Final answer:
The MKS system uses meters, kilograms, and seconds as base units, while the CGS system uses centimeters, grams, and seconds. A chief difference is in the derived unit of force, which is newtons in MKS and dynes in CGS, necessitating conversion between these systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The MKS system and the CGS system represent two different systems of units used in the field of physics to measure various physical quantities. The main differences between these two systems are related to the base units for mass, length, and time.
- Units of Measurement: In the MKS system, the base units are meters (m) for length, kilograms (kg) for mass, and seconds (s) for time. In contrast, the CGS system uses centimeters (cm) for length, grams (g) for mass, and seconds (s) for time.
- Force Unit: The unit of force in the MKS system is the newton (N), which is based on kilograms, meters, and seconds. In the CGS system, the unit of force is the dyne, defined in terms of grams, centimeters, and seconds. Therefore, when discussing forces, one must consider the conversion factors between these units, which involve the necessary shifts in the magnitude by the differences in base units' scales.
Conversion factors are crucial when converting between these two systems. For example, the conversion factors for the base units between MKS and CGS are:
- 1 kilogram is equal to 1000 grams,
- 1 meter is equal to 100 centimeters,
- 1 second is the same in both systems, so no conversion is needed.