Abvolt

The abvolt (abV) is the unit of potential difference in the CGS-EMU system of units. It corresponds to 10⁻⁸ volt in the SI system and 1/c_cgs statvolt ≈ 3.3356×10⁻¹¹ statvolt in the CGS-ESU system.^{[Note 1]}

abvolt
Unit system	CGS-EMU
Unit of	electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force
Symbol	abV
Named after	Alessandro Volta
In CGS base units	g1/2·cm3/2/s2 [1]:25
Conversions
1 abV in ...	... corresponds to ...
SI derived units	10−8 volt
CGS-ESU	1/ccgs statvolt[Note 1]

A potential difference of 1 abV will drive a current of one abampere through a resistance of one abohm.

In most practical applications, the volt and its multiples are preferred. The national standard in the United States ^[2] deprecates the use of the abvolt, suggesting the use of volts instead.

The name abvolt was introduced by Kennelly in 1903 as a short name for the long name (absolute) electromagnetic cgs unit of e.m.f. that was in use since the adoption of the cgs system in 1875.^[3] The abvolt was coherent with the CGS-EMU system, in contrast to the volt, the practical unit of e.m.f. that had been adopted too in 1875.

Notes

1. The dimensionless constant c_cgs = 2.99792458×10¹⁰ is numerically equal to the magnitude of the speed of light when the latter is expressed in cm/s.