Metre–tonne–second system of units

The metre–tonne–second or MTS system of units is a system of physical units. 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 in 1933 and abolished there in 1955. It was a metric and coherent system 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.^[1][2]

Units

The base units of the MTS system are as follows:

• length: metre
• volume: cubic metre or litre

1 m³ ≡ 1 kL

• mass: tonne,

1 t = 10³ kg = 1 Mg

• time: second
• force: sthène,

1 sn = 1 t·m/s² = 10³ N = 1 kN

• energy: sthene-metre = kilojoule,

1 sn·m = 1 t·m²/s² = 10³ J = 1 kJ

• power: sthene-metre per second = kilowatt,

1 sn·m/s = 1 t·m²/s³ = 10³ W = 1 kW

• pressure: pièze,

1 pz = 1 t/m·s² = 10³ Pa = 1 kPa = 1 centibar (cbar)

See also

• Metre-kilogram-second system of units (MKS)
• Foot-pound-second system of units (FPS)
• Quadrant-eleventh-gram-second system (QES)

References

1. "System of Measurement Units". IEEE Global History Network. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Retrieved 2011-03-21.
2. "Notions de physique - Systèmes d'unités" [Symbols used in physics - units of measure] (in French). Hydrelect.info. Retrieved 2011-03-21.