fundamental quantity

5.9

A basic physical amount used to measure things, like length or mass

noun
/ˌfʌndəˈmɛntəl ˈkwɒntɪti/

Specialized

: cantidad fundamental

To fully answer those questions requires either an unambiguous experimental detection of a change in a fundamental quantity or a significantly deeper understanding of the underlying physics represented by those parameters.

And that's just because the fundamental quantity is really energy.

Examples

In nearly all physical phenomena, three fundamental quantities are involved: mass, length, and time (Maxwell, 1873, pp. 2-5).

Academic text (2012)
Mass is a fundamental quantity that measures the amount of matter in an object.
In science, length is considered a fundamental quantity essential for describing spatial dimensions.
Electric current is a fundamental quantity that plays a crucial role in the flow of electricity.

Synonyms

fundamental measure

vsfundamental quantity

Specialized

5.6

A basic quantity like length, mass, or time that measurement systems use

has identical meaning but is expressed with the other common form

How Fundamental

fundamental quantity

Specialized

5.9

fundamental measure

Specialized

5.6

unit

589 2.1

measure

Specialized

80 2.4

Surface Forms

fundamental quantity singular

fundamental quantities plural

Morphology

fundamental + quantity

The meaning 'one of the basic quantities' is directly and compositionally derived from 'fundamental' (essential/core) modifying 'quantity' (a measurable amount). This simple adjective+noun combination follows common English (and cross-linguistic) compounding patterns and uses transparent, high-frequency words, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The term fundamental quantity comes from the image of a building's foundation. Fundamental means a basic part and quantity means an amount, so things like length, mass and time are the simple 'building blocks' that other measurements are made from.