The metre–tonne–second or MTS system of units is a system of

physical unit A unit of measurement is a definite magnitude of a quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law, that is used as a standard for measurement of the same kind of quantity. Any other quantity of that kind can be expressed as a multi ...

s. It was invented in France, hence the unit names ''sthène'' and ''pièze'', and became its legal system between 1919 and 1961 ("décret" 5 May 1961, "Journal Officiel"). It was adopted by the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

in 1933 and abolished there in 1955. It was a metric and

coherent system A coherent system of units is a system of units of measurement used to express physical quantities that are defined in such a way that the equations relating the numerical values expressed in the units of the system have exactly the same form, inc ...

of units, much as SI and the centimetre–gram–second system (CGS), but with larger units for industrial use, whereas the CGS system was regarded as suitable for laboratory use only.

Units

The base units of the MTS system are: * Length:

metre The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...

, *: 1 t = 10³ kg = 1 Mg *

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

: second Some common derived units: *

Volume Volume is a measure of occupied three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch). Th ...

: cubic metre or stere *: 1 m³ ≡ 1 st * Force:

sthène The sthène (; symbol sn), sometimes spelled (or misspelled) sthéne or sthene (from grc, σθένος, sthénos, force), is an obsolete unit of force (physics), force or thrust in the metre–tonne–second system of units (mts) introduced in Fra ...

, *: 1 sn = 1 t⋅m/s² = 10³ N = 1 kN *

Energy In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of hea ...

: sthène-metre =

kilojoule The joule ( , ; symbol: J) is the unit of energy in the International System of Units (SI). It is equal to the amount of work done when a force of 1 newton displaces a mass through a distance of 1 metre in the direction of the force applied ...

, *: 1 sn⋅m = 1 t⋅m²/s² = 10³ J = 1 kJ *

Power Power most often refers to: * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events ** Abusive power Power may a ...

: sthène-metre per second = kilowatt, *: 1 sn⋅m/s = 1 t⋅m²/s³ = 10³ W = 1 kW *

Pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...

: pièze, *: 1 pz = 1 t/m⋅s² = 10³ Pa = 1 kPa = 1 centibar ( cbar)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Metre-tonne-second system of units Systems of units Metric system

Units

See also

References