Gaussian units constitute a metric system of physical units. This system is the most common of the several electromagnetic unit systems based on cgs (centimetre–gram–second) units. It is also called the Gaussian unit system, Gaussian-cgs units, or often just cgs units.[a] The term "cgs units" is ambiguous and therefore to be avoided if possible: there are several variants of cgs with conflicting definitions of electromagnetic quantities and units.
SI units predominate in most fields, and continue to increase in popularity at the expense of Gaussian units.[1][b] Alternative unit systems also exist. Conversions between quantities in Gaussian and SI units are not direct unit conversions, because the quantities themselves are defined differently in each system. This means that the equations expressing physical laws of electromagnetism—such as Maxwell's equations—will change depending on the system of units employed. As an example, quantities that are dimensionless in one system may have dimension in the other.
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