mechanical equivalent of heat

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.

mechanical equivalent of heat

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of mechanical equivalent of heat¹

First recorded in 1835–45