Recent Actions Taken By the Symbols, Units, and Nomenclature (S.U.N.) Committee Of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (I.P.U.) in Reference to C.G.S. Magnetic Units

In reference to the C.G.S. magnetic units, a brief historical outline is presented of the actions taken by international electrical congresses from 1893 to 1904, and by international technical and scientific unions from 1904 to 1932. Emphasis is laid on the results of the S.U.N. Committee meeting of July, 1932, as the latest development. The present status of international agreement on C.G.S. magnetic units is unofficially presented, in the light of the historical background. Turning to future possible developments, certain questions are pending for consideration, by either or both committees, in order to clear up any outstanding differences of international opinion over magnetic units in the classical C.G.S. system. In order to convert the existing series of practical electromagnetic units (ohm, volt, ampere, coulomb, farad, joule, watt, henry and pramaxwell) into a complete system, international agreement must first be reached upon the two outstanding questions: (a) Subrationalising (4π NI or NI for mmf). (b) The unit of length to be adopted (meter or cm). Suggestions are offered along both these lines.