Statvolt

The statvolt is a unit of voltage and electrical potential used in the esu-cgs and gaussian system of units. The conversion to the SI system is exactly

1 statvolt = 299.792458 volts.

(The conversion factor 299.792458 is simply the numerical value of the speed of light in m/s divided by 10⁶)^[1]

The statvolt is also defined in the cgs system as 1 erg / esu.^[1]

It is a useful unit for electromagnetism because one statvolt per centimetre is equal in magnitude to one gauss. Thus, for example, an electric field of one statvolt/cm has the same energy density as a magnetic field of one gauss. Likewise, a plane wave propagating in a vacuum has perpendicular electric and magnetic fields such that for every gauss of magnetic field intensity there is one statvolt/cm of electric field intensity.^[1]

The abvolt is another option for a unit of voltage in the cgs system.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Purcell, Edward (2011). Electricity and Magnetism (Second ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 474–475. ISBN 9781107013605.

[Purcell-1] Purcell, Edward (2011). Electricity and Magnetism (Second ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 474–475. ISBN 9781107013605.

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