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thermal conductivity

American  

noun

Physics.
  1. the amount of heat per unit time per unit area that can be conducted through a plate of unit thickness of a given material, the faces of the plate differing by one unit of temperature.


thermal conductivity British  

noun

  1. Sometimes shortened to: conductivity.   λ.   k.  a measure of the ability of a substance to conduct heat, determined by the rate of heat flow normally through an area in the substance divided by the area and by minus the component of the temperature gradient in the direction of flow: measured in watts per metre per kelvin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

thermal conductivity Scientific  
  1. A measure of the ability of a material to transfer heat. Given two surfaces on either side of the material with a temperature difference between them, the thermal conductivity is the heat energy transferred per unit time and per unit surface area, divided by the temperature difference. It is measured in watts per degree Kelvin.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The unique properties of diamonds, including high thermal conductivity and resistance to electrical breakdown, make it an ideal candidate for high-power, high-frequency electronic devices.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024

Moreover, the presence of adsorbed water molecules in MOFs further reduces their effective thermal conductivity.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2024

This is the first study that predicts the extent to which tuning the thermal conductivity of paper can enhance transformer life.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2024

"However, subsequent experimental measurements and modeling have refined graphene's thermal conductivity," Ruan said.

From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2023

Its thermal conductivity is the lowest of all metals, being 18 as compared with silver as 1000; its coefficient of expansion between 0� and 100� is 0.001341.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 1 "Bisharin" to "Bohea" by Various