Abvolt
Abvolt
Unit of voltage
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/ccgs statvolt ≈ 3.3356×10−11 statvolt in the CGS-ESU system.[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.