The dyne (symbol: dyn; fromAncient Greekδύναμις(dúnamis)'power, force') is a derived unit of force specified in the centimetre–gram–second (CGS) system of units, a predecessor of the modern SI.

History

The name dyne was first proposed as a CGS unit of force in 1873 by a Committee of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and is from Ancient Greek δύναμις ('force', 'power').

Definition

The dyne is defined as "the force required to accelerate a mass of one gram at a rate of one centimetre per second squared". An equivalent definition of the dyne is "that force which, acting for one second, will produce a change of velocity of one centimetre per second in a mass of one gram".

One dyne is equal to 10 micronewtons, 10−5 N or to 10 nsn (nanosthenes) in the old metre–tonne–second system of units.

  • 1 dyn = 1 g⋅cm/s2 = 10−5 kg⋅m/s2 = 10−5 N
  • 1 N = 1kg⋅m/s2 = 105 g⋅cm/s2 = 105 dyn
Force units
vteNewtonsDynesKilograms-force kilopondsPoundsPoundals
1N≡1kgms2=100000dyn≈0.10197kgf≈0.22481lb≈7.23301pdl
1dyn=1×10−5N≡1gcms2≈1.01972×10−6kgf≈2.24809×10−6lb≈7.23301×10−5pdl
1kgf=9.80665N=980665dyngn×1kg≈2.20462lb≈70.9316pdl
1lb≈4.44822N≈444822dyn≈0.45359kgfgn×1lbm/.3048mft≈32.1740pdl
1pdl≈0.13825N≈13825.5dyn≈0.01410kgf≈0.03108lbf≡1lbmfts2

Use

The dyne per centimetre is a unit traditionally used to measure surface tension. For example, the surface tension of distilled water is 71.99 dyn/cm at 25°C (77°F). (In SI units this is 71.99×10−3N/m or 71.99mN/m.)

See also