View source for Chemistry:Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry

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[[File:IUPAC Green Book 3 ed cover.jpg|right|thumb|Front cover of the ''Green Book'']]
'''''Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry''''', also known as the '''''Green Book''''', is a compilation of terms and symbols widely used in the field of [[Chemistry:Physical chemistry|physical chemistry]]. It also includes a table of [[Physics:Physical constant|physical constant]]s, tables listing the properties of [[Physics:Elementary particle|elementary particle]]s, [[Chemistry:Chemical element|chemical element]]s, and [[Physics:Nuclide|nuclide]]s, and information about conversion factors that are commonly used in physical chemistry. The ''Green Book'' is published by the [[Organization:International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry|International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry]] (IUPAC) and is based on published, citeable sources. Information in the ''Green Book'' is synthesized from recommendations made by IUPAC, the [[Organization:International Union of Pure and Applied Physics|International Union of Pure and Applied Physics]] (IUPAP) and the [[Organization:International Organization for Standardization|International Organization for Standardization]] (ISO), including recommendations listed in the IUPAP Red Book ''Symbols, Units, Nomenclature and Fundamental Constants in Physics'' and in the [[Physics:ISO 31|ISO 31]] standards.

==History, list of editions, and translations to non-English languages==

The third edition of the ''Green Book'' ({{ISBN|978-0-85404-433-7}}) was first published by IUPAC in 2007.  A second printing of the third edition was released in 2008; this printing made several minor revisions to the 2007 text.  A third printing of the third edition was released in 2011.  The text of the third printing is identical to that of the second printing.

A Japanese translation of the third edition of the ''Green Book'' ({{ISBN|978-4-06-154359-1}}) was published in 2009.  A French translation of the third edition of the ''Green Book'' ({{ISBN|978-2-8041-7207-7}}) was published in 2012. A [http://www.sbq.org.br/livroverde/ Portuguese translation] (Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese) of the third edition of the ''Green Book'' ({{ISBN|978-85-64099-19-7}}) was published in 2018, with updated values of the physical constants and atomic weights; it is referred to as the "Livro Verde".

A concise four-page summary of the most important material in the ''Green Book'' was published in the July–August 2011 issue of ''Chemistry International'', the IUPAC news magazine.

The second edition of the ''Green Book'' ({{ISBN|0-632-03583-8}}) was first published in 1993.  It was reprinted in 1995, 1996, and 1998.

The ''Green Book'' is a direct successor of the ''Manual of Symbols and Terminology for Physicochemical Quantities and Units'', originally prepared for publication on behalf of IUPAC's Physical Chemistry Division by M. L. McGlashen in 1969.  A full history of the Green Book's various editions is provided in the historical introduction to the third edition.

The second edition and the third edition (second printing) of the ''Green Book'' have both been made available online as PDF files; the PDF version of the third edition is fully searchable. The four-page concise summary is also available online as a PDF file. [[Chemistry:Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry#External links|External Links (below)]].

==Handy content==
In addition to the obvious data on quantities, units and symbols, the compilation contains some less obvious but very useful information on related topics.

===Quantity calculus===
Unit conversion is a notorious source of errors. Many people apply individual rules, e.g. "to obtain length in centimeters multiply the length in inches by 2.54", but combining several such conversions is laborious and prone to mistakes. A better way is to use the factor-label method, which is closely related to [[Dimensional analysis|dimensional analysis]], and [[Physics:Quantity calculus|quantity calculus]] explained in sections 1.1 and 7.1 of this compilation.

===Scientific typography===
Section 1.3 explains the rules for writing scientific symbols and names, for example, where to use capital letters or italics, and where their use is incorrect. The typographical rules are extensive, including even such detail as whether "20°C" or "20&nbsp;°C" is the correct form.

===Atomic units===
Section 3.8 introduces [[Physics:Atomic units|atomic units]] and gives a table of atomic units of various physical quantities and the conversion factor to the [[International System of Units|SI units]]. Section 7.3(v) gives a concise but clear tutorial on practical use of atomic units, in particular how to understand equations "written in atomic units".

==See also==
* [[Chemistry:IUPAC Color Books|IUPAC Color Books]]
* ''[[Chemistry:Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry|Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry]]'' (the ''Blue Book'')
* ''[[Chemistry:Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry|Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry]]'' (the ''Red Book'')
* ''[[Chemistry:Compendium of Chemical Terminology|Compendium of Chemical Terminology]]'' (the ''Gold Book'')
* ''[[Chemistry:Compendium of Analytical Nomenclature|Compendium of Analytical Nomenclature]]'' (the ''Orange Book'')

==External links==
* [http://iupac.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Green-Book-PDF-Version-2011.pdf ''Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry'', IUPAC ''Green Book'', third edition] ( E.R. Cohen, T. Cvitas, J.G. Frey, B. Holmström, K. Kuchitsu, R. Marquardt, I. Mills, F. Pavese, M. Quack, J. Stohner, H.L. Strauss, M. Takami, and A.J. Thor, ''Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry'', IUPAC ''Green Book'', Third Edition, Second Printing, IUPAC & RSC Publishing, Cambridge (2008))
* [http://www.iupac.org/publications/ci/2011/3304/July11_green-sup-4p.pdf Concise four-page summary of the ''Green Book''{{'}}s third edition]
* [http://old.iupac.org/publications/books/gbook/green_book_2ed.pdf Second edition of the ''Green Book'']


[[Category:Chemistry reference works]]
[[Category:Chemical nomenclature]]
[[Category:Units of chemical measurement]]

{{Sourceattribution|Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry}}