What is the Difference Between Fundamental and Derived Quantities?

The difference between fundamental and derived quantities lies in their relationship with other physical quantities and how they are defined:

• Fundamental quantities are those physical quantities that cannot be expressed in terms of other quantities. They are independent and can be directly measured in a physical system. Examples of fundamental quantities include length, mass, time, current, material amount, luminous intensity, and thermodynamic temperature.
• Derived quantities are those quantities that are based on fundamental quantities and can be given in terms of fundamental quantities. They are dependent on fundamental quantities and are often derived from experiments and observations. Examples of derived quantities include force, work, power, and velocity, among others.

In summary:

• Fundamental quantities are independent and cannot be expressed in terms of other quantities.
• Derived quantities are dependent on fundamental quantities and can be expressed in terms of them.

Comparative Table: Fundamental vs Derived Quantities

Here is a table highlighting the differences between fundamental quantities and derived quantities:

Fundamental quantities are independent and do not depend on other quantities for their measurement, while derived quantities depend on fundamental quantities for their measurement. Fundamental quantities can have more than one unit, but derived quantities can only have one unit. Some sources suggest that fundamental quantities can be defined in terms of derived quantities, but the more widely accepted view is that fundamental quantities can be defined in terms of other fundamental quantities.