List of Common Physics Abbreviations

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[edit] Latin Characters

A = area, Magnetic vector potential

a = acceleration, speed of sound

B = magnetic field, Wien displacement law constant

b = base

C = Capacitance, any constant, e.g. the constant of integration

c = speed of light (in a vacuum), speed of sound, specific heat capacity

D = electrical displacement

d = distance, diameter

E = energy, electric field

F = force

f = friction, frequency

G = gravitational constant

g = acceleration due to gravity

h = height, Planck's constant

I = electric current, sound intensity

k = Boltzmann constant, the spring constant in Hooke's law, thermal conductivity, wavenumber

L = angular momentum, inductance

l = length, slant height

M = moment

m = mass

P = power, pressure, perimeter

p = momentum

Q = electric charge, heat flux

R = electrical resistance

r = radius

S = surface area

s = displacement

T = temperature, period

t = time

U = internal energy

V = volume, voltage, shear force

v = velocity

W = mechanical work

w = width

x = a generic unknown, displacement

[edit] Greek Characters

Δ = a change in a variable (e.g. Δx)

δ = displacement (usually small)

ε = strain (materials science)

ζ = damping ratio

η = energy efficiency

θ = angle

λ = wavelength

μ = coefficient of friction, refractive index, dynamic viscosity

υ = kinematic viscosity

π = 3.14... (irrational number)

ρ = density, resistivity

Ω = ohm

σ = normal stress, electrical conductivity, the Stefan-Boltzmann constant

τ = torque, shear stress, time constant

Φ = magnetic flux

ω = angular frequency

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