 6.10 fall time (of a pulse)

(decay time (of a pulse)

tg 6.13 group propagation time

ti 6.18 ionization time

tk 6.16 cathode-heating time

tp 6.8 pulse duration

tr 6.9 rise time (of a pulse)

tf 6.12 phase propagation time

T 1.16 period
time of one cycle

1.17 time constant

2.9 torque

3.1 absolute temperature

thermodynamic temperature

THg 6.53 temperature of mercury condensate

U 3.4 internal energy

5.8 voltage
electromotive force

5.22 magnetic (scalar) potential

magnetic potential difference

Um 5.22 magnetic (scalar) potential

magnetic potential difference

u 1.14 volume

1.24 velocity

V 1.14 volume

5.6 electrostatic potential

potential difference

5.8 voltage
electromotive force

Vr 5.7 retarded scalar potential

w 2.24 energy (volume) density

Copyright © 1984 IEEE All Rights Reserved 29

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

Symbol Item* Quantity

W 2.22 work

2.23 energy

4.3 radiant energy

x 9.10 Cartesian coordinate

X 5.56 reactance

XC 5.57 capacitive reactance

XL 5.58 inductive reactance

y 9.10 Cartesian coordinate

yij 6.44 interelectrode transadmittance

Y 5.60 admittance

z 9.10 Cartesian coordinate

9.14 cylindrical coordinate

Z 5.55 impedance

Zo 5.71 characteristic impedance

surge impedance

Zq 3.13 thermal impedance

a 1.1 angle, plane

1.23 angular accelaration

1.30 attenuation coefficient

3.6 temperature coefficient

3.7 thermal diffusivity

4.18 spectral absorptance

5.20 linear current density

6.40 recombination coefficient

b 1.1 angle, plane

1.31 phase coefficient

6.34 feedback transfer ratio

6.41 effective attachment coefficient

g 1.1 angle, plane

1.32 propagation coefficient

2.15 shear strain

5.52 conductivity

G 5.41 reciprocal inductance

Ge 8.3 electric constant

Gm 8.2 magnetic constant

30
--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
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 IN ELECTRICAL SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IEEE Std 280-1985

Symbol Item* Quantity

d 1.6 thickness

1.28 damping coefficient

5.61 loss angle

6.51 secondary-emission ratio

9.3 sign of variation

¶ 9.2 partial differential sign

D 9.4 increment sign

sign of difference calculus

Î 2.14 linear strain

4.16 spectral emissivity

4.17 total emissivity

5.11 capacitivity
permittivity
absolute permittivity

9.7 base of natural logarithms

Î 2.16 strain tensor

Îi 5.14 electric susceptibility

Îr 5.12 relative capacitivity

relative permittivity
dielectric constant

Îr* 5.13 complex relative capacitivity

complex relative permittivity
complex dielectric constant

Ît 4.17 total emissivity

Îu 5.11 capacitivity
permittivity
absolute permittivity

h 2.26 efficiency

5.72 intrinsic impedance of a medium

6.23 modulation index (FM)

q 1.1 angle, plane

2.17 volume strain

3.2 Celcius temperature

5.83 phase angle

phase difference
--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---

9.15 spherical coordinate

Q 3.1 absolute temperature

thermodynamic temperature

Copyright © 1984 IEEE All Rights Reserved 31

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

Symbol Item* Quantity

k 5.12 relative capacitivity

relative permittivity
dielectric constant

5.43 coupling coefficient

k* 5.13 complex relative capacitivity

complex relative permittivity
complex dielectric constant

l 1.10 wavelength

3.8 thermal conductivity

5.2 linear density of charge

lc 5.79 critical wavelength

cutoff wavelength

lg 5.80 wavelength in a guide

lr 5.78 resonance wavelength

L 1.29 logarithmic decrement

5.26 magnetic flux linkage

m 2.18 Poisson's ratio

5.29 (magnetic) permeability

absolute permeability

6.38 mobility (of a charge carrier in a medium)

6.43 amplification factor

--````,`-`-`,,`,,`,`,,`---
mi 5.33 magnetic susceptibility

mij 6.42 m-factor

mo 5.31 initial (relative) permeability

mr 5.30 relative (magnetic) permeability

5.32 complex relative permeability

m *r

mv 5.29 (magnetic) permeability

absolute permeability

n 1.18 frequency

2.18 Poisson's ratio

5.34 reluctivity

1.11 wave number

r 2.2 (mass) density

4.20 spectral reflectance

5.4 volume density of charge

5.50 resistivity
volume resistivity

32 Copyright © 1984 IEEE All Rights Reserved

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 IN ELECTRICAL SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING IEEE Std 280-1985

Symbol Item* Quantity

9.14 cylindrical coordinate

rq 3.10 thermal resistivity

s 1.11 wave number

2.11 normal stress

5.3 surface density of charge

s 5.44 leakage coefficient

5.52 conductivity

s 2.13 stress tensor

t 1.17 time constant

2.12 shear stress

4.19 spectral transmittance

6.14 duration of a signal element

1/t 6.15 signaling speed

f 1.1 angle, plane

5.6 electrostatic potential

potential difference

f 5.83 phase angle

phase difference

9.14 cylindrical coordinate

9.15 spherical coordinate

F 3.5 heat flow rate

4.2 radiant power

radiant flux

4.8 luminous flux

5.24 magnetic flux

Fe 4.2 radiant power

radiant flux

Fv 4.8 luminous flux

ce 5.14 electric susceptibility

cm 5.33 magnetic susceptibility

y 1.1 angle, plane

Copyright © 1984 IEEE All Rights Reserved 33

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 IEEE Std 280-1985 IEEE STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR QUANTITIES USED

Symbol Item* Quantity

Y 5.9 electric flux

w 5.9 angle, solid

1.20 angular frequency

1.21 angular velocity

wc 5.77 critical angular frequency

w1 7.2 synchronous angular frequency

wr 5.76 resonance angular frequency

W 1.2 angle, solid

Ñ 9.5 vector differential operator

❏ 9.6 d'Alembertian operator

*Numbers refer to items in Tables 1 through 9.

34 Copyright © 1984 IEEE All Rights Reserved

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