# Gauss (unit)

The gauss, abbreviated as G or Gs, is the cgs unit of measurement of magnetic flux density (or "magnetic induction") (B). It is named after German mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss. One gauss is defined as one maxwell per square centimeter. The cgs system has been superseded by the International System of Units (SI), which uses the tesla (unit T) as the unit of magnetic flux density.[1] One gauss equals 1×104 tesla (100 μT), so 1 tesla = 10000 gauss.

## Unit name and convention

As with all units whose names are derived from a person's name, the first letter of its symbol is uppercase ("G"), but when the unit is spelled out, it should be written in lowercase ("gauss"), unless it begins a sentence.[2]

## Unit conversions

{\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}1\,{\rm {G}}&={\frac {\rm {esu}}{{\rm {cm}}^{2}}}={\rm {cm}}^{-1/2}\,{\rm {g}}^{1/2}\,{\rm {s}}^{-1}\\&=10^{-4}\,{\rm {T}}=10^{-4}{\frac {\rm {kg}}{{\rm {A}}{\cdot }{\rm {s}}^{2}}}\end{aligned}}}

According to the system of Gaussian units (cgs), the gauss is the unit of magnetic flux density B and the equivalent of esu/cm2, while the oersted is the unit of magnetizing field H. One tesla is equal to 104 gauss, and one ampere per meter is equal to 4𝛑 × 10−3 oersted.[3]

The units for magnetic flux Φ, which is the integral of magnetic field over an area, are the weber (Wb) in the SI and the maxwell (Mx) in the cgs system. The conversion factor is 108, since flux is the integral of field over an area, area having the units of the square of distance, thus 104 (magnetic field conversion factor) times the square of 102 (linear distance conversion factor, i.e., centimetres per meter). 108=104 X (102)2.