Units and Standards

In 1960, the metric system was modified somewhat with the adoption of new units of measurement. The modification was given the name of Le Système International d'Unités, or the International System of Units—more commonly known as the SI system.

Nine fundamental units make up the SI system. These are the meter (abbreviated m) for length, the kilogram (kg) for mass, the second (s) for time, the ampere (A) for electric current, the Kelvin (K) for temperature, the candela (cd) for light intensity, the mole (mol) for quantity of a substance, the radian (rad) for plane angles, and the steradian (sr) for solid angles.