Numford

Current electricityClass 12, Current Electricity

Dimensional formula of Conductivity

[M-1 L-3 T3 A2]

Symbolσ SI unitsiemens per metre (S/m)

The inverse of resistivity.

Derivation

How to get the dimensional formula of conductivity

  1. Start from the definition: conductivity = 1 / resistivity.
  2. velocity = length / time, so velocity is [L] / [T] = [L T-1].
  3. energy = mass × velocity2, so energy is [M] × [L T-1]2 = [M L2 T-2].
  4. electric charge = electric current × time, so electric charge is [A] × [T] = [T A].
  5. electric potential = energy / electric charge, so electric potential is [M L2 T-2] / [T A] = [M L2 T-3 A-1].
  6. electrical resistance = electric potential / electric current, so electrical resistance is [M L2 T-3 A-1] / [A] = [M L2 T-3 A-2].
  7. area = length × length, so area is [L] × [L] = [L2].
  8. Put in the dimension of each part: 1 / [M L3 T-3 A-2].
  9. Add the powers of each base quantity: [M-1 L-3 T3 A2].
Practice

Three questions on conductivity

1Which is the dimensional formula of conductivity?

2What is the SI unit of conductivity?

3Do conductivity and mobility have the same dimensions?

Questions

Conductivity: quick answers

What is the dimensional formula of conductivity?

The dimensional formula of conductivity is [M⁻¹ L⁻³ T³ A²]. It comes from conductivity = 1 / resistivity.

What is the SI unit of conductivity?

The SI unit of conductivity is the siemens per metre (S/m).

Is conductivity dimensionless?

No. Conductivity has the dimensions [M⁻¹ L⁻³ T³ A²].

Open the dimensional formula tool