Editing Gaussian units (section)

{{short description|Variant of the centimetre–gram–second unit system}}
{{Use British English |date=September 2023}}

[[File:Carl Friedrich Gauss.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Carl Friedrich Gauss]]]]
'''Gaussian units''' constitute a [[metric system]] of [[units of measurement]]. This system is the most common of the several electromagnetic unit systems based on the [[centimetre–gram–second system of units]] (CGS). It is also called the '''Gaussian unit system''', '''Gaussian-cgs units''', or often just '''cgs units'''.{{efn|One of many examples of using the term "cgs units" to refer to Gaussian units is: [http://nlpc.stanford.edu/nleht/Science/reference/conversion.pdf Lecture notes from Stanford University]}} The term "cgs units" is ambiguous and therefore to be avoided if possible: there are several variants of CGS, which have conflicting definitions of electromagnetic quantities and units.

[[International System of Units|SI units]] predominate in most fields, and continue to increase in popularity at the expense of Gaussian units.<ref name=Rowlett/>{{efn|name=JacksonEditions}} Alternative unit systems also exist. Conversions between quantities in the Gaussian and SI systems are {{em|not}} direct unit conversions, because the quantities themselves are defined differently in each system. This means that the equations that express physical laws of electromagnetism—such as [[Maxwell's equations]]—will change depending on the system of quantities that is employed. As an example, quantities that are [[dimensionless]] in one system may have dimension in the other.