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QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit[quantityvariable]

returns the canonical unit associated with the specified quantityvariable.

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Applications  
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QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit

QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit[quantityvariable]

returns the canonical unit associated with the specified quantityvariable.

Details

  • QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit returns the canonical unit for the physical quantity of the quantityvariable.
  • quantityvariable can be a QuantityVariable, a combination of QuantityVariable objects or the Derivative of a QuantityVariable.
  • A unit can be a string or product of strings.
  • Supported physical quantities include both physical and chemical quantities such as "Length", "ElectricCurrent", and "ChemicalPotential", as well as mathematical and financial quantities such as "Angle" and "Money".
  • Supported units include all those specified by NIST Special Publication 811.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (1)

Find the canonical unit for a physical quantity:

Wolfram Language code: QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit[QuantityVariable["Time"]]

Use the single- or two-argument form of QuantityVariable:

Wolfram Language code: QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit[QuantityVariable["R", "ElectricResistance"]]

Scope  (2)

Determine the canonical unit of the Derivative of a QuantityVariable:

Wolfram Language code: QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit[QuantityVariable["RadiantFluxDensity"]'[QuantityVariable["Time"]]]
Wolfram Language code: QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit[QuantityVariable["RadiantFluxDensity"]''[QuantityVariable["Time"]]]

Discover the canonical unit of an arbitrary combination of QuantityVariable objects and their derivatives:

Wolfram Language code: QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit[QuantityVariable["RadiantFluxDensity"]''[QuantityVariable["Time"]] / QuantityVariable["Speed"]]

Applications  (2)

Find the canonical units for physical quantities of a formula:

Wolfram Language code: pqs = FormulaData["StefanBoltzmannLaw", "QuantityVariablePhysicalQuantities"]
Wolfram Language code: Rule[First[#], QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit[QuantityVariable[Last[#]]]]& /@ pqs

Use these as a basis for determining valid inputs for formulas:

Wolfram Language code: FormulaData["StefanBoltzmannLaw", {M -> Quantity[5, ("Watts") / ("Meters") ^ 2], "T" -> Quantity[270, "Kelvins"]}]

Find the canonical units for common electrical physical quantities:

Wolfram Language code: pqs = Grid[{#, QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit[QuantityVariable[#]]}& /@ {"ElectricCapacitance", "ElectricConductivity", "ElectricCurrent", "ElectricPotential", "ElectricResistance", "ElectricResistivity", "MagneticInductance", "MagneticInduction"}, Frame -> All]

Properties & Relations  (1)

Use the ResourceFunction "PhysicalQuantityLookup" to find physical quantities and quantity variables from units and quantities:

Wolfram Language code: ResourceFunction["PhysicalQuantityLookup"]["Amperes", "QuantityVariable"]
Wolfram Language code: ResourceFunction["PhysicalQuantityLookup"][Quantity[12, "Feet" ^ 3], "Entity"]
Wolfram Research (2014), QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit.html (updated 2019).

Text

Wolfram Research (2014), QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit.html (updated 2019).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2014. "QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2019. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2014). QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_quantityvariablecanonicalunit, author="Wolfram Research", title="{QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit}", year="2019", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_quantityvariablecanonicalunit, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit}, year={2019}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/QuantityVariableCanonicalUnit.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}