Overview
EN ISO 80000-1:2022 - Quantities and units - Part 1: General (ISO 80000-1:2022) provides the foundational definitions, concepts and conventions for representing physical quantities and units. Adopted by CEN and published December 2022, this part of the ISO/IEC 80000 series defines the International System of Quantities (ISQ), coherent unit systems, quantity and unit symbols, and general principles intended for broad use across science, engineering and technology. It supplements and introduces other parts of the ISO 80000 series and does not cover ordinal quantities or nominal properties.
Key topics
The standard covers general information and terminology rather than exhaustive unit lists. Major topics include:
- Terms and definitions aligned with ISO/IEC Guide 99 (VIM)
- Concept of quantity and systems of quantities (base and derived quantities)
- International System of Quantities (ISQ) and its role relative to the SI
- Dimensions and dimensional analysis
- Units and numerical values, including coherent unit systems (e.g., SI coherence)
- Quantity equations and numerical-value equations
- Printing and notation rules for symbols, subscripts, expressions and dimensions
- Rules for numbers: decimal sign, multiplication/division conventions, rounding and uncertainty/error reporting
- Supplementary material: chemical element/nuclide notation, Greek alphabet, annexes on specific terms and rounding
Practical applications
EN ISO 80000-1:2022 is a practical reference for ensuring consistent, unambiguous representation of quantities and units across documents, data and systems:
- Standardizing technical documentation, datasheets and specifications
- Harmonizing unit usage in engineering drawings, test reports and lab records
- Guiding software developers implementing unit-aware calculations and unit-conversion libraries
- Informing educational materials and scientific publications to comply with international conventions
- Supporting measurement, calibration and metrology activities where clear notation and coherent units are required
Who should use it
- Engineers, scientists and technical authors
- Metrologists and laboratory managers
- Standards writers and regulatory bodies
- Software developers working on scientific/engineering applications
- Publishers and educators producing technical content
Related standards
- ISO/IEC Guide 99 - International vocabulary of metrology (VIM)
- BIPM - The International System of Units (SI Brochure, 9th edition)
- Other parts of the ISO/IEC 80000 series covering specific quantities and domains
Using EN ISO 80000-1:2022 helps organizations and professionals achieve clarity, interoperability and international alignment when working with quantities, units and their symbols.
