mechanical equivalent of heat

American  

noun

1. (in any system of physical units) the number of units of work or energy equal to one unit of heat, as 4.1858 joules, which equals one small calorie.

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mechanical equivalent of heat British  

noun

1.  J.  physics a factor for converting units of energy into heat units. It has the value 4.1868 joules per calorie

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Etymology

Origin of mechanical equivalent of heat

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

The figure above shows one of Joule’s most famous experimental setups for demonstrating the mechanical equivalent of heat.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Figure 14.5 The smoking brakes on this truck are a visible evidence of the mechanical equivalent of heat.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Note that Example 14.2 is an illustration of the mechanical equivalent of heat.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

One hears of the mechanical equivalent of heat.

From Varieties of Religious Experience, a Study in Human Nature by James, William

This is called the mechanical equivalent of heat, being merely the quantity of heat necessary to do a certain amount of work, but having no relation to the time in which that work was done.

From Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II by Rose, Joshua