Electrical conductivity or specific conductance is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity, and measures a material's ability to conduct an electric current. It is commonly represented by the Greek letter σ (sigma), but κ (kappa) (especially in electrical engineering) or γ (gamma) are also occasionally used. Its SI unit is siemens per metre (S⋅m−1) and CGSE unit is reciprocal second (s−1).
Characteristic |
Description |
Dimension (SI) |
M-1·L-3·T3·I2 |
Common symbol(s) |
σ |
Table 1: Quantity brief
Unit name |
Symbol |
Conversion to base unit |
Relation to SI units |
|
SI |
µS/m |
µS/m |
* 10-6 |
|
SI |
mS/m |
mS/m |
* 10-3 |
|
SI |
S/cm |
S/cm |
* 102 |
|
SI |
S/m |
S/m |
* 1 |
|
SI |
S m/mm2 |
Sm/mm2 |
* 106 |
Table 2: Supported units
