Tesla (unit)

The tesla (symbol T) is the SI derived unit of magnetic flux density (or magnetic induction).

Contents

Definition

1 T = 1 Wb/m2 = 1 kg·s–2·A–1

SI multiples

Multiple Name Symbol Multiple Name Symbol
100 tesla T      
101 decatesla daT 10–1 decitesla dT
102 hectotesla hT 10–2 centitesla cT
103 kilotesla kT 10–3 millitesla mT
106 megatesla MT 10–6 microtesla µT
109 gigatesla GT 10–9 nanotesla nT
1012 teratesla TT 10–12 picotesla pT
1015 petatesla PT 10–15 femtotesla fT
1018 exatesla ET 10–18 attotesla aT
1021 zettatesla ZT 10–21 zeptotesla zT
1024 yottatesla YT 10–24 yoctotesla yT

Origin

It is named in honor of the Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla.

Explanation

The tesla is the value of the total magnetic flux (a magnet's "power") divided by area. Hence, reducing the affected area will generally increase the magnetic flux density.

Conversions

1 tesla is equivalent to:

  • 10 000 gauss.


Examples

  • In outer space the magnetic flux density is between 0.1 and 10 nanoteslas (10-10 T and 10-8 T),
  • in the Earth's magnetic field at latitude of 50° is 20 µT (2×10-5 T) and on the equator at a latitude of 0° is 31 µT (3.1×10-5 T),
  • in the magnetic field of a huge horseshoe magnet 1 millitesla (0.001 T),
  • a large 30 pound loudspeaker magnet will have a coil gap of 1 T
  • in medical magnetic resonance imaging up to 4 T, experimentally up to 7 T,
  • in a sunspot 10 T,
  • strongest continuous magnetic field yet produced in a laboratory (Florida State University's National High Magnetic Field Laboratory [1] in Tallahassee, USA), 45 T [2],
  • strongest (pulsed) magnetic field yet obtained non-destructively in a laboratory (Koichi Kindo at Osaka University [3]), 80 T,
  • strongest (pulsed) magnetic field ever obtained (with explosives) in a laboratory (Sarov, Russia), 2800 T,
  • on a neutron star 1 to 100 megateslas (106 T to 108 T),
  • on a magnetar, 0.1 to 100 gigateslas (108 to 1011 T),
  • maximum theoretical field strength for a neutron star, and therefore for any known phenomenon, 1013 T.

Geophysics uses a non-SI unit called the gamma, 1 γ = 10-9 T = 1 nT.

The CGS unit is the gauss = 10-4 T.

SI units

SI electromagnetic units

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Current ampere (SI base unit) A A
Electric charge, Quantity of electricity coulomb C A·s
Potential difference volt V J/C = kg·m2·s−3·A−1
Resistance, Impedance, Reactance ohm Ω V/A = kg·m2·s−3·A−2
Resistivity ohm metre Ω·m kg·m3·s−3·A−2
Electrical power watt W V·A = kg·m2·s−3
Capacitance farad F C/V = kg−1·m−2·A2·s4
Elastance reciprocal farad F−1 kg·m2·A−2·s−4
Permittivity farad per metre F/m kg−1·m−3·A2·s4
Conductance, Admittance, Susceptance siemens S Ω−1 = kg−1·m−2·s3·A2
Conductivity siemens per metre S/m kg−1·m−3·s3·A2
Magnetic flux weber Wb V·s = kg·m2·s−2·A−1
Magnetic flux density tesla T Wb/m2 = kg·s−2·A−1
Magnetic induction ampere per metre A/m A·m−1
Reluctance ampere-turns per weber A/Wb kg−1·m−2·s2·A2
Inductance henry H Wb/A = V·s/A = kg·m2·s−2·A−2
Permeability henry per metre H/m kg·m·s−2·A−2
Magnetic susceptibility (dimensionless) χ -
cs:Tesla

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