Regulation of Dangerous Goods
Main ContentChapter 1.2 Units of Measurement
| 1.2.1 | Table for Units of Measurement 
 | 
| 1.2.1.1 | The following units of measurement* are applicable in the Code: | 
| Measurement of: | SI Unit a | Acceptable alternative unit | Relationship between units | 
| Length | m (metre) | – | – | 
| Area | m2 (square metre) | – | – | 
| Volume | m3 (cubic metre) | L b (litre) | 1 L = 10-3 m3 | 
| Time | s (second) | min (minute) | 1 min = 60 s | 
| 
 | 
 | h (hour) | 1 h = 3600 s | 
| 
 | 
 | d (day) | 1 d = 86,400 s | 
| Mass | kg (kilogram) | g (gram) | 1 g = 10-3 kg | 
| 
 | 
 | t (tonne) | 1 t = 103 kg | 
| Mass density | kg/m3 | kg/L | 1 kg/L = 103 kg/m3 | 
| Temperature | K (kelvin) | °C (degree Celsius) | 0°C = 273.15 K | 
| Difference of temperature | K (kelvin) | °C (degree Celsius) | 1°C = 1 K | 
| Force | N (newton) | – | 1 N = 1 kg˙m/s2 | 
| Pressure | Pa (pascal) | bar (bar) | 1 bar = 105 Pa | 
| 
 | 
 | 
 | 1 Pa = 1 N/m2 | 
| Stress | N/m2 | N/mm2 | 1 N/mm2 = 1 MPa | 
| Work | J (joule) | kWh (kilowatt hour) | 1 kWh = 3.6 MJ | 
| Energy | J (joule) | – | 1 J = 1 N˙m = 1 W˙s | 
| Quantity of heat | J (joule) | eV (electronvolt) | 1 eV = 0.1602 x 10-18 J | 
| Power | W (watt) | – | 1 W = 1 J/s = 1 N˙m/s | 
| Electrical resistance | Ω (ohm | – | 1Ω = 1 kg • m² • s-³ • A-² | 
| Kinematic viscosity | m2/s | mm2/s | 1 mm2/s = 10-6 m2/s | 
| Dynamic viscosity | Pa˙s | mPa˙s | 1 mPa˙s = 10-3Pa˙s | 
| Conductivity | S/m (siemens/metre) | – | – | 
| * The following round figures are applicable for the conversion of the units hitherto used into The International System of Units (SI). a SI is the result of decisions taken at the General Conference on Weights and Measures. b The abbreviation “l” for litre may also be used in place of the abbreviation “L”. | |||
| Force 1 kg = 9.807 N 1 N = 0.102 kg 
 | Stress 1 kg/mm2 = 9.807 N/mm2 1 N/mm2 = 0.102 kg/mm2 | 
 | 
 | 
| Pressure 1 Pa = 1 N/m2 = 10-5 bar 1 bar = 105 Pa 1 kg/cm2 = 9.807 x 104 Pa 1 torr = 1.33 x 102 Pa 
 | 
 = 1.02 x 10-5 kg/cm2 = 1.02 kg/cm2 = 0.9807 bar = 1.33 x 10-3 bar | 
 = 0.75 x 10-2 torr = 750 torr = 736 torr = 1.36 x 10-3kg/cm2 | 
 | 
| Work, Energy, Quantity of heat | |||
| 1 J = 1 N˙m | = 0.278 x 10-6 kWh | = 0.102 kg˙m | = 0.239 x 10-3 kcal | 
| 1 kWh = 3.6 x 106 J | = 367 x 103 kg˙m | = 860 kcal | 
 | 
| 1 kg˙m = 9.807 J | = 2.72 x 10-6 kWh | = 2.34 x 10-3 kcal | 
 | 
| 1 kcal = 4.19 x 103 J 
 | = 1.16 x 10-3 kWh | = 427 kg˙m | 
 | 
| Power | 
 | Kinematic viscosity | 
 | 
| 1 W = 0.102 kg˙m/s | = 0.86 kcal/h | 1 m2/s = 104 St (Stokes) | 
 | 
| 1 kg˙m/s = 9.807 W | = 8.43 kcal/h | 1 St = 10-4 m2/s | 
 | 
| 1 kcal/h = 1.16 W 
 | = 0.119 kg˙m/s | 
 | 
 | 
| Dynamic viscosity | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
| 1 Pa˙s = 1 N˙s/m2 | = 10 P (poise) | = 0.102 kg˙s/m2 | 
 | 
| 1 P = 0.1 Pa˙s | = 0.1 N˙s/m2 | = 1.02 x 10-2 kg˙s/m2 | 
 | 
| 1 kg˙s/m2 = 9.807 Pa˙s | = 9.807 N˙s/m2 | = 98.07 P | 
 | 
The decimal multiples and sub-multiples of a unit may be formed by prefixes or symbols, having the following meanings, placed before the name or symbol of the unit:
| Multiplying Factor | 
 | 
 | 
 | Prefix | Symbol | 
| 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 | = | 1018 | (quintillion) | exa | E | 
| 1,000,000,000,000,000 | = | 1015 | (quadrillion) | peta | P | 
| 1,000,000,000,000 | = | 1012 | (trillion) | tera | T | 
| 1,000,000,000 | = | 109 | (billion) | giga | G | 
| 1,000,000 | = | 106 | (million) | mega | M | 
| 1,000 | = | 103 | (thousand) | kilo | k | 
| 100 | = | 102 | (hundred) | hecto | h | 
| 10 | = | 101 | (ten) | deca | da | 
| 0.1 | = | 10-1 | (tenth) | deci | d | 
| 0.01 | = | 10-2 | (hundredth) | centi | c | 
| 0.001 | = | 10-3 | (thousandth) | milli | m | 
| 0.000,001 | = | 10-6 | (millionth) | micro | μ | 
| 0.000,000,001 | = | 10-9 | (billionth) | nano | n | 
| 0.000,000,000,001 | = | 10-12 | (trillionth) | pico | p | 
| 0.000,000,000,000,001 | = | 10-15 | (quadrillionth) | femto | f | 
| 0.000,000,000,000,000,001 | = | 10-18 | (quintillionth) | atto | a | 
| Note: 109= 1 billion is United Nations usage in English. By analogy, so 10-9 = 1 billionth. | |||||
| 1.2.1.2 | Whenever the mass of a package is mentioned, the gross mass is meant unless otherwise stated. 
 | 
| 1.2.1.3 | Unless expressly stated otherwise, the sign “%” represents: 
 | 
| (a) in the case of mixtures of solids or of liquids, and also in the case of solutions and of solids wetted by a liquid: a percentage mass based on the total mass of the mixture, the solution or the wetted solid; 
 | |
| (b) in the case of mixtures of compressed gases: when filled by pressure, the proportion of the volume indicated as a percentage of the total volume of the gaseous mixture, or, when filled by mass, the proportion of the mass indicated as a percentage of the total mass of the mixture; 
 | |
| (c) in the case of mixtures of liquefied gases and gases dissolved under pressure: the proportion of the mass indicated as a percentage of the total mass of the mixture. 
 | |
| 1.2.1.4 | Pressures of all kinds relating to pressure receptacles (such as test pressure, internal pressure, safety-valve opening pressure) are always indicated in gauge pressure (pressure in excess of atmospheric pressure); however, the vapour pressure of substances is always expressed in absolute pressure. | 


