Centimetre–gram–second system of units

The centimetre–gram–second (CGS) system is a system of measurement whose base units are the centimetre, gram, and second. Its derived units vary across electromagnetic formulations.

Centimetre: A unit of length equal to one hundredth of a metre. It is CGS’s base unit of length.
International System of Units: The internationally standardized system of measurement built around seven base units. SI replaced CGS as the standard for most scientific and technical measurement.
Magnetism: The physical phenomenon of forces and fields associated with electric currents and magnetic materials. CGS electromagnetic units remain common in some treatments of magnetic fields.
Carl Friedrich Gauss: A German mathematician and physicist whose work helped establish quantitative methods in geomagnetism. His measurement work helped motivate coherent centimetre-based units.
Gram: A unit of mass equal to one thousandth of a kilogram. It is CGS’s base unit of mass.
MKS system of units: A system of units based on the metre, kilogram, and second. Its larger base units led toward the modern SI system.
Astrophysics: The study of the physical properties and processes of celestial objects and phenomena. Older literature and some calculations in astrophysics use CGS units.
Wilhelm Eduard Weber: A German physicist who developed electromagnetic measurement methods with Carl Friedrich Gauss. His electrical measurements helped shape early CGS electromagnetic systems.
Second: The SI base unit of time, defined by a specified transition frequency of caesium-133. It is CGS’s base unit of time.
Gaussian system of units: An electromagnetic unit system that uses CGS mechanical units and Gaussian conventions for electromagnetic quantities. It is a widely used electromagnetic formulation built on CGS units.

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