The MKpS Unit System

The MKpS unit system or gravitational metric system is the abbreviation derived from the French title metre-kilogramme-poids-seconde. This unit system was referred to by the international abrbreviations MKpS, MKfS or MKS. The MKpS was in fact entitled Systeme des Mecaniciens or in English; Mechanical Engineers' System. This unit system was basedo n three fundamental units, the metre, the second, and a weight unit, the kilogram-force. The unit system had the basic fault of being dependent on the acceleration due to gravity g, which varies on different parts of the Earth, so that the unit could not be given a general definition. Due to the lack of a unit of mass, it was difficult, if not impossible to draw a distiction between weight,or force, and mass. The mechanical untis were not self- consistent, as for example the unit of power, the horsepower, which is equal to 75 \(\left[\frac{\mathrm{kg\cdot m}}{\mathrm{s}}\right]\). This system has no links with magnetic, electrical, or thermodynamic units.